From the World-Wide Resourses of the Western Australia
Reserch Senter(*)
		OIL THE NEWS THAT FITS MY VIEWS   #40
                ===============================
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).

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Iraqi Body Count: http://www.iraqbodycount.net/ [2,197+ as at 4 May 2003].

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Selecting latest news stories and other data for you...
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Mon, 5 May 2003

Markets
Rebels leave 25 dead
Tornados kill 22
China quake
Another earthquake rocks NW China 
Putin, Bush to focus on missile defence 
US watches Syria on Mideast plans 
Real American agenda now becoming clear
Oil windfall from Iraq is improbable
UK checking report that soldier shot Iraqi boy
Iraqis dig up mass grave
300 remains handed back
Faction heads to run Iraq: Garner
Sex workers cash in on fuel-starved motorists
A catastrophic success for the Tories 
Israeli peace party in disarray after leader quits
China reports 7 more SARS deaths
AUS SARS cases cleared
Bali bomber goes on trial
Beazley pushes for terrorism ministry
Building figures reveal preference for units
Elliott guilty of letting insolvent company trade
No need to ask Bush about Hicks, Habib: PM
Palestinians may have shot cameraman: Israeli commander
Right to die case to have nat'l implications
If it's on the Internet, it must be true
Violent lyrics linked to aggressive thoughts
Nelson plan to reward only best academics
Search continues for scramjet engine
AUS eco growth slowing
Job advertising slumps 12 pc
Live exports resume

Sydney (close). MARKETS!  The ASX ended firmer despite dumping of AMP
shares.  The All Ords closed up 7 pts (1/4%) to 2,948.  Gold is trading
around $US341.65/oz.  Oil is down slightly to $US25.66/bbl.  And the
Little Aussie Battler is up against everything to 63.23 US c.

Zamboanga. REBELS LEAVE 25 DEAD!  100s of govt forces have been sent
to a S Philippine town after a daring raid by the nation's top Muslim
separatist group left 25 people dead and dozens wounded.  Pres Gloria
Arroyo says yesterday's attack by the MILF on the remote mining town
of Siocon was an act of terrorism.  The attack came as govt
negotiators were preparing to meet the group in exploratory peace
talks in KL this wk.  Arroyo told reporters her govt won't compromise
when it comes to terrorism.

KC. TORNADOS KILL 22!  A series of tornados in Kansas and Missouri has
killed an estimated 22 people and left a trail of destruction 400 m
wide.  In Missouri, a dozen people were killed when a twister careened
through the SW part of the state yesterday, In KC, cars and trucks
were tossed into a ravine full of splintered trees, and several houses
were knocked off their foundations.

Beijing. CHINA QUAKE!  An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter
scale has toppled houses in an area of NW China devastated by a quake
in Feb.  The tremor struck at 1.44 am in Jiashi county in the
predominantly Muslim Xinjiang region.  The area was levelled by a
powerful quake on Feb 24, leaving 268 people dead and 4,000 injured.
China's State Seismological Bureau says the latest quake has collapsed
about 20 resid'l houses in the neighbouring county of Yuepuhu.

Another earthquake rocks NW China 
Beijing.  An earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale has hit an
area in NW China that was devastated by an earthquake in Feb, state
press said.  The tremor struck at 1.44 am today between Bachu
and Jiashi counties in the predominantly Muslim Xinjiang region, the
Xinhua news agency's Chinese language website said.  The area was
levelled by a powerful quake on Feb 24, leaving 268 people dead and
4,000 injured.  That quake, measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale,
affected an area of more than 22,500 square kilometres, causing $US157
mn worth of damage, according to earlier official reports.  It
destroyed 20,000 houses, cut water and power supplies and toppled 591
schools and 384 mosques.

