From the World-Wide Resourses of the Western Australia
Reserch Senter(*)
		OIL THE NEWS THAT FITS MY VIEWS   #53
                ===============================
In the Run-Up to World War III, Reliably Reporting the News Relevant
to Extreme Right-Wing Democratic Socialists Everywhere
(validated for RiteThink(tm) by the Office of Our Man in Can-berra).

Visit Our Home Page At: http://www.chickenhead.com/loserscopes/
See the Undeniable Evidence At: http://www.evil-doers.org/evidence
This Stuff Blogged At: http://kymhorsell.blogspot.com/
Also Kindly Archived At: http://www.kymhorsell.com/OIL/
Iraqi Body Count: http://www.iraqbodycount.net/ [5,430+ as at 04 Jun 2003].

------------------------------------------------------------
Selecting latest news stories and other data for you...
------------------------------------------------------------

We'll reveal the truth...  but one thing is for sure...  no
terrorist network will gain weapons of mass destruction from the
Iraqi regime because the Iraqi regime is no more.
	-- Pres Bush Jr, Doha, 05 Jun 2003.
	   Quantification over empty set?

----------------------------------------
Wed, 04 Jun 2003.
 
Markets
Invasion of Iraq has heightened mistrust of America, poll shows
Growing support for US war claim investigation
Howard faces student grilling
UK parliamentary committee to probe war claims
Blair denies secret deal on war
Key players in the selling of the war in Brit
Will Blair's most loyal aide be the fall guy for weapons debacle?
UN inspectors had leads to follow: Blix
Banned missile programme found in Iraq
Iran rejects nuclear weapons accusations 
AUS police raids linked to Iranian group
AUS cmdr honoured for Iraq service
UK probes deaths of Iraqi prisoners
Big Brother
Jihad Jack to return home without charge
"Sleeper cell" case yields convictions 
Rumours of Suu Kyi injuries
Zimbabwe police fire tear gas at demonstrators
E Timor welcomes permanent residency moves
Many East Timorese left in limbo: Bishop
Countries failing Kyoto agreement: UN
Half US climate warming due to land-use changes
Water reforms need state support says Anderson
Biscuit makers tempted into settlement
CSIRO replants after wheat streak mosaic disaster
Political row hots up over waste dump
Regions suggest joint funding for airport security
Who are they going to call? Ghostbusters
New melanoma link
Sun good for you

Sydney. MARKETS!  Investors with an appetite for banks have pushed
the ASX to a higher close, spurred on by Wall St.  The All Ords added
5 pts to close at 2,997.  The FTSE closed down 14 pts at 4,116, while
the German Dax ended 38 pts down at 3,027.  The Nikkei closed down 6
pts.  HK was closed for a holiday.  The AUD was trading around 66.47
US c, up 1 c in the past 24 hrs.  Gold is around $US365/oz.

Invasion of Iraq has heightened mistrust of America, poll shows
Washington.  The Anglo-American invasion of Iraq has deepened the rift
between the US and the rest of the world, with a surge in
anti-Americanism among Islamic nations, and heightened American
antagonism towards once-trusted allies.  According to a new poll by
the Pew Research Centre, which is based in Washington, majorities in 7
of 8 Muslim countries believe they will be attacked by the US -- a
fear expressed by more than 70% in Indonesia, Nigeria and Pakistan. In
all 16,000 people were interviewed in 20 countries and the Palestinian
Authority between 28 Apr and 15 May, more than a m after the fall of Baghdad.
The survey also showed a significant loss of trust in 2 internat'l
institutions, the UN and Nato. Majorities in both countries which
supported and opposed the Iraq war now say the UN had become less relevant.
"The figures show that the European public and our public are feeling
that the ties that have bound us together for the last 50 y are
weakening, and this is very serious," Madeleine Albright, the former
US secretary of state and chairwoman of the Pew project said.
One person who emerges well is Tony Blair, rated along with Kofi
Annan, the UN secretary general, as the leader who inspires most
confidence in the non-Muslim world. Even in the US, the PM, with an 83%
confidence rating, performs better than Pres Bush Jr.
OBL was chosen by 5 Muslim publics -- in Indonesia, Jordan, Morocco,
Pakistan and the Palestinian Authority -- as one of the 3 political
leaders they would most trust to "do the right thing" in world
affairs. Among Palestinians, the al-Qa'ida leader came first.
In both Indonesia and Turkey, theoretically an ally of the US against
Saddam, 83% of the population have an unfavourable view of the US.  In
Indonesia, that compares with a 75% approval rating only 3 years ago.

Growing support for US war claim investigation
Washington.  There is growing bi-partisan support in the US for a
congressional inquiry into the pre-war intel suggesting Saddam
Hussein's alleged weapons program in Iraq represented an immediate threat.
Republican Sen John Mcain supports an inquiry into the CIA and
Pentagon analysis.  "Yes, it's entirely appropriate for the Congress
to hold hands and get all the evidence out," he said.
Some Dems believe the intel is hyped.  California Dem Henry
Waxman has written to Pres George W Bush saying the White House must
come clean because US credibility was now in question.  "I think
Republicans and Dems will show the same patriotism in their
questioning," he said.
Opinion polling shows people in the US support the war regardless of
whether or not chemical and biological weapons are found.
In another development, the Pentagon-backed Iraqi Nat'l Congress (INC)
has denied giving the US Govt false info on Saddam Hussein's alleged
weapons of mass destruction.
A rep for the political group says the Iraqi regime had a very
sophisticated system for concealing the weapons and that all the info
given to Washington by the INC's leader, Ahmad Chalabi, had been
correct at the time.
However, former CIA analyst, Ray McGovern, says US politicians were
very selective in the intel they chose to use.  "When they couldn't
get the correct answers from the CIA or from even the defence intel
agency, they created a little cabal in the boughs of the Pentagon and
invited some lawyers and some PR folks and some congressional
staffers, and they created their own mini CIA," he said.  "And they
came up with the right answers using info paid for by the Pentagon,
from Chalabi's group of emigres."

Howard faces student grilling
Canberra.  AUS and American school students have gone head to head
with PM John Howard in what could be the last Talkback
Classroom on the ABC's youth digital channel Fly TV.  
Mr Howard told the students his close relationship with Pres George W
Bush is the "icing on the cake" in AUS's strong alliance with the US.
The students in CBR, and by satellite from Washington, were concerned
about the amount of aid AUS had committed to rebuild Iraq.  
"In terms of foreign aid we're very low on the list of the nations,"
said one student.  
Many questions related to AUS's mandatory detention policy including
one from a student in Washington.  
"There was a report on CNN that several children in the Woomera
detention centre had formed a suicide pact, is this true?" the student
asked.  
The future of Talkback Classroom, a forum for young Aussies to quiz
politicians, is now in doubt with the ABC announcing the end of the
digital television channel Fly TV, on which it is broadcast.

UK parliamentary committee to probe war claims
London.  A powerful Brit parliamentary committee has decided to probe
the Govt's decision to go to war in Iraq.  The announcement by the
House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee follows claims that intel
reports on Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction were
embellished and exaggerated to justify the conflict, and ensure Brit
went to war.  There have also been growing demands from MPs for an
independent investigation into the claims.  However PM Tony Blair has
insisted during the just-concluded G8 summit in France, that
allegations he misled Brit over the immediate risk posed by Saddam
Hussein's regime were false.

Blair denies secret deal on war
London (AFP, Reuters).  Brit's PM, Tony Blair, has branded his former
cabinet colleague Clare Short a liar for saying he made a "secret
agreement" with the US Pres, George Bush, as long ago as last Sep to
wage war on Iraq.
As opp'n and dissident Labour MPs piled pressure on the Govt, Mr Blair
said the allegations by Ms Short were "completely and totally untrue".
Over the weekend, Ms Short, who resigned from Mr Blair's cabinet after
the war, said she had concluded that "the PM had decided to go to war
in Aug some time and he duped us all along". Critics have said intel
evidence was manipulated to whip up support for an invasion.
At a press conference in Evian on Mon, Mr Blair swept aside calls for
a public inquiry. He appealed to critics to "just have a little
patience" until a full inspection for weapons of mass destruction in
Iraq and report have been completed.
He insisted that he stood "100% behind the evidence, based on intel,
that we presented to people" and rejected claims that intel data was
manipulated.
Then came the stroke that severed his personal ties with Ms Short, an
ally since 1997.
"The idea, as apparently Clare Short is saying, that I made some
secret agreement with George Bush back last Sep that we would invade
Iraq in any event at a particular time is also completely and totally
untrue."
Despite the US's failure to find any weapons of mass destruction, the
Secretary of State, Colin Powell, defended intel he presented to
justify the war. "There were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq," he
told reporters. "It wasn't a figment of anyone's imagination."

Key players in the selling of the war in Brit
* Jack Straw
The For Sec is assumed to have had a "good war", particularly in his
performances at the UN Sec Council. But as one of the most hardline
backers of conflict he made repeated claims on the nature of the Iraqi
threat.  Mr Straw said that Hans Blix and his UN team had provided
"overwhelming" evidence that Iraq had WMD, citing his 173-page report
published in Feb. But Dr Blix's report only ever referred to
unanswered questions for Baghdad and stated that there was no evidence
that the weapons still existed.
* Geoff Hoon
The Secretary of State for Defence is another minister judged to have
been a safe pair of hands in the war, and is one of the most hawkish
members of the Cabinet.  As an essential member of the War Cabinet, he
would have had access to the daily intel briefings and highly
classified material that is supposed to have prompted Brit to go to
war.  Mr Hoon repeatedly claimed that WMD would be found, but the MoD
had a much smaller role than the Foreign Office in the overall effort
to sell the conflict.
* John Scarlett
The chairman of the Joint Intel Committee is a former MI6 officer who
was forced this wk to make a rare public statement to head off any
suggestion that he would be made the scapegoat.  Mr Scarlett, who was
MI6 station chief in Moscow, let it be known there was "no diversity
or animosity" between the intel agencies and Downing Street and that
while there was a "debate" over what should go into the dossier,
ministers had the right to choose how to use it.