Putin, Bush to focus on missile defence 
Moscow (AP). Russian Pres Vladimir Putin and Pres Bush will discuss
possible cooperation in missile defence when they meet this m at
St. Petersburg's 300th anniversary celebration, the Russian Foreign
Ministry said Sun.  Moscow said in Jan that it had proposed a draft
"political agreement" for the 2 nations to cooperate in developing
defences against ballistic missiles. It released no details of the
proposal but said it hopes Washington would agree to the deal. There
has been no US comment on the proposal.
For Min'y rep Alexander Yakovenko said Sun that missile defence was to
be discussed in the context of the latest US-Russian arms treaty,
which is expected to be ratified by the Russian legislature before the
celebration at the end of May.  The treaty, which Putin and Bush
signed in May 2002, calls on both nations to cut their strategic
nuclear arsenals by about two-thirds, to 1,700 to 2,200 deployed
warheads, by 2012.
Russia opposed the US withdrawal last y from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic
Missile Treaty, which banned nationwide missile defences of the type
the Bush administration wants to build.  Reiterating criticism of the
US move earlier this year, For Min Igor Ivanov said Russia was eager
to cooperate with NATO partners in developing defences against
short-range missiles.
On Sun, Yakovenko also said that Moscow was pushing for a new UN
treaty to ban weapons in space and at space facilities. Yuri Koptev,
the head of Russia's space agency, said that the US wanted to
militarise space.  "This is a destabilising factor," Interfax quoted
Koptev as saying.  "If such programs are developed, our doctrine and
plans will have to be reviewed in order to deal with the potential
threat."

US watches Syria on Mideast plans 
Washington (AP).  If he had any doubts, Syrian Pres Bashar Assad now
knows just what he must do to bring his country in line with US plans
for the Middle East, Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sun.  AP
Photo Powell, who met with Assad in Damascus on Sat, said the Bush
administration and Congress are monitoring Syria's moves in the
aftermath of the US-led war that toppled Saddam Hussein's govt in
neighbouring Iraq.
A key question involving Iraq, Powell said, is whether Syria will keep
its eastern border closed, and track down and surrender any Iraqi
suspects who might cross it to escape prosecution.  As of now, Syria's
oil from Iraq and other trade going both ways have been shut off,
Powell said.
If Syria follows through on those steps and cooperates with rebuilding
Iraq, including the formation of a democratic govt, Powell said, "Then
that tells us one thing about Syria's decision to move forward: that
they looking for a better relationship with US. If they do not, then
there will be consequences."
Powell said he told Assad that his support of terrorist groups,
including harbouring Palestinian organisations engaged in terror
attacks against Israelis, "makes it hard to move forward on the Middle
East peace process. These things have to come to an end."
The 1st requirement for the Palestinians under the road map is to do
as much as they can to stop such attacks.
Assad responded, Powell said, that he would close the groups' offices
and "indicated he would constrain their activities."
Powell did not specify what consequences failure to do as promised
might bring on Syria, although Pres Bush has said all options are
available.
Congress is watching carefully, too.  Some lawmakers favour legislation
imposing economic penalties against Syria if Damascus does not make
changes. The Syria Accountability Act "will hurt them ... in the
absence of performance on their part," Powell said.  The USA Patriot
Act, passed after the Sep 11, 2001, attacks to crack down on
terrorists, includes penalties against countries that refuse to
interrupt terrorist financing within their borders.

Real American agenda now becoming clear
Toronto.  A superpower like the US does not invade a pipsqueak power
like Iraq -- outside the framework of internat'l law and against
worldwide opposition -- only for its publicly stated reasons, in this
case, fighting terrorism, liberating Iraq and triggering a domino
effect for the democratisation of the Middle East.
The real American agenda is only now becoming clearer.  The conquest
of Iraq is enabling a new Pax Americana that goes well beyond the
much-discussed control of oil, as central as that is to the
enterprise.  America is redrawing the military map of the region with
amazing alacrity. It has pulled its bases out of Saudi Arabia and
Turkey in favour of less-demanding hosts.  Its relations with Egypt
have been placed on the back burner.
It is no accident that those 3 nations are the region's more
populous. And that America's newest partners -- Qatar, Bahrain, Oman
and the UAE -- are thinly populated and tightly controlled monarchies.
People are a problem for America in the Arab and Muslim world. They
are bristling with anti-Americanism, principally over the
Israeli-Palestinian dispute.
The pullout of 10,000 US troops from a Saudi air base was long
overdue, not just because it was a favourite target of Osama bin
Laden. It so embarrassed the ruling House of Saud that the Americans
had to be kept in purdah, away from the public at a remote base in the
desert.  The base is obviously no longer needed since Saddam Hussein
is gone.  But its closure, in fact, is America's answer to Saudi
resistance to the war and the fact that 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11
were bin Laden Saudis.
As the 2 nations begin a new chapter in their 50-year relationship,
America will be less dependant on, though not free of the need for,
Saudi oil.  The kingdom with the world's largest oil reserves and the
highest output will lose clout as America controls the second-largest
reserves in Iraq.
Turkey, too, has to renegotiate its relations with Washington.
America now has a vise grip on the region, with 14 new post-9/11
bases, from eastern Europe through Iraq, the Persian Gulf, Pakistan
and Afghanistan to the 2 Central Asian republics of Uzbekistan and
Kyrgyzstan.
The singular feature of all those new allies is that they are weak
states. Most are undemocratic, if not repressive.  So, America is
replicating its failed model of using unrepresentative regimes to
suppress the people, but doing it on new turf.
This short-term gain, therefore, may come at the expense of long-term
pain. And even that will depend on how well America does with its
"road map" for peace in the Middle East, so inextricably linked are
Muslims to the plight of Palestinians.
Within Iraq itself, the dawn of a democratic era is not unfolding as
advertised.  In the name of stopping the emergence of an Iranian-style
theocracy in favour of what the White House has called an "Islamic
democracy" (whatever that means), America seems determined to install
its own puppet regime in Baghdad.
The majority Shiites are being shunted aside.  Those protesting the
American presence, including the minority Sunnis in the cities of
Falluja and Mosul, are being shot and killed by American troops.  The
distance between American words and deeds is nowhere more evident than
in Bush's triumphalist declaration that he has licked terrorism in Iraq.
It turns out that he has a very selective dislike for terrorism.
Appallingly, he has quietly cozied up to a most notorious terrorist
group, the leftist Mujahideen-e-Khalq in Iraq.  Prior to the 1979
revolution in Iran, the Khalq was accused of killing Americans
there. Post-revolution, it reportedly supported the student takeover
of the US embassy in Tehran. But frozen out of the spoils of power,
the group turned against the Islamic regime, killing scores of
civilians.  Routed out of Iran, it set up guerrilla bases in Iraq from
where to harass and attack Iran.
On the diplomatic front, the Khalq took full advantage of America's
antipathy to Iran and convinced 150 members of Congress to blindly
sign petitions in its favour. But the US and the European Union
eventually caught up and branded it the terrorist organisation that it
has long been.  In the early days of the war on Iraq, American planes
started bombing its bases. But the Khalq PR machines swung into action
in Washington to get the guerrillas spared.
In a secret ceasefire deal, signed Apr 15 but not released until Wed,
the Bush boys agreed to let the Khalq be. The group even gets to keep
all its weapons.  So the Khalq moves from Saddam's patronage to
Bush's.  So much for wiping out terrorism and terrorists.
Taken together, these American moves do not reflect the high
principles of Bush's rhetoric. Rather, they bear an uncanny
resemblance to the Brit colonial enterprise of nearly a century ago,
the price of which is still being paid by the people there.

Oil windfall from Iraq is improbable
Kirkuk (AP).  Now that Iraqi oil wells are pumping again and the
industry is being rehabilitated after y of decay, there is little
doubt the country's production will approach its peak of about 3.5 mn
barrels a day in just 3 years.  While this will give an important lift
to the Iraqi economy and supplement world supplies, internat'l
petroleum companies are more interested in what happens after that.
Iraq has the potential to produce as much as 6 mn barrels of oil a
day, experts say, but reaching that level will require $10s of bn and
the most sophisticated drilling technology.  That is where Exxon
Mobil, Royal Dutch/Shell, ChevronTexaco and others hope to step in.
"The undeveloped oil fields are really outside the limelight, but this
is where the money is," said Fadel Gheit, an analyst at Fahnestock &
Co. in NY.
However, many political, legal and economic uncertainties stand
between foreign oil giants and the world's second-largest proven
reserves.  For example: Who will rule Iraq after the interim authority
is gone, and how open will those leaders be to outside investors?
Also, how will Iraq react to pressure from OPEC members fearful of
losing market share and profits to Iraq?
Given these knotty issues and others, industry experts do not expect
outsiders to secure oil-drilling contracts in Iraq anytime soon -- if ever.
The holy grail for oil giants would be if they could arrange
production-sharing agreements with the Iraqi govt -- a common practice
throughout the world but one that has been met with wariness in the
Middle East. Neither Saudi Arabia nor Kuwait allows for
production-sharing agreements, eschewing any semblance of W
exploitation or economic colonialism.
A typical production-sharing agreement puts the up-front financial risk
-- the costs of gathering data and conducting exploratory drilling --
on the backs of the oil companies.  Then, if oil is found, the company
and the govt controlling the natural resource work out a deal to share
the revenue from oil sales.
Lee Raymond, the chairman of Exxon Mobil, recently told investors: "I
think we would apply the same criteria as we do everywhere in the
world, and that is you have to have confidence in the political
system, the legal system and in the tax system before companies would
make major investments in the country."
Expatriate Iraqis who held senior positions in the country's oil
sector before Saddam Hussein came to power are consulting with major
oil companies in the event that the new regime does seek foreign
investment.  But there is no telling how much power these West-leaning
technocrats will be given in the Iraqi oil ministry.  Many are keeping
a low profile lest they be seen as too conciliatory toward outside
interests.  Interests conflicting with those of W oil companies will
surface, analysts said.
Notwithstanding the long-term uncertainty surrounding the development
of Iraq's petroleum reserves, there is certainly money to be made
right now by fixing up the country's dilapidated oil infrastructure.
Bechtel, the San Francisco-based engineering giant, and Halliburton, a
Dallas-based oil field services company, already won massive contracts
to help rebuild Iraq, although much of the work will be out-sourced to
smaller companies.  The work, expected to generate $bns in revenue
over several years, includes repairing well heads, restarting wells
that were shut down during the fighting and rehabilitating pipelines,
power plants and petroleum refineries.