Will Blair's most loyal aide be the fall guy for weapons debacle?
London.  When Alastair Campbell was a political journalist, he
admitted having an obsession with the intel services. After the Cold
War ended, he often asked what MI5 and M16 officials actually did in
their "fabulously expensive new offices". In 1993 he wrote: "I'll
assume many do nothing but wait for a Labour govt to undermine."
Mr Campbell may now feel his prophecy is coming true. Downing Street
is increasingly irritated by the stream of leaks from anonymous
security sources suggesting that Tony Blair's aides, including Mr
Campbell, doctored intel reports to exaggerate the threat posed by
Saddam Hussein's WMD in the run-up to GWII.
In a memo that surfaced at the weekend, John Scarlett, chair of the
Joint Intel Committee, told Mr Campbell that Mr Blair's "foreword" had
been included in a WMD dossier published in Sep but that a
hard-hitting conclusion had been "dropped". This was said to be a deal
between Mr Campbell and security chiefs after m of bitter disagreement
on what could be included in the dossier.
It was the 2nd time Mr Campbell had been at the heart of the
storm over Iraq. Another report compiled by his staff, the so-called
"dodgy dossier" issued in Feb, plagiarised an article written by a PhD
student in California, and other parts were lifted from Jane's Intel Review.
Some Westminster observers are now wondering whether Mr Campbell,
Downing Street's dir of communications and strategy, may be the fall
guy if no WMD are found in Iraq. With the PM unlikely to be toppled by
the WMD row, his closest aide would certainly be a pretty good scalp
for Mr Blair's critics.
During Mr Blair's wk-long foreign trip, which ended yesterday, Mr
Campbell avoided the journalists accompanying the PM for most of the
time, in line with his decision in 2001 to step into a
behind-the-scenes role and not brief political reporters.
The only time he spoke to the press came when he tried to "kill" a
report on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that intel officials were
unhappy with the Sep dossier's claim that Iraq could deploy some WMD
within 45 mins and had been ordered to "sex up" the document. In a
rare on-the-record statement, during Mr Blair's visit to Saddam's
former palace in Basra, Mr Campbell insisted: "This is totally
false. There is nothing there that was not the work of the intel agencies." 
But his intervention failed to stem the WMD tide engulfing Mr Blair.
Yesterday Number 10 refused to comment on Mr Campbell's precise role
in drawing up the dossiers. Asked if Mr Campbell felt under pressure,
Godric Smith, the PM's official rep, replied: "No."
In theory, Mr Campbell could be vulnerable if Downing Street's
communications team is criticised by Parliament's Intel and Security
Committee, which is to investigate the WMD claims. In practice, this
is unlikely. Govt insiders believe that ministers would be more at
risk if their widely reported public statements on Iraq's weapons were
shown to be false or greatly exaggerated.
One minister said last night: "The idea that Campbell is under threat
is ridiculous. People will try to target him because he is a big
name. But he was doing his job, which is to hone the message to get
the Govt's case across. We couldn't put out a dossier written in the
dry-as-dust language of the security services."
The latest row is bound to put the spotlight on the relationship
between Mr Blair and Mr Campbell. There has been speculation that it
cooled after the "Cheriegate" affair in Dec. Mr Campbell and his
partner, Fiona Millar, who acts as Cherie Blair's media adviser, were
both dismayed that Mrs Blair ignored their warnings about Carole
Caplin, her lifestyle guru, whom they regard as a crank. It was Ms
Caplin who introduced Mrs Blair to Peter Foster, the Aussie conman who
helped the Blairs to buy 2 flats in Bristol.
Ms Millar is expected to stand down from her post this summer, perhaps
partly because of her frustration at Ms Caplin's increasing influence
over Mrs Blair. Number 10 insiders insist that she is not "at war"
with Ms Caplin or Mrs Blair and wants a job that lets her spend more
time with her children. Her looming departure has inevitably sparked
gossip that Mr Campbell might be heading for the exit door.
But that picture is not recognised by his friends, who insist he is as
hard-working and committed as ever. 
Indeed, the pivotal role Mr Campbell played in the Iraq crisis -- and
more recently during the heated debate over the new European Union
constitution -- does not suggest he is on the way out.
Mr Campbell keeps a diary and ministers eye him nervously when he
takes notes during cabinet meetings. One day, he will earn a fortune
by writing a book on his time in Number 10 -- and, after the current
controversy, he may have more to say about the "spooks". But
colleagues think he will "leave when Tony does". So the Campbell
memoirs may still be some way off.

UN inspectors had leads to follow: Blix
NY.  UN weapons inspectors did not find evidence of weapons of mass
destruction during their 4-m search of Iraq, says the UN's
chief inspector, Hans Blix.
In his final report to the Sec Council, Dr Blix said on Mon that
inspectors believed Iraq had destroyed some of its weapons before the
war.  A chemical analysis of soil from one site seemed to back Iraq's
claims that anthrax was discarded there. Another excavation at a
different site seemed to prove that Iraq had dumped some of its
chemical bombs.  But Dr Blix said there was no way of knowing how
many, or what percentage, of Iraq's weapons were destroyed.
The UN teams left Iraq shortly before the US-led war began on March
20, and they have not been invited to return.  In his final report
before his retirement, Dr Blix said inspectors "did not find evidence
of the continuation or resumption of programs of weapons of mass
destruction or significant quantities of proscribed items" while in Iraq.
But he said inspectors had many "questions and leads" that they would
have followed if they had been allowed to stay in Iraq.
The US, Brit and AUS used Iraq's illegal weapons programs as the main
reason for going to war with Saddam Hussein but, in the 11 wk since
the conflict, the allies have failed to uncover any weapons.
The US has found 2 trucks they claimed may have been used as mobile
weapons laboratories. Dr Blix said in his report that Iraq had
provided inspectors with pictures of "legitimate vehicles which, they
suggested, could have led" the US to believe that Iraq was
manufacturing weapons in mobile labs.
He said none of the pictures provided by Iraq looked like the trucks
the US has since found.
Iraq had excavated land for the inspectors, to prove it had destroyed
a large number of bombs that contained biological agents. A chemical
analysis of soil samples from another site suggested that it had, as
the Iraqis suggested, been used to dump anthrax, Dr Blix said.
The inspectors were ready to resume their work, since their offices
had not, as previously reported, been totally looted, he
added. Looters had taken 62 vehicles, some computers and furniture.

Banned missile programme found in Iraq
London (AFP).  US and Brit experts have discovered that Iraq was
developing a banned missile, capable of reaching Israel and other
parts of the Middle East, the Times reported, quoting "senior govt
sources".
The right-of-centre newspaper said it understood Brit Prime Min Tony
Blair, who has called for patience in the search for Iraq's alleged
weapons of mass destruction, has been told that rocket motors for the
missiles have been found.  Sources told the paper that in the past few
wk weapons experts discovered that the Abu Ghraib military base nr
Baghdad was developing a weapon with a range of about 960 km.
Under limits set by the UN Sec Council, Iraq was allowed to missiles
with a range of up to 150 kilometres only, The Times said.  Blair,
under growing pressure over allegations his office exaggerated intel
reports to make Saddam Hussein's regime appear more menacing, has
hinted that further evidence of Baghdad's secret programme has begun
to emerge but has yet to be made public.
However, Whitehall sources told The Times: "What we need to find is
firm evidence of a chemical weapons programme, because much emphasis
was placed on the chemical threat. We need to discover why Saddam did
not use chemical weapons against coalition forces."
A powerful parliamentary committee decided late Tue to probe Blair's
decision to go to war in Iraq, amid claims the govt had embellished
intel on weapons of mass destruction to justify the conflict.
The left-wing Daily Mirror tabloid reported Wed that troops hunting
for Saddam's weapons of mass destruction had searched 87 "prime sites"
in Iraq, but found nothing.
The paper, which opposed the US-led war, said that a 100-strong team
of Brit military specialists would join a new American-led hunt for
weapons evidence involving 1,400 personnel belonging to the Iraqi
Survey Group after the apparent failure of the current search.

Iran rejects nuclear weapons accusations 
Tehran (AP).  Iran rejected accusations it was trying to build a
nuclear bomb and blamed the US on Tue for a warning by the Group of
Eight nations that put Tehran on notice for its alleged nuclear
ambitions.
Iran insisted it was already cooperating with the UN's nuclear
watchdog, the Internat'l Atomic Energy Agency, as it develops a
nuclear program it says is entirely peaceful and aimed at offsetting a
future domestic energy shortage.
"We are committed to our obligations under IAEA rules," Gholamreza
Aghazadeh, Iran's atomic energy chief, said, according to state-run
television. He called on the IAEA to stop American attempts to deny
Iran access to more nuclear technology.
Leaders of the world's 8 industrialized nations ended their meeting in
Evian, France, with a statement of "strongest support" for a
comprehensive UN inspection of Iran's nuclear program.  "We will not
ignore the proliferation implications of Iran's advanced nuclear
program," the statement said. "We stress the importance of Iran's full
compliance with its obligations under the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty."
"Considering that Iran is closely cooperating with the IAEA, one can
clearly notice that the US imposed its influence so as to incorporate
this statement in the final communique of the summit," said a
commentary on Iranian state radio, which is controlled by hard-liners
in the Iranian govt.
The US says a uranium enrichment facility Iran is building will be
able to produce weapons-grade material. Tehran denies the claim and says 
the facility is solely to produce fuel for its reactors. Iran's 1st
reactor is being built at Bushehr with Russian help, and more are planned.
Russian Atomic Energy Min Alexander Rumyantsev said Tue the Bushehr
reactor will be operational in 2005 -- a y later than planned. The
Interfax news agency reported Rumyantsev blamed the delay on the need
to replace German equipment provided for the plant before it was
abandoned after Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.
IAEA chief Mohammed ElBaradei visited Iranian nuclear sites in Feb and
is due to issue a report later this m. Gholamreza said more than
5 IAEA delegations have visited Iranian facilities in the past 2 m.