UK checking report that soldier shot Iraqi boy
Basra.  Brit authorities are investigating an incident in which the
BBC reported a 14-year-old Iraqi boy was shot dead by a Brit soldier
in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.  "There has been a tragic
incident involving a Brit soldier which is being investigated by the
Royal Military Police," a Defence Ministry rep said without
elaborating.  The BBC, on its Ceefax service, reported the boy, Ali
Salim, was shot in a suburb of the city nr a school used by troops of
the Queen's Dragoon Guards.  It did not say when the alleged incident
happened and no further details were immediately available.

Iraqis dig up mass grave
Baghdad.  Iraqis have dug corpses from a mass grave nr the Shiite
Muslim holy city of Najaf, witnesses say.  Iraqis clawed through earth
to uncover scores of bodies, some with blindfolds and hands tied, of
men and women apparently executed during a 1991 Shiite uprising.
In Washington, Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld said he was confident Saddam
Hussein would be found if still alive and his WMD uncovered.  US
Secretary of State Colin Powell also said he was "absolutely sure that
there are weapons of mass destruction there and the evidence will be
forthcoming".
Tens of 1000s of Shiites and Kurds are thought to have been killed
when Saddam's forces crushed revolts after US-led forces drove Iraqi
troops from Kuwait in the 1991 Gulf War.  At the farm site nr Najaf,
Iraqis searching for missing friends and family found rotting clothes
held together little more than skeletons.  Witnesses watched them
being wrapped in white sheets and tagged with plastic identity cards.
By the end of the day, 47 bundles of remains had been reburied in
unmarked graves.
100s of Palestinian families have also fallen victim to the war.  More
than 35,000 Palestinians who lived in Iraq since they were displaced
from their homeland on Israel's founding in 1948 had enjoyed Saddam's
protection, often being housed in the homes of Iraqis evicted by
authorities for opposing the govt, or in govt property.  But now many
have found themselves on the streets after some original homeowners
returned to claim their property or when other Iraqis have simply
taken over govt houses, forcing tenants out.
A 10-nation stabilisation force led by the US, Brit and Poland plans
to deploy in Iraq by the end of May.  But many Iraqis say US troops
have done too little to quell disorder and restore basic services like
water and power.
The US-led body charged with Iraq's reconstruction said it had
appointed Thamir Abbas Ghadhban, an experienced, Brit-educated Iraqi
oil technocrat, to run the oil ministry.  US officials have said
Iraqis will run all ministries with the help of American advisers and
experienced Iraqis who have been living abroad in the US or elsewhere.
Phillip Carroll, former head of Royal Dutch/Shell in the US, will head
an advisory board to the ministry, backed up by Fadhil Othman, an
Iraqi exile who had 20 years' experience in Iraq's State Oil Marketing
Organisation.  Reviving Iraq's oil industry, which boasts the 2nd
largest proven reserves after Saudi Arabia, is crucial to rebuilding a
ravaged economy dependent on crude exports.
The UN, which oversees the "oil-for-food" program set up to alleviate
the suffering of ordinary Iraqis under UN sanctions, has said it needs
a competent authority in Iraq to sign and certify exports before sales
can resume.  But a new interim authority may still be 4 weeks away.