AUS police raids linked to Iranian group
Sydney.  AUS Fed Police officers are investigating an Iranian
organisation with alleged links to terrorism.  Police conducted raids
on 10 houses in MEL, SYD and Bris yesterday after concerns the
Mujahideen-e-Khalq (MEK) may be active in AUS.  The MEK is a militant
group dedicated to the overthrow of the Iranian regime.  Tayeb
Sadeghian, whose Bris home was raided, says the police were looking
for evidence that money is being sent from AUS to support the
organisation.  "We were doing this kind of action for 10 years, 12 y
in AUS," he said.  "This funding is helping each other because June 20
is big demo in UK.  "But again, this kind of action, people helping
each other go attend in this demo against the Iranian regime."  No-one
was arrested and the fed police will say only that the investigation
is continuing.

AUS cmdr honoured for Iraq service
Canberra.  The cmdr of AUS forces in Iraq, Maurie McNarn will be
admitted to the Order of AUS for his work during the war.  The Govt
says Brigadier McNarn's outstanding service spans 3 military
operations: Slipper; Bastille and Falconer.  Brigadier McNarn says he
was fully expecting AUS casualties during the war and is pleased no
AUS troops have died.  He says finding weapons of mass destruction is
an ongoing process.  "I suppose the way I look at it is, they used
them on the Kurds, on their own people, they used them on the
Iranians, they had them at the Gulf War and afterwards in 1991, and
they were kitted out with all the gear for chemical warfare," he said.
"So it's a reasonable assumption to say they've had them all along,
they've used them, it'd be silly to discount."

UK probes deaths of Iraqi prisoners
Basra (AFP).  Brit military police are investigating the deaths of 2
men in custody in Iraq, the Ministry of Defence said Wed.  It is
understood the men were in the custody of soldiers from Brit's Black
Watch regiment and died in separate incidents on May 13 and May 18.
A defence ministry rep said: "There is an investigation by the Special
Investigation Branch. Any death in custody is looked into as a matter
of course."
The Daily Mail reported that an inquiry was underway into allegations
that 2 civilians died at a detention centre in the southern city of
Basra after mistreatment.
In what appeared to be a separate incident, 2 Brit soldiers were
ordered out of Iraq after allegations that prisoners of war were
beaten up, the Ministry of Defence rep said.
The soldiers, whose regiment has not been revealed, were thought to
have been flown to their barracks in Germany.  It is understood the
allegations involved a prisoner being punched in the face, resulting
in a black eye.
The defence ministry rep did not reveal where the assault is alleged
to have taken place, but said: "We can confirm that an alleged
incident has been reported involving the beating of Iraqi PoWs.  "Two
soldiers have been returned to barracks pending an investigation.  We
would take a very dim view of poor treatment of PoWs and if the case
is found to be answered, we will act accordingly."
The allegations came days after the defence ministry said military
police had questioned a Brit soldier in custody after photographs
emerged showing troops allegedly "torturing" Iraqi prisoners of war.
Photographic developers in England were thought to have called police
after they became concerned about a number of pictures on a roll of
film that had been handed in to their shop for processing.  One of the
images showed an Iraqi PoW gagged and bound, hanging in netting from a
fork-lift truck driven by a Brit soldier, according to the Sun newspaper.
"Others allegedly depict soldiers committing sex acts near captured
Iraqis," the best-selling tabloid said.
Brit contributed 45,000 military personnel, a naval task force and
more than 100 aircraft to the war, and Brit forces occupy the southern
part of Iraq.
An investigation is already underway into allegations that a colonel
in the Royal Irish Regiment, Tim Collins, abused Iraqi PoWs and
civilians.

Denpasar. BIG BROTHER!  Brother has testified against brother in the
Bali bombing trial in Denpasar.  Ali Impron told the court that his
big brother Amrozi bin Nurhasyim got instructions on the sttacks at a
planning meeting in C Java in Aug.  Imron says his brother was given
the job of buying vehciles and explosive chemicals.  Amrozi has
confirmed that he sent chemiacls, but denies the Bali bombings were
planned at the Aug meeting.

Jihad Jack to return home without charge
Melbourne.  Lawyers for MEL taxi driver Jack Thomas say he is about to
be deported from Pakistan and will not be charged on his return to
AUS.  Mr Thomas went to Pakistan to study Islam but was arrested in
Jan over alleged terrorist links which were never substantiated.  No
charges have been laid.  Lawyer Rob Stary says the matter should have
been resolved some time ago.  "The AUS authorities should have
intervened much more proactively but regrettably they didn't," he
said.  "I think it is bad luck and I think he is a victim of the sort
of political climate that we are currently in at the moment.  "[He was
in the] wrong place at the wrong time and in the middle of the
conflict in the Middle East where he is an easy target."

"Sleeper cell" case yields convictions 
Detroit.  2 Arab immigrants accused of collecting intel on potential
terrorist targets such as Disneyland and a US military base were
convicted of being members of a "sleeper cell" Tue in the nation's 1st
such trial stemming from the post-Sep 11 security crackdown.  A 3rd
man was found guilty only on a fraud charge, and a fourth was
acquitted of all counts.
"Today's verdict represents an important victory in the ongoing war
against terrorism," US Attorney Jeffrey Collins said. "Convicting 2
members of a terrorist sleeping cell, whose core aim is to avoid
detection, is a daunting but crucial task for fed prosecutors."
The case began 6 days after Sep 11 with a raid on a Detroit
apartment that turned up videotape and sketches of what investigators
said were potential terrorist targets, including Las Vegas and
Disneyland.
The 4 Arab men, prosecutors alleged, worked as a sleeper cell that was
part of a shadowy unidentified Muslim terrorist group.  Prosecutors
said the men conspired to help terrorists by raising money, producing
false documents and gathering info.
Defense attorneys said their clients were victims of overzealous fed
agents who relied on the lies of an admitted con man.  "Even in my
client's conviction, there is no support for the govt's contention,"
said William Swor, an attorney for Abdel-Ilah Elmardoudi, the alleged
cell leader.
The trial was seen as an important test of the govt's ability to root
out sleeper cells operating the US and stop terrorist attacks in the making.
"Today's convictions sends a clear message: The Dept of Justice will
work diligently to detect, disrupt and dismantle the activities of
terrorist cells in the US and abroad," said Attorney General John
Ashcroft, who during the 2-m trial was rebuked by the judge for
publicly praising a govt witness.
Other alleged terror cases prosecuted since Sep 11, including those
of shoe bomber Richard Reid and an alleged sleeper cell in Lackawanna,
N.Y., ended in guilty pleas.  The verdicts in the Detroit trial came
during the jury's 7th day of deliberations.
Elmardoudi, 37, and Karim Koubriti, 24, were found guilty of
conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. They and Ahmed
Hannan, 34, also were convicted of conspiracy to engage in fraud and
misuse of visas, permits and other documents. Hannan was acquitted of
conspiracy to support terrorism.
Farouk Ali-Haimoud, 22, was acquitted of all charges. He wept after
the jury left the courtroom.
"I'm happy that the verdict was not guilty for me," Ali-Haimoud told
reporters outside the courthouse. "I'm not a terrorist" Elmardoudi
could get up to 20 y in prison, Koubriti up to 10, and Hannan as much
as 5. No sentencing date was set. Their lawyers are expected to appeal.
Ali-Haimoud was released a few hrs after the verdict, but police
later arrested him on an outstanding warrant accusing him of
attempting to solicit a prostitute.
Elmardoudi, who lived in Minneapolis, was arrested in N Carolina in
2002. He was found with a cache of identification documents and
$83,000 in cash. The others were arrested in Detroit.
Ali-Haimoud is Algerian and the others are from Morocco. Prosecutors
said their plot was hatched before they arrived in the US in the late
1990s and 2000.
At the heart of the case was material found during the apartment raid
on Sep 17, 2001. Authorities looking for a man on a terrorist watch
list said they found fake documents, airport badges, the videotape
showing possible US targets, and a day planner holding sketches of a
US air base in Turkey and a military hospital in Jordan.
Defense attorneys said that the video, which includes scenes of
Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., and the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in
Las Vegas, was an innocuous travelogue, and that the day planner once
belonged to a now-dead mentally ill man who liked to doodle.
And while 2 of the men worked as dishwashers for a catering company nr
the Detroit airport, the defense argued, the badges did not give them
access to the airport itself.
The govt suggested the men were radical followers of the Salafist
theology, based in part on audio tapes found in the raid.  But during
the trial, a defense expert testified the tapes were actually critical
of Islamic extremism.

Rangoon. RUMOURS OF SUU KYI INURIEIES!  Sources say Burmese democracy
leader Aung San Suu Kyi systained head and shoulder injuries in last
wk's clashes between her supporters and pro-govt demonstrators in N
Burma.  A source close to the stalled national reconcilliation
diaglogue says teh Nobel laureate was hot by shards of glass when
protesters smahsed her car window last Fri.  He says as many as 70 ot
80 people were killed in the clashes.

Zimbabwe police fire tear gas at demonstrators
Harare.  Police in Zimbabwe have fired tear gas at demonstrators
during a 2nd day of anti-Govt protests.  The protesters have clashed
with pro-Govt forces in the capital Harare.  Armed riot police
dispersed opp'n activists in the Harare suburb of Warren Park.  Police
and soldiers maintained a heavy presence throughout the capital and in
the S city of Bulawayo.  The Opp'n Movement for Dem'ic Change
(MDC), has suspended its planned campaign of demos.  The MDC says more
than 250 Opp'n members are still in custody, after being arrested
during attempted protests on Mon.  The Zimbabwean Govt is warning that
it will take action against anyone who participates in the opp'n
campaign.  But most businesses remain closed as part of the 5 day strike.

E Timor welcomes permanent residency moves
Melbourne.  The East Timorese Govt has welcomed AUS's decision to
grant permanent residency to nearly 400 East Timorese asylum seekers.
The Fed Govt is also considering the cases of 200 others.  Consul
General, Abel Guterres, says he will be briefing Pres Xanana Gusmao
and For Min Jose Ramos Horta about the decision later today.  Mr
Guterres says the move is a very important gesture for a future
relationship between the 2 countries.  "I mean it's a sign of humanity
and friendship between the 2 countries," he said.  "It's very good,
very good for East Timor, very good for AUS and these are the people
that will play a strong bridging role between 2 countries for many
more y to come."

Many East Timorese left in limbo: Bishop
Canberra.  Human rights advocate Bishop Hilton Deacon is urging the
Fed Govt to remove the uncertainty many East Timorese refugees still
face.  Fed Immigration Min Philip Ruddock has announced he will use
his discretion to award residency to nearly 400 East Timorese and
consider the cases of 200 others.  There are another 1,400 East
Timorese living in AUS.  Bishop Deacon says many in the community will
be celebrating the decision "Many of them would be delighted and
thankful and I must say deeply relieved because they are living in
shadowland," he said.  "In fact, it's been almost cruel in the way
which they have had to live on tenterhooks, wondering whether they are
going to stay here or go back to East Timor."

Countries failing Kyoto agreement: UN
NY.  A new report by the UN says industrialised countries are failing
to honour the promises they made at Kyoto and at other summits to
reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.  It also says economic growth in
the former communist countries of eastern Europe is contributing to
the problem.  Most of the world's industrialised nations have ratified
the Kyoto protocol, though the US and AUS remain opposed.  However
some nations which have ratified, such as Canada and Japan, are still
permitting major increases in greenhouse gases, according to this new
report.  The UN predicts a rise in emissions from the industrialised
world of about 10% by 2010.  This means that overall, those
industrialised nations which are still in the Kyoto process will not
meet their target for reducing greenhouse gas production.

Half US climate warming due to land-use changes
College Park, MD, May 28, 2003 (ENS).  The growth of cities and
industrial agriculture is responsible for more of the rise in temps
across the US than scientists previously believed, according to a new
study by scientists at the University of Maryland. They found that
land-use changes may account for up to half of the observed surface
global warming.  Meteorologists Dr Eugenia Kalnay
and Dr. Ming Cai have found evidence that the observed temperature
increase of 0.13 degrees Celsius (.234 degrees Fahrenheit) over the
past 50 y has been influenced by changes in land use.
"Our estimates are that land-use changes in the US since the 1960s
resulted in a rise of over 0.2 degrees Fahrenheit (F) in the mean
surface temperature, an estimate twice as high as those of previous
studies," said Kalnay. "We expect to extend our study to obtain global
results later this year," she said.
A Distinguished Prof of meteorology at the U and a Member of the Nat'l
Academy of Engineering, Kalnay served as director of the Environmental
Modeling Center of the Nat'l Centers for Environmental Prediction of
the Nat'l Weather Service from 1987 through 1997. There she led the
development of ensemble forecasts and other modeling improvements at
the Nat'l Weather Service that made possible accurate 3 and 5 day forecasts.
Kalnay and Cai estimated the impact of land-use effects by comparing
trends in surface temperature measurements taken at 1,982 surface
weather stations around the country with trends based on data from
satellite and weather balloons from the US Nat'l Centers for
Environmental Prediction and the Nat'l Center for Atmospheric
Research.
Over the past century, the Earth has warmed by about 1 degree
Fahrenheit, and scientists expect the average global temperature to
increase an additional 2 to 6 degrees F over the next 100 years.
Most scientists think the global warming trend is mainly the result of
human activities, such as the emission of greenhouse gases from power
plants, manufacturing, cars and trucks. Land-use change has been seen
as a smaller factor in this trend.
"The larger effect found in this study is likely because our method
covers all changes in land use. Previous methods for estimating the
impact of land-use change relied on measures -- population counts or
satellite measures of light at night -- that only provide an indication
of the effects of urbanization, but not of other changes in land use,"
said Kalnay.
The effects of converting land to agriculture has not been taken into
account in previous studies. But the comparison of urban and rural
weather stations, without including agricultural effects, would
underestimate the total impact of land-use changes, Kalnay and Cai
write in their paper.
The well known "urban heat island" effect actually takes place at
nighttime, the 2 scientists write, "when buildings and streets release
the solar heating absorbed during the day."
At the time of max temp, the urban effect is one of slight cooling due
to shading, aerosols, and to thermal inertia differences between city
and country that are not currently well understood, they write.
The effect of agricultural development, increasing evaporation during
the day, also would tend to decrease the maximum temperature, but
"irrigation would increase the heat capacity of the soil, thus
increasing the minimum temperature," they state.
They conclude that, "Both urbanization and agriculture effects could
be consistent with the general increase in the minimum temperature and
slight decrease in the maximum temperature."
The actual changes in temps may appear small, but when small changes
in the average temperature last for a long time, they can cause
dramatic changes in the climate, the scientists say. At the peak of
the last Ice Age, 18,000 y ago, the average temperature was only 7
degrees F colder than today, and glaciers covered much of N America.
Drs. Cai and Kalnay's study, "Estimating the Impact of Urbanization
and Land Use on US Surface Temperature Trends: Preliminary Report,"
will be published in Thu's issue of the journal Nature.

Water reforms need state support says Anderson
Canberra.  Deputy PM John Anderson has urged farmers to be patient
over reforms to water management.  A new fed initiative will be
outlined in the next 2 m.  Mr Anderson told the Nat'l Farmers
Federation Conference in CBR he wants to negotiate a new inter-govtal
agreement on water.  However he says the water reform process will
require support from the states and territories.  "Over the coming m
we'll be seeking to put together and put out in the public arena a
compelling economic, social and environmental case to the states for
implementing these reforms," he said.  Mr Anderson hopes the new nat'l
water agreement will be signed in 2004.

Biscuit makers tempted into settlement
Sydney.  Biscuit manufacturers Arnott's and Dick Smith Foods have
reached a settlement over the naming of a chocolate biscuit.  Arnott's
took action against S Sky Foods, trading as Dick Smith Foods, in the
Fed Court in SYD.  Arnott's alleged that Dick Smith's Temptin'
biscuits infringed the Tim Tam trademark.  Southern Sky has agreed to
change the design of its packaging to make the product's name appear
less like its rival.  Arnott's general manager Peter West says the aim
of the legal battle was to protect the integrity of the Tim Tam name.
"We're certainly delighted with the settlement," he said.  "The focus
always for us was on protecting the Tim Tam brand.  "What S Sky has
agreed to is change the letter P on the brand name so that it is
clearly depicted as one word."

CSIRO replants after wheat streak mosaic disaster
Canberra.  Researchers at the CSIRO in CBR have begun replanting wheat
crops today, after a quarantine restriction in Apr forced them to
destroy 2 years worth of valuable research.  It has been almost 2 m
since work drew to a halt on wheat crops at the CSIRO Laboratories.
Millions of dollars worth of research crops were destroyed when it was
confirmed they were infected with the wheat streak mosaic virus.  With
quarantine lifted earlier this wk, work has begun to develop methods
for managing outbreaks of the virus.  Scientists are also working to
develop a new strain of wheat which resists the virus.  The resumption
of research will open up new job opportunities, heading off fears the
outbreak may have lead to job losses at the laboratories.

Political row hots up over waste dump
Adelaide.  SA Prem Mike Rann says the Fed Science Min Peter McGauran,
has gone too far in threatening to cut the state's science funding
over its continued opp'n to a radioactive waste dump.  The State Govt
plans to turn the preferred site for the low-level nat'l repository
into a public park to prevent the Commonwealth from acquiring the
land.  Mr McGauran says to fund the legal challenge that would follow
that move, he would have to slash SA's science funding allocated in
the Fed budget.  Mr Rann says Mr McGauran has overstepped the mark.
"If he tried to interfere in research funding that is allocated by
independent councils, there'd be a massive backlash across AUS, and I
think that's why I think that wiser heads prevailed and probably got
to him and told him to calm down and have a Bex and a lie down."

Regions suggest joint funding for airport security
Sydney.  It has been proposed that regional councils with airports
band together to lobby for more fed and state govt spending on
security.  Ballina Council on the north coast of NSW has raised the
issue at the Shires Association conference in SYD.  It spends around
$200,000 a y maintaining a security system at its airport.  Wagga
Wagga mayor Kevin Wales says Councils need to come up with a security
proposal to present to the Fed Transport Min, John Anderson.  He says
Dubbo, Tamworth, Albury, Ballina and Wagga Councils should all be
involved in the plan.  "What I'd like to see happen and I think this
is where Ballina's idea comes in, that we get in together, work out a
plan that we think should be considered by both the state and fed
govts and work with them to see that we can really make the security
at these airports a hell of a lot better than they are today."