Canberra. 300 REMAINS HANDED BACK!  The remains of about 300
Aboriginal people have been handed back to their descendents in a
ceremony in CBR.  The bones were taken from graves belonging to the SA
Ngarrindjeri people about 100 ya, for study.  They've been handed back
by the Nat'l Museum of AUS and will now be trucked back to Camp
Coorong nr Meningie in SA, and re-interred.

Faction heads to run Iraq: Garner
Baghdad.  The US civil administrator in Iraq Jay Garner says up to 9
Iraqis representing different opposition factions are to run an
interim govt to help rebuild the country in the coming months.  But Mr
Garner says he does not know how the collective leadership will
function specifically.  The retired general referred to Massoud
Barzani, leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Ahmad Chalabi of
the Iraqi National Congress, Jalal Talabani of the Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan, Iyad Allawi of the Iraqi National Accord, and Abdul Aziz
al-Hakim, whose elder brother heads the Supreme Council for Islamic
Revolution in Iraq.  Mr Garner says that group will likely be expanded
to include a Christian and perhaps another Sunni figure.
Speaking as he prepared to leave on a one-day visit of Iraq's S centre
Basra, Mr Garner says he expects the newly-appointed career diplomat
Paul Bremer to arrive by next wk and take charge of the political
process within the post-war US administration.  Mr Garner voiced
disappointment that the Americans had been unable to launch an
extensive television and radio broadcast system for Iraq so far.  "We
haven't done a good job," he admitted.  "I want TV going to the people
... with a soft demeanour, programs they want to see."
Mr Garner also noted the self-proclaimed mayor of Baghdad, Mohammed
Mohsen al-Zubaidi, who was arrested by US forces, had been released
after 2 days.  He says the condition for his release was that he not
resume his activity of asserting authority in Baghdad.

Sex workers cash in on fuel-starved motorists
Harare.  Long winding queues for fuel in Zimbabwe might be a nightmare
for motorists but they are good business for one group of people --
sex workers.  The official Sun Mail reports the three-year-old fuel
crisis is proving a "blessing in disguise" for female sex workers, who
are "cashing in" on the situation.  "Some commercial sex workers spend
nights with motorists in vehicles and commuter omnibuses in fuel
queues at garages," the paper said.  Fuel queues have become part of
daily life for many Zimbabweans, who queue for hours and sometimes
days to be able to purchase the scarce commodity.  The Zimbabwe Govt
is struggling to find the foreign currency necessary to import
sufficient quantities of fuel.

A catastrophic success for the Tories 
London (The Observer).  To listen to Iain Duncan Smith, you'd think he
had just scooped every Oscar, run the one-minute mile and cured the
common cold, rather than bagged a few hundred council seats at a
midterm election in which only a small minority of people bothered to vote.
When the Tory leader crows of a "fantastic result" and a "spectacular
victory", we can all understand why. The Conservatives have drunk from
the bitter cup of humiliation for so long that their desire to snatch
after anything mildly resembling success is only human. Mr Duncan
Smith's relief is as obvious as the reason for it. His internal
critics have been obliged to bite their tongues. His skin is saved. He
lives to die another day.
The Conservatives have had a success -- a catastrophic success. There
is one result less desirable for a political party than the stark
defeat. And that is the deceptive victory. At least defeat has this to
be said for it.  Being punished by the voters should force a party to
confront why it has lost the public and think about how to re-engage
with them. The deceptive victory permits a party to indulge itself in
the illusion that things really aren't so bad.
Parties become increasingly vulnerable to this delusion -- a delusion
we might call false dawnism -- when they have been in Opposition for a
lengthening number of years. They inhale anything that faintly whiffs
of success to block out the odours of deeper failure. That is why the
local elections can be both good news for Mr Duncan Smith and awful
tidings for the Conservative Party.
This will ultimately mean that the real winner is Tony Blair. It may
not look like that at 1st glance. As I suggested here a fortnight ago,
there was no 'Baghdad bounce' for Mr Blair. If anything, there was a
Baghdad backlash against his govt. Desertions by previously
Labour-supporting voters, especially in areas with large Muslim
communities, helped to hurt Labour in places like Birmingham,
Leicester and Luton. Overall, Labour was nip and tuck with the Liberal
Democrats for third place in terms of the number of votes cast.
The surprise is not that the Govt took a bruising in elections with
very low turn-outs in which huge things were not at stake. The
surprise is that the Govt didn't get absolutely thumped. Mr Blair has
been in power for 6 years. The midterm of a 2nd term is usually when
the people take a chainsaw to their governors. Many voters express
disappointment about public services and Labour is riven from Cabinet
to constituency about how to reform them. There has been palpable
anxiety within Downing Street about the reaction to the 1st direct tax
hit on incomes, which has been compounded by soaring increases in
council tax.
Clutching at the comfort of deceptive victory, the Tories will briefly
enjoy an illusory sense of peace and progress. And that will last for
just as long as it takes Iain Duncan Smith to turn in another duff
performance at PM's Question Time.

Israeli peace party in disarray after leader quits
Jerusalem (Reuters).  Dovish former general Amram Mitzna has resigned
as Israeli opposition leader, leaving Israel's veteran peace party in
turmoil and left-wingers stranded even deeper in the political
wilderness.  While the once-powerful Labor Party pondered a future
weakened by an electoral shift to the right caused by a Palestinian
uprising for statehood, a US envoy planned further talks on Mon on
pushing a new peace plan.
Assistant Secretary of State William Burns, who met Israeli Prime Min
Ariel Sharon on Sun, was to meet Palestinian PM Mahmoud Abbas in the
West Bank.  Burns is preparing the ground, ahead of a visit later this
wk by Secretary of State Colin Powell, for the most concerted peace
drive in the region since US-brokered talks collapsed in mid-2000.
Burns said Israel should ease a military clampdown on Palestinians to
encourage them to rein in militants behind violence in which at least
2,036 Palestinians and 737 Israelis have been killed since the revolt
began in Sep 2000.  The Israeli govt said in a statement there would
be no change in its military operations without "a Palestinian battle
against terrorism."
But it was Mitzna's surprise decision to quit as Labor chairman -- 5 m
after he led it to its most devastating election defeat -- that spoke
volumes about the current state of peacemaking in Israel.  Accusing
Labor rivals of "fighting me instead of fighting for peace," Mitzna
announced at a hastily convened news conference on Sun that he was
stepping down after 9 m in the post.  He had tried in the campaign
leading to Israel's general election last Jan to steer Labor back
toward the peace path it blazed in the early 1990s when it spear-headed
landmark interim accords with the Palestinians.
Mitzna's call for unilateral troop pull-backs from occupied land and
the removal of some Jewish settlements failed to rally voters or top
officials at Labor, right-winger Sharon's main coalition partner in
his previous govt.  Labor lost a quarter of its seats in the
120-member parliament in the Jan poll won overwhelmingly by Sharon's
Likud party.
Those who might replace him in a leadership contest expected by the
end of July include hawkish ex-defence chief Binyamin Ben-Eliezer and
former PM Ehud Barak, who has spoken bitterly of Palestinian leaders
with whom he negotiated.  Mitzna's resignation will have no immediate
impact on new US-led Middle East peacemaking. With Sharon now leading
a right-wing govt, Mitzna's star, as well as his C-left party's
fortunes, have faded sharply.  But his replacement could steer the
party more firmly toward the political C, opening the possibility
of joining forces with Sharon -- a move Mitzna opposed.
Palestinian Pres Yasser Arafat voiced surprise at Mitzna's
resignation.  "What is behind this? Does this mean the Labor Party is
going back to the govt?" Arafat asked on Dubai-based Al Arabiya
television in an interview. "We hope that whoever replaces him in the
leadership will proceed on the same path."
Commenting on the "road map," Arafat said the Palestinians accepted
the document, which calls for an end to violence, a clampdown on
militants and a Palestinian state by 2005. But he said the
Palestinians had "some observations" for mediators.
Israel and the US refuse to deal with Arafat, whom they accuse of
fomenting violence, an allegation he denies.  Israel says the peace
plan does not put sufficient onus on Palestinians to disarm and jail
militants before Israel pulls troops out of Palestinian cities or
suspends settlement on occupied territory.
In bloodshed on Sun, Israeli forces shot dead a 14-year-old
Palestinian during stone-throwing clashes nr the city of Nablus in the
West Bank, witnesses said.