Who are they going to call? Ghostbusters
Bangkok.  A village in Thailand's NE has hired a ghostbuster to
exorcise a gang of ghosts believed responsible for the deaths of more
than 10 people in the past m, a report said.
Residents of Kudkwang village in Khon Kaen province have spent 30,000
baht ($A1,088) on hiring the ghostbuster to rid themselves of 15
ghosts, the Nation newspaper reported.
Village headman Bunchoo Khamthun told the English-language daily that
over the past m alone more than 10 villagers had died, with autopsies
revealing most had died following internal bleeding from unknown causes.
Three ritual ceremonies have already successfully exorcised 9 of the
ghosts, the report said, adding that the villagers believed one of the
remaining ghosts has possessed a 48-yo woman.
"I told my daughter not to be afraid of the ritual ceremony," the
woman's mother was quoted as saying. "But if any other residents try
to physically assault her, I'll immediately file a complaint with
police.  "We live not so far from the city. People are educated, but
still obsessed about black magic."

Brisbane. NEW MELANOMA LINK!  Aussie scientists ghave found new
evidenfce that melanoma, the deadliest form of skin canmcer, can be
caused by relatively small amounts of sunlight anmong people who tend
to have lots of moles.  Prevuiously it was thought extreme amounts of
syun exposure was the main factor in the cause of melanoma.  But
doctors at the Qld Inst of Medical Research have discovered people who
develop melanoma on the torso have many more moles and much less
evuidence of chronmic skin damage than people who devbeloped melanoma
on the head or neck.

Washington. SUN GOOD FOR YOU!  US resarchers say sunshine mayu be good
for you and nurses who work regular nifght shifts have a higher risk
of colon cancer.  [More likely relatef to drinking tons of instant
coffeee and gargling with twinkies, IMHO].  The study at Harvard
Medical School and Brigam and Women's Hosp in Boston supports earlier
work that found women who work night shifts have a higer risk of
breast cancer.  The ersarchers say more work is needed into the
relationship begtweenm light exposure and other cancers, as well as
into risks faced by men, because night-shioft work has become veryu
common in develioped countries.

{{
6 pm
Brit PM Blair is facing 2 inuqiries over intel used to justify the war
onm Iraq.  Blair has moved to silence critics by cooperating with an
Intel Committee inuqiry.  But he will also will face a public inqueiry
by the Foreign Affairs Committe.  But this still falls short of a full
public inuiquiry.  
In the US, Reps are filing in behind the Pres.  Reps say Saddam had
ability to "move things around" and hide them.  Hoping that
significant WMD finds will soon occur.  
In AUS, past statements from the PM Howard where aired on TV.  He had
told Parliament that "massive amounts" of bio and chem weapons were
kept by Saddam, who threatened the whole world with his WMD.  But
toady the PM insisted he didn't "add things in" and didn't pressure
intel ageneices "in any way" regarding their info.  
But a former officer from the Office of Nat'l Assessment says none of
the documents he saw referred to "massive amounts" of WMD. He said the
Office had concluded Iraq had a WMD program but reports had been
exaggerated by the PM and the govt for political purposes. 
He said the US had exaggerated its intel info to cover the "real
reasons" for the war -- re-arranging the situation in the Middle E for
US strategic advantage -- and the AUS govt had exaggerated the info to
cover their real purpose -- supporting the US in whatever it had
decided to do.

Is Saddam dead?  In Iraq an investigation is underway to see if Saddam
was killed in the 2nd taregetted attack in Baghdad when a resytraunt
was bombed.
US Admin officials have claimed the mission was a success, and put
sightings of Saddam and sons down to doubles and faultyy info.
The new operation will proceed 24/7.  Rubble is being sorted and
sifted and taken away whgere scientists will go through it wuith a
fine tooth comb.
In Apr, reporters were told by residents in the Baghdad suburb a safe
house behind the restaurant was missed in the 2nd US attack on Saddam.
Meanwhile, life without Saddam continues.  1000s of Shia Muslims
gathered in Baghdad for a demo today.  There were not allowed to do
that just a few m ago.

10 pm
SBS TV.  A man wanted for the biggest scam in Philippines history
appears to have become an Australian citizen.  The man faces chargess
with a possible 147 y term in prison, if proven.  The news is an
embassament for Imm Min Philuip Rodduck, who has repeatedly sought to
refuse entry to "illegal immigrants".  But to rub salt into the
wounds, it's also been revealed the man may have made a $10,000
donation to Philip Ruddock's.  SBS TV reports the man made a citizen
and the suspect in the Phillipines not only share a country of birth,
and the same names, but the same birthdate.  Mr Ruddock was not
abailable for comment.

Bruce Simpson may be in trouble for info on his web site.  The NZ-er
is building a DIY cruise missile which he says will be ready in 1 m.
He says once the public knows missiles are easy to build, they might
take the threat seriously and do somthing about them.  He predicts his
invention will be able to deliver a small payload up to 100 km away.
Officials in AUS and NZ say he's breaking international laws on arms
export by publicising his designs and progress on the web .  But he
says, so far, no-one had tried to stop him building the device, which
he expects to come in at a price around $NZ5,000.  Sumpson says he's
managed to buy most of the parts from eBay, incl a GPS system for
$NZ500. Some of the key parts were delivered via post through MEL with
no problems. He showed the customs declarations to the TV cameras as
proof.

10.20 pm
There's been an explosion in C Paris.  2 are reported dead, and 23
injured.  Events are still unfolding.  The exploision rocked a
building nr the Paris Stock Ex.  300 firefighters are at the scene.
[Later reports blamed on a gas leak].

11 pm
Aqaba.  There is to be peace in the Middle E.  Just announced, the
American peace plan has the supopot of Isreal and the Palestinians.
Pres Bush says "peace is possible".

In an unprecedednted move, the Qld Chief Justice has been sentenced to
1 y jail after "retalliating against a witness".  Witnesses against
her incl a slwe of other judges.  This is the 2nd case on the same
charge. She was aquitted 2 wks ago after a jury failed to agree
whether an email she sent to a subordinate amounted to perverting the
course of justice.

Lawyers for MEL businessman John Elliott have asked the Court to limit
any fine to $20,000, saying their client would be ruined if he had to
pay more.  While Elliott owns a home valued at more than $2 mn, he
owes more than $1.3 mn to sharegolders, and has paid more than $1 mn
in legel fees to date.  The house is also under an injucnction from
his former wife.  Lawyers also asked that Mr Elliott's abiklity to
earn a living would be ended if he was banned from holding exec
positions.  They say although Mr Elliott knowingly operated a company
while insolvent, he acted honestly and didn't break the law for his
own benefit.
}}

----------------------------------------
Thu, 05 Jun 2003.

40 Taliban killed
22 killed by Algerian rebels
14 killed in bomb attack
Indon army shoots 2 Germans
No concessions for NK
Brit Parl rejects investigation
Train wreck kills 19
Roadmap signed
UN demands to see Suu Kyi
AUS sending observers to Solomons
Timorese allowed to stay
No new Taiwan SARS cases
More Aussie storms thanks to GW
Brit rowers rescued by RAN
UN warns fresh water on the decline
500 grey nurse sharks left
Storms subsiding on Saturn
Qld chief magistrate spends night in jail
Big crash W of Bris
Storms in Adel

Spin Boldak. 40 TALIBAN KILLED!  Up to 40 Taliban guerrillas and 7
Afghan govt fighters have been killed in what officials say is the
hard-line group's biggest defeat since it was driven out of Kabul in
late 2001.  The battle between Taliban fighters and govt forces
occurred in the Loi Karez area of S Afghanistan and lasted about 7
hrs.  A snr govt officials say they surrounded an entire group of
Taliban and killed about 40 of them after heavy fighting.

Algiers. 22 KILLED BY ALGERIAN REBELS!  Algerian security services say
armed rebel groups have killed 22 people and injured 4 others in less
than 24 hrs.  Hospital services say 10 Algerian police officers were
killed and 2 others injured in an ambush nr the city of Tizi Ouzou,
110 km E of the capital, Algiers.  Security services say 2 police
vehicles came under fire from suspected Islamist militants armed with
machine guns on the outskirts of Beni Douala, in the mountainous Berber
region of Kabylie.

Rostov-on-don. 14 KILLED IN BOMB ATTACK!  A bus carrying personnel
from a military air base has exploded in S Russia, nr Chechnya,
killing at least 14 people.  An emergency official say the bus was
travelling from the city of Mozdok in the N Ossetia region to a
military airbase 6 km away. A Russian Defence Ministry rep says
terrorism is suspected.  Mozdok is the HQ for Russian force who have
been fighting rebels in Chechnya for most of the past 10 y.

Moscow. SUICIDE BOMBER ATTACKS BUS!  A women suicide bomber has blown
up a bus carrying Russian air force pilots in a S region bordering
rebel Chechnya, killing at least 15. A def rep says the attack
occurred in N Ossetia when the bus carrying pilots and a group of
civilians slowed down at a railway crossing. The rep says that just
as the bus was going over the railway crossing the woman walked up to
it and blew herself up.  12 other people in the bus were injured in
the attack.

Banda Aceh. INDON ARMY SHOOTS 2 GERMANS!  Indonesia's army says it has
shot dead a German man and wounded a German woman in a village in
the rebellious Aceh prov.  The shootings last night at Lhong Gayo nr
the W coast mark the first foreign casualties in the govt's massive
offensive to crush pro-independence rebels, now into its 3rd wk.  The
offensive has so far claimed more than 100 Indonesian lives.  The army
says a villager alerted troops to "suspicious activity" behind a house
in what it called a "separatist stronghold".
[Later reports confirm the 2 were German tourists, 51 and 49.  It's
not clear what they were doing in Aceh.  The Indon govt has ordered an
inquiry into the shootings, vowing the killer will be punished. It has
also banned ships entering Acehenese waters, saying it's clamping down
on arms smuggling into the prov].

Washington. NO CONCESSIONS FOR NK!  The US says it won't offer any
inducements to N Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.  At the
same time, the US has appeared to expand a set of conditions NK must
meet before it can count on US economic assistance.  Under-Sec of
State John Bolton says the US continues to insist that NK terminate
its nuclear weapons program completely, verifiably, and irreversibly.
Bolton told a Congressional committee there'll be no inducements for
the NK's to do so.

London. BRIT PARL REJECTS INVESTIGATION!  The Brit Parliament has
voted to reject the setting-up of a fully independent inquiry into
allegations the govt misled the public over Iraq's alleged WMD
programs in the run-up to GWII. The motion for the establishment of
the inquiry was voted down 301 to 203. 11 members of PM Tony Blair's
Labour Party voted in favour of the motion.  2 other investigations
have been kicked off, but neither are fully transparent.

Madrid. TRAIN WRECK KILLS 19!  Rescuers and forensic experts in Spain
are searching through the twisted, smoking wreckage of a head-on train
collision that's left at least 19 people dead.  The state-owned rail
company Renfe says another 40 were injured in the crash.  The loco and
first few cars of the Talgo passenger train caught fire after the
collision with a freight train nr Chinchilla in Albacete prov, 250 km
SE of Madrid.

Aqaba. ROADMAP SIGNED!  Israeli PM Ariel Sharon says Israel will
dismantle illegal settlements in Palestinian areas, while the new
Palestinian PM renounced terrorism against Israel.  US Pres Bush Jr,
in a public statement, has praised both Sharon's pledge to begin
removing the outposts now and Palestinian PM Abu Mazen for promising
his full efforts to end the intifada.  Mazen, meeting Sharon and Bush
at a summit in Jordan, has also promised to act vigorously against
incitement and hatred against Israel.

Rangoon. UN DEMANDS TO SEE SUU KYI!  The UN is demanding to see Burmese
Opp'n leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who is reported to have been injured
in clashes in the N of the country and is now in military custody in
Rangoon.  A source in the capital says UN special envoy to Burma,
Razali Ismail, will visit the capital tomorrow and demand to see the
democracy leader.  Sources say Suu Kyi sustained head and shoulder
injuries in last wk's clashes that also saw 40 killed.  Suu Kyi's
party won the national elections in 1990, but the military junta has
prevented the govt taking power.

Canberra. AUS SENDING OBSERVERS TO SOLOMONS!  The fed govt expects to
send a delegation to the Solomon Is next wk to assess security in the
cash-strapped nation.  But the govt hasn't committed to sending
peacekeepers in crisis talks with the Solomon Is Admin today.  PM
Howard has met with his Solomon Is counterpart, Sir Allan Kemakeza, in
CBR, to discuss how to stop the continuing security problem in the
Pacific nation.

Canberra. TIMORESE ALLOWED TO STAY!  Most E Timorese asylum seekers
living in AUS for the past decade can breath a sign of relief after
Imm Min Philip Ruddock finally agreed to allow almost all the 1,600 to
get visas.  After years of stalling and petitions from churches,
community groups and politicians, Mr Ruddock says he will intervene to
reverse number deportation decisions as long as the asylum seekers now
pass health and character checks.  Most of the asylum seekers fled the
killing in E Timor in the 1990s and have been surviving on bridging
visas ever since, fearing a return to their impoverished and unstable
homeland.  The Imm Dept had until recently been indicating dozens of
children born in AUS to the asylum seekers would also be required to
return to E Timor.

Taipei. NO NEW TAIWAN SARS CASES!  Taiwan has reported no new SARS
cases today, with new infections down to zero for the first time
since the outbreak began in Apr.  The total number of cases has
dropped by 1 to 677.  Health officials say 1 patient has been
diagnosed with a non-SARS illness. The death toll remains at 81, with
no new fatalities reported in the last 8 days.

Canberra. MORE AUSSIE STORMS THANKS TO GW!  Scientists say AUS's coast
will suffer from more frequent wild storms and endure more floods in
the next 50 y thanks to global warming.  The CSIRO says most
scientists agree that by 2050 the sea level will rise by 10 to 40 cm,
tropical cyclones will increase in intensity and there'll be more
rain.  CSIRO's Atmospheric Research scientist Debbie Abbs says the
combined influence of the rising sea level and extreme weather will
make more areas flood-prone.

Indian Ocean. BRIT ROWERS RESCUED BY RAN!  HMAS Newcastle has picked
up 2 Brit rowers after one of them suffered concussion.  The capt told
Ch 7 news the seas were about 2 m, which made rescuing the 22-ft craft
they were using to try to break a record, "tricky".  The pair won't be
charged for the rescue.

London. UN WARNS FRESH WATER ON THE DECLINE!  The UN says the world's
underground water supplies are diminishing rapidly.  The UN, marking
this y's World Environment Day, says the development is threatening the
drinking water of mns of people and compounding the effects of drought
and famine.  The UN Env Program says as water tables fall, sea water
is seeping into water tables in coastal regions, causing irreversible
pollution.

Brisbane. 500 GREY NURSE SHARKS LEFT!  A scientist says there are
fewer than 500 grey nurse sharks left off the Aussie E coast.  UQ
scientist Chris Roelfsema says the shark was falsely labelled a
man-eater and was hunted almost to extinction in the 1960s'.  Mr
Roelfsema says the sharks are docile and not known to attack humans.
Now, he says, work's being done to survey grey nurse habitats to work
out the best ways to protect them.  One survey's to be done at 4
sites within the Moreton Bay Marie Pk off Bris and another off Double
Is Pt.

Spain. STORMS SUBSIDING ON SATURN!  Astronomers say there's been a big
change in the weather on Saturn. Snapshots of the planet's equatorial
region show winds were speeding along at 1,700 kph about 20 ya. But a
Spanish-US team has now found they've slowed by 30%. The study has
compared pictures taken during the Voyager-1 flyby of Sat in the 80s
with images taken by the Hubble over the last 8 y.

Brisbane. QLD CHIEF MAGISTRATE SPENDS NIGHT IN JAIL!  Qld's Chief
Magistrate Di Fingleton has spent the night in the Bris watchhouse as
her legal team prepares a last-ditch appeal against her 12 m jail
sentence.  Fingleton was jailed yesterday after a jury found her
guilty of perverting the course of justice by "retaliating against a
witness".  She was sentenced with no recommendation of an early
release.  Her lawyers say they will appeal the sentence and
conviction.  They have 28 days to lodge the appeal.

Brisbane. BIG CRASH W OF BRIS!  3 people have died in a head-on crash
nr Brisbane which has also left a woman and her 3 children seriously
injured.  The accident happened about 6.15 am nr the intersection of
Redbank Plains and Greenwood Village rds at Redbank Plains, W of
Bris.  In a separate accident, a 69 yo woman died after she was
knocked over by a bus nr the busy intersection of Boundary and
Beaudesert rds at Coopers Plains on Bris's Southside.

Adelaide. STORMS IN ADEL!  Strong winds and heavy rain across Adel
kept emergency services busy overnight, with more than 250 calls for
help.  The CFS says the wintry blast made for the busiest night in 2
y, but damage was mostly minor.  Adelaide's N subs were the hardest
hit, with 43 trees felled in 1 street alone.  16 houses in the area
reported roof and window damage, with the repair bill expected to top
$200,000.

Sydney. MARKETS!  The All Ords closed up 11 to 3,008.  The Nikkei
ended 99 pts higher at 8,657.  The Hang Seng closed 23 pts down at
9,639.

{{
6 am
With 1 hr to trade, the Dow is up 102 pts.  The AUD has also jumped 1
c to 66.44 US c.  Oil is trading around $US30.05/bbl and Gold is
around $US362/oz.

Police are mystified by a group of teenaged girls in rural NSW who
claim to have been poisoned.  About a dozen of the schoolgirls were
taken to hosp earlier this wk complaining of dizziness, nausea and
stomach ache during an after-school function.  It was initially
believed drinks had been spiked.  But urine samples showed the girls
had not taken any prescription or other drugs, and examination of
drinks in machines at the venue has also turned up nothing.

MEL businessman Joseph Gutnick was reportedly earmarked as an al-Qaeda
target. He told The Australian OBL was going to kill him by bombing
his home, synagog or business. Evidence was reportedly found in AFP
raids last y on suspected JI homes. Maps and other details were
found. Mr Gutnick is a supporter of anti-Palestinian politics in Israel.  
In Parliament, PM Howard has used evidence of a planned attack prior to
GWII as evidence that terrorist threats were unrelated to AUS's
involvement in the "Willing" nations.  [If A precedes B then B is unrelated 
to A -- an obvious logical fallacy].  Mr Gutnick told TV reporters
the AFP promised to provide protection if the threat was serious.

Abu Mazen and Ariel Sharon have signed an agreement to move toward
peace in the middle E.  Sharon has backed the creation of an indep
Palestinian state.  Sharon said it was in Israel's interest for the
Palestinians to govern themselves, in their own state.  Abu Mazen said
he would move to demilitarise Palestinian groups.

1 person is dead and 20 more have been injured after heavy rains hit
SW Venezuela.

The death toll from the heat wave in S India has exceeded 1,200.

In england C&W has announced a $multi-bn loss.  It will sell up its US
businesses to claw its way out of the hole.  It had sold up its
telecom business at the height of the market, but blew the cash buying
Internet hosting businesses.

3 people have been killed and 4 injured in a head-on collision W of
Bris o'night.

Brit Parl has voted to reject an indep inquiry into intel used to
justify the war in Iraq.

French authorities are still investigating a blast that blew the roof
off a building in Paris.  25 people were injured, 4 seriously.  But
authorities believe it was a gas explosion.

Kim Beazley is expected to mount a 2-stage attack on the ALP
leadership.  Last night Mr B was spotted dining with key
front-benchers.  Backers say he's close to securing the 47 votes he
needs to wrest control of the party from Simon Crean by Jun 17.  If
that attempt fails he's expected to try again in mid-Aug.
Opp'n members are also saying Peter Costello has a lean and hungry
look, and has refused to swallow a patience pill after Mr Howard
announced yesterday he would not be stepping down from the coal'n
leadership anytime soon.  
Mr Costello yesterday announced he would speak out on a wide range of
issues, indicating up until now he'd been gagged by the PM. 
Earlier in the wk Tim Costello said his brother had not yet shown his
concern over a range of social issues. 
Peter said yesterday one of his aims was to have AUS become a more
tolerant country, esp on immigration issues.

6.40 am
The Dow has closed above the 9,000 level.  The Nasdaq also ended up 31
pts.  In Europe, the Dax and FTSE also closed higher.

Hillary Clinton has written a tell-all book about her life as Bill's
wife and as a US Senator.  She wrote that Buddy the setter was the
only member of the family who would keep Bill company after he
admitted he'd had more than the occasional business meeting with a
certain Washington intern.  She wrote she was "outraged and
heartbroken" after the Pres told her he'd been lying to her and the
American public for m after the affair.  Although Hillary wanted
to restrict her comments to the positive points of her life and
career, the publisher only paid the $12.4 mn fee on condition she fill
in the blanks in a Lewinski chapter.

More than 12,000 people have gathered in Tianenmen square to attend a
candlelight commemoration of the brutal crushing of the pro-democracy
student uprising in 1997.  The event comes amid news of severe
sentenced meted out to anyone even writing about the events on their
web pages.  One writer has just finished a 4-y jail term for writing
about the event.  2 others were recently sentenced to 8 and 10 y's
jail for similar "offences".

Within 4 hrs of Sharon and Mazen signing up to a Middle E peace deal,
Jewish settlers and RW demonstrators held a protest in
Jerusalem. Sharon has agreed to dismantle what he calls the "illegal
settlements" on Arab territory.

After refusing to endorse Peter Costello's future leadership, PM Howard
says Mr Costello will become the next leader of the Liberal
Party. The PM has denied he's been trying to publicly humiliate the
Treasurer in announcing he will lead the govt for at least the next 18
m after being urged to stay on by party members and business leaders.

4.30 pm
There has been another hijack attempt at MEL Airport.  Flight DJ-323
from MEL to Bris was taxiing on the runway when a male passenger
threatened to blow up the plane.  He was restrained and the plane was
stopped and met by security on the tarmac.  He was reportedly armed
with a surgical instrument.  The plane is still on the tarmac.  2
busses have removed the passengers.  The man is in custody.  They are
presently examining the plane in case there's a device on board.

6.30 pm
SBS TV says a new row has kicked up in Iraq over statues of Saddam
Hussein. Pointing to the vast cultural wealth of Sumer and Babylon,
archaeologists say cultural relics from the 20-y reign of Saddam may
be of interest to both future historians and Iraqi.  Perhaps in 100 y.
A group wants to collect some of the more important statues of Saddam
Hussein for museums or other collections. But many have been
destroyed. A find brass statue of the former dictator has particularly
caught their eye, and they've asked the US military for permission to
save it. But the Marines say no-one in Iraq will ever be interested in
the statue and, anyway, it current has a key military use. It points
the way to their tennis court in a Baghdad palace.

7.20 pm
AUS is thinking of changing the way it promotes itself to potential
tourists.  A green paper released today suggests taking a leaf out of
NZ's tourism strategy, and promote more Aussie actors and sports
stars, and less the Great Barrier Reef, beaches and Kakadu.  Tourism
officials say there are "some great characters" in AUS and these
should be promoted to attract tourists.  Tourism Min Joe Hockey says
the govt wants to reverse the decline in tourism over the past 2 y. He
says tourism took in $1/2 bn less last y than the y before, due to
terrorism fears and SARS. He said AUS wouldn't turns its back on the
family of husband, wife and 2 kids out of the US, but would seek to
attract more lucrative tourists.

With Vic close to entering water restrictions, the Bureau of
Meteorology -- based in MEL -- says the state is in the middle of a
"mystery weather pattern" no seen in the past 100-150 y. A rep for the
Bureau said the new weather pattern could see drought conditions
continue in catchment areas, even through rain continues to fall
across the state.

9.30 pm
One US soldier has been killed and 4 others injured in an RPG attack
in the Iraqi town of Fallujah. 1,500 US re-enforcements have been sent
to the flash-point town.  There are reports more US troops will sent
to Iraq to establish law and order.

Israel's RW Tourism Min has opened an office in E Jerusalem.  The
provocative action followed a rally by 1000s of Israelis in Jerusalem
calling on the govt not to give back Jewish land to Arabs. At the Red
Sea Summit in Aqaba, PM Sharon has promised to immediately start to
remove up to 60 "unauthorised settlements" in the Arab territories.

3 UN observers have been taken hostage by an un-ID'ed rebel group in
Georgia. The kidnap was made public by 4 other UN observers.  The
group has been stationed in the former SU republic for 10 y to observe
the relationship between Georgia and the break-away NW region of
Abkhazia.

In Qatar, Pres Bush has pledged that WMD will be uncovered.  Pointing
to 2 trucks he says were used in producing biological agents, the
Pres said the Iraqi regime had spent 20 y running WMD programs.
Addressing the troops, Pres Bush said it would take time to find proof
of Iraq's WMD programs.

The 56 yo boss of Vietnam's Mafia has been sentenced to death by
firing squad. During the Court case, prosecutors said police and
officials had turned a blind eye to organised criminal operations for
decades.  It was the biggest trial in Vietnamese history, with a total
of more than 100 defendants in the Ho Chi Minh City People's Court
accused of organised crime. Almost all were found guilty.  They
included several Communist Party officials who were accused of
dereliction of duty.

11.50 pm
Hans Blix has told a Portuguese newspaper that Iraq was probably free of
WMD before GWII started. He also said much of the intel the US and
Brit used to justify their regime-change operation was "shaky".
}}

----------------------------------------
Fri, 06 Jun 2003.

NY. MARKETS!  The DJIA closed almost unchanged above the 9,000 level.
The index lost 1 pt to end at 9,038.  Gold leapt 5.80 to around
$US386.70/oz on bad employment data.  Oil is still trading above
$30/bbl.  In London, the FTSE ended down 22 pts at 4,101 after the ECB
cut interest rates.  The German Dax lost 40 pts to end the session at 3,049.

Jerusalem. 2 WOULD-BE BOMBERS KILLED!  2 Palestinian militants from
the radical Islamic group Hamas have been shot dead by Israeli troops
in the N W Bank. They were allegedly preparing a suicide
attack. Israeli military sources say the pair were killed in a gunfight
with troops who ambushed them in a house nr the town of Tulkarem.  A
3rd Palestinian was wounded in the exchange.  The Israeli sources say
the militants were preparing to carry out a suicide bombing inside
Israel.

Jo'burg. BABY KILLED BY BABOON!  A 3 mo S Af infant has died after
being bitten by a baboon that snatched him as he slept in his village
home.  The Sapa news agency reports the child's mother told police
she was washing dishes at her house in the Madipelesa Village in the
N of the country when she heard her baby screaming.  Police say when
the 34 yo woman entered the bedroom she saw her baby being carried
away by the baboon.

Paris. TERRORIST ARRESTED!  French authorities have arrested a German
man said to be a top recruiter for the al-Qaeda terror network in
Germany.  Judicial officials say Christian Ganczarski was apprehended
at Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport on Mon.  He will appear before an
anti-terrorism judge in coming days.  Officials allege Ganczarski had
links to the Apr 2002 suicide bombing of an historic synagogue on
Tunisia's tourist Is of Djerba that killed 21 people, incl 14 German
tourists.

Melbourne. MINISTER WARNS TROUBLE-MAKERS!  Fed Transp Min John
Anderson has warned trouble-makers on aircraft to expect harsh
treatment in Aussie courts.  An unarmed man in his 30s was arrested in
MEL airport yesterday after allegedly making threats on board a Virgin
Blue plane.  He is in AFP custody after being hustled off the flight
from MEL to Bris around 3 pm yesterday.  Passengers allegedly overhead
the man making threats and advised the crew.

NY. BLIX WARNS AGAINST JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS!  Chief UN weapons
inspector Hans Blix has warned against jumping to the conclusion that
Iraq possesses WMD.  Blix told the Sec Council Saddam Hussein's regime
might have hidden weapons, but it also might be true he destroyed them
years ago.  He says now that the Iraqi dictator has been ousted, it
should be possible to find out the truth we all want to know.
Saddam's possession of WMD was the main US and Brit justification for
taking over the country.

New Delhi. INDIAN MONSOON ARRIVES!  India has received its first
monsoon showers in the remote N region, bringing hopes of relief from
a devastating heat-wave that's killed at least 1,347 people.  Weather
officials say isolated monsoon rains occurred in parts of 5 NE states
-- Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh.  Normally
the monsoon rains hit the S states of Kerala in the first wk of
Jun, while a 2nd front arrives in the NE a few days later.

Beijing. NO NEW SARS CASES IN ASIA!  Asia has reported no new SARS
cases in the past 24 hrs for the first time since they began reporting
daily figures.  The WHO noted that no new deaths were reported
globally for the first time since Mar 28.  The WHO has now declared
the global outbreak of the deadly virus has peaked.  SARS has killed
more than 770 people of nearly 8,400 people who have been infected by
the pneumonia-like disease.  It's wrecked economic havoc in several
Asian regions, and has badly hurt the global travel ind'y.

Washington. OUTRAGE OVER SUU KYI DETENTION!  World-wide outrage is
rising over the detention of Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San
Suu Kyi.  The US says she appears to have been the victim of a
premeditated ambush last weekend by govt affiliated thugs.  The
Nobel peace laureate was arrested by the junta during a political tour
with members of her National League for Democracy.  Suu Kyi is
reportedly now being held in a military camp outside Rangoon.

Canberra. US ACCUSES AUS OF SUPPORTING SADDAM!  Australia's wheat
exporter has rejected claims from US producers that AUS supported the
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein by accepting inflated prices.  The peak
US growers group has complained to Sec of State Colin Powell about AWB
Ltd's price margins.  The prices AUS is paid for its wheat to Iraq
have not fallen since the US invasion, and the American growers are
demanding any new sales be re-negotiated at what they call "current
market prices".

London. BRIT TO DELAY EURO!  Brit PM Blair's Cabinet has reached
agreement on whether Brit will join the single European currency. An
announcement will be made next wk.  Treas chief Gordon Brown says the
agreement on euro membership, to be announced on Mon, has been made in
Brit's economic interest.  Brown is expected to tell the Commons that
the economic tests set in 1997, which must be passed before Brit calls
a referendum on euro membership, have not yet been met.

Adelaide. STORM CONTINUES IN SA!  SA's CFS and the SES were called to
about 100 properties o'night as stormy weather continued for a 2nd
day.  The CFS says the damage from high winds was less severe than
Wed night.  Areas in Adel's S subs and rural C S of the city were the
hardest hit, with wind gusts topping 100 kph on various parts of the
Fleurieu Peninsula.  Conditions are expected to moderate today.

{{
Midnight.
BBC World News.  The use of "strategic hamleting" is being questioned
in Aceh.  The practice involves separating civilians from rebels by
forcing populations into tent cities.  It didn't work in Vietnam.  NGO
reps in AUS say there are text messages out of the area that some
people in the camps have become sick, and there's suspicion food in
the camps may have been doctored.  They say journalists have been
cleared out of Aceh and are being refused re-admittance, and the
situation is deteriorating.  Reps for the Red Cross also say they've
been denied access to a village where it's rumoured 100 people may
have been killed yesterday night when it was bombed by Hawk jets.

An analyst at Rutgers U says the US is considering "strong action"
against the Burmese junta over its detention of Aung San Suu Kyi.
He's also called on the UN Special Rep, due in Myanmar tomorrow, to
immediately return to NY if the junta refuses to let him see the opp'n
leader. He said there are 2 measures before the US Congress -- one
that would cut off trade between the US and Burma, and a 2nd Bill
announced by Sen McCain that would freeze the foreign assets of the
Burmese military.

A Chinese officials says there's a possibility water quality could
worsen as a result of the Three Gorges Dam project.  He said a program
was being put in place to try to improve water quality in the
region. Environmentalists said tonnes of rubbish as well as the bodies
of mns of rats poisoned in a prev govt program were not removed before
the area was flooded.

The Chinese govt has announced the arrest of several people who were
about to exports 50 kg of meth amphetamines.  One of the suspects
took poison rather than face arrest.

A Court in Thailand has ruled that married women are permitted to use
their maiden names after they marry. The Court ruled that a
decades-old law that forbid the practice was unconstitutional.

6 am
The ECB has cut int rates 50 basis pts to 2% o'night.  The news comes
as an EU think-tank predicts European growth will be 0% in 2003.

The editor and MD of the NY Times have stepped down over the row about
fabricated stories appearing in the newspaper.  For months a reporter
filed stories he'd made up, and published interviews he'd plagiarised
from other papers. The 2 had presided over the paper during the period
of the 9/11 attacks when the NY Times won 7 Pulitzers.

A US intel official says agencies in the US had come under intense
political pressure to find evidence for Iraq's WMD that wasn't there
prior to GWII. In Doha, Bush promised the troops "the truth" about
Iraq's weapons programs would be eventually revealed. He said Saddam
had a big country and decades to hide his weapons in.  As Airforce One
flew over Iraq back to the US, no weapons had been found after months
of searching. In NY, Blix told the UNSC Iraq may have destroyed its
weapons before GWII started. He says there was "no proof" Saddam
possessed any WMD programs before the war.

Former ALP leader Kim Beazley has reportedly launched a push for the
leadership. There are reported Kim has publicly revealed his challenge
and reps say he may have the numbers necessary to win the spill.
Supporters say Beazley is the man to defeat Howard in the next election.

The WHO says the SARS epidemic has reached its peak.

On more bad news about unemployment in the US, the greenback fell
overnight. Analysts say there's nothing now that will stop the AUD
from reaching 70 US c before the end of the y.

Following a security scare in a Virgin Blue flight from MEL to Bris
yesterday, a man remains in custody in MEL.  He told passengers on the
Virgin flight it was Bush's plane and it was going down. He's
presently assessed Meanwhile, the passengers have arrived safely in Bris.

7 am
The Dow has closed down 1 pt on bad employment news out of the US.
The Nasdaq closed up 6 pts.  The EU has also cut its int rates 0.5 pts
o'night -- something analysts had been called for over the past 3 y.
The FTSE ended its session almost unchanged.  The AUD is trading
around 66.49 US c.  Gold is 5.80 higher at $US386.70/oz, and oil
climbed 80 c to $US30.70/bbl.

The cost of rescuing 2 Brit rowers off the WA coast is believed to be
about $A1 mn. The Navy has refused to release the figures. The Brits
will not be charged after getting into trouble on their
round-the-world rowing exploit.

Imm Min Philip Ruddock is under fire after Dante Tan, Asia's most
wanted financial fraudster, fled AUS this wk after living in AUS and
obtaining citizenship.  Newspapers and TV reporters have revealed Tan
used his real name, nationality and DOB to obtain citizenship. Ruddock
has previously maintained a "tough on criminals" facade while
arranging for the deportation of dozens of would-be asylum-seekers
which he classified as "economic refugees".

At the French Open Serena Williams has bowed out after calling her
Belgian opponent a "liar" and losing the semi-finals.  The Belgian had
prev signalled she wasn't ready to receive a serve, which put Williams
off and caused her to fault, but then denied she'd done it and kept
the point. The ump had apparently been asleep at the time and refused
to re-play the serve.  The incident caused Williams to lose momentum
and the match.  She wasn't happy, and some of the crowd wasn't happy
either, with boo-ing from the audience.  It's going to be an
all-Belgian womens' final.

Fed ed min Brendan Nelson has called for a uniform education
curriculum across AUS. He says it's about time the 8 state and
territory systems are brought into line under federal control.

AUS's health watchdog has ordered the recall of 1/4 mn
glow-in-the-dark condoms that have been found to be defective.  The
defects incl holes and a tendency to break under pressure.

Police in Adel have seized a violin bought at a trash and treasure
after it was found to be a rare instrument valued over $1 mn.

A new Morgan poll shows the ALP would win an election if it were held
today. On primary vote the ALP leads the Coal'n 42% (up 3) to 40 (down
3.5). But on pref PM Howard thrashes Crean 73% to 16%.

8.30 am
The French have arrested a Moroccan man with alleged links to the 9/11
attacks.  [Later reports said he was German and it was another
bombing].

In the US, a student has killed himself after police foiled a plot for
a school shooting.

An Indon court has acquitted a General accused of crimes against
humanity in E Timor.

US troops will reportedly accompany UN weapons inspectors when then
resume their work in Iraq. Hans Blix has complained the process won't
be impartial if it's directed or controlled by the occupying power.

Midday.
The All Ords is 4 pts lower at 3,037 after losses in EU and no
direction from the US.

London. 2 of Saddam's daughters are trying to get asylum in England.
One of Saddam's cousins, and no supporter of the regime, is a legal
resident of the UK and has just flown back to put the case of the
women. But immigration lawyers, usually advocates of asylum seekers,
say their case stands little chance.  The women say they fear for
their safety in post-Saddam Iraq.  Their husbands were executed by
Saddam after they fell out of favour. They were the head of Saddam's
security force and an army chief.  But critics say the pair must have
been aware of human rights abuses in Iraq. They were just too close to
the regime to be accepted as asylum seekers.

Baghdad. Law and order is still dragging its feet in Iraq.  "Ali" was
a taxi driver. His wounds will heel, but it'll be difficult finding
another taxi. He was held up by car-jackers last night. He tried to
bribe them with cash. But the thieves though he was going for a gun,
and shot him twice. Nearby US soldiers, thinking they had come under
fire, called for re-enforcements. A US tank flattened Ali's car,
while a wounded Ali was still inside. Some Iraqi police have nice
clean uniforms. But the public is still skeptical about how close the
former officers were to Saddam's regime. Iraqi police are being
accompanied by US soldiers on patrol. But even the soldiers have their
doubts.  In Baghdad, a patrol came across a murdered driver. Another
car-jacking.  The US cmdr of the patrol was critical of the
police. They were just driving around aimlessly, he said. He
complained the Iraqi police were not pro-active enough.
}}

========================================

(*) Who is responcible for W.A.R.S?  A small group of dedicated
sandgrubbers, bannana-lickers and 5th columnists on the run from
support payments and sundry legalese in their home countries. Mention
us at any Uncle Harry's Suburban Bunker and get a 10% discount on cop-killers!

All speling macroizated for correctitood by Mcrosotf Speelchek.

*** Anyone seen a load of VX? ***