China reports 7 more SARS deaths
Beijing.  China has reported another 7 deaths from the SARS virus as
its SARS outbreak shows no signs of slowing.  Authorities have
announced another 7 deaths and 163 new cases.  China also reported 222
new suspected cases, including 90 in Beijing -- a sign that the
outbreak is still spreading in the capital despite strict quarantine
measures.  Beijing is China's hardest-hit area.  More than 15,000
people have been quarantined in the capital, along with 27
SARS-designated hospitals, 2 building sites and 3 apartment buildings
belonging to universities.  Beijing primary and high schools will
remain shut for another 2 weeks as authorities try to keep more than 1
mn students outside the infectious chain of the SARS epidemic.

Sydney. AUS SARS CASES CLEARED!  AUS health authorities say 2 suspect SARS
cases, incl a flight attendant, have been cleared.  A 25 yo Qantas
attendant was released from hosp after falling ill on Fri, 5 days
after working a flight from Sing to SYD.  St Vincents Hosp rep David
Faktor says the woman was released this afternoon and hasn't shown and
SARS symptoms in the past 24 hrs.

Jakarta. BALI BOMBER GOES ON TRIAL!  A man who joked and appeared to
gloat over the Bali bombing that killed 202 people goes on trial from
May 12 -- the first leading suspect to face court over the attack.
Police say Amrozi -- a mechanic from E Java -- has confessed to his
involvement in last Oct's bombings.  He faces the death penalty for
plotting and arranging people to carry out the terrorist attack.  He
was the first suspect arrested after the bombing, and police have
since arrested more than 30 suspects in the case.

Beazley pushes for terrorism ministry
Perth.  Labor backbencher Kim Beazley says the need to create a new
fed ministry to deal with the threat of terrorism has grown more
urgent.  The former Labor leader and former defence minister delivered
an opening address on terrorism at the Australasian Venue and Events
Congress in MEL last night.  After his speech, Mr Beazley said AUS
need a more proactive and coordinated campaign to lessen the risk of
a terrorist attack on home soil, following the war on Iraq.  "We have
to pay even greater regard to the protective measures we put in place
about it," Mr Beazley said.  "I made some constructive suggestions
about that tonight, including the creation of a ministry of home
affairs.  "The Americans have done that. I suggested it before the
Americans did it.  "We've got to get this properly coordinated."

Building figures reveal preference for units
Canberra.  Official figures show the number of houses and apartments
approved for construction rose almost 5% in March, in excess of market
expectations.  Approvals for private-sector houses were down 7.1%, while
approvals for flats and apartments were up 34.6%.

Elliott guilty of letting insolvent company trade
Melbourne.  Prominent MEL businessman John Elliott has been found
guilty of allowing rice-milling company Waterwheel to trade while
insolvent.  But the court has deferred any punishment.  Elliott was
charged by the AUS Securities and Investments Commission with allowing
Waterwheel to trade while insolvent.  Justice Phillip Mandy ruled
there were reasonable grounds for suspecting the company was insolvent
but Mr Elliott and managing director Bernard Plyman failed to prevent
it incurring further debts.  Justice Mandy invited legal counsel to
make submissions on whether the 2 men should be barred from future
directorships and forced to pay compensation to Waterwheel's unpaid
creditors.  Another director William Harrison has already pleaded
guilty to the civil charges.  The case has been adjourned until Thu.

No need to ask Bush about Hicks, Habib: PM
Washington.  PM John Howard says there was no need for him to speak to
US Pres George W Bush about the fate of 2 Aussies being held at the
Guantanamo Bay detention centre in Cuba.  Mr Howard has made the
comments in NY, fresh from his overnight meeting with Mr Bush in
Texas.  America is detaining David Hicks and Mamdouh Habib as
suspected supporters of the Al Qaeda terrorist network.  The NY Times
has reported that US authorities want AUS to take Hicks back.  But Mr
Howard says he did not ask Mr Bush about America's plans for Hicks and
Habib.  "That matter was already under discussion between the
Attorney-General and his relevant counterpart in the US Govt and
therefore there was no need," he said.  "And it was not appropriate
that the matter be discussed yesterday."

Palestinians may have shot cameraman: Israeli commander
Gaza.  An Israeli army cmdr has said it is possible a Palestinian
gunman, not Israeli soldiers, shot Brit cameraman James Miller in a
Gaza Strip refugee camp.  Witnesses to the May 2 shooting said Israeli
forces shot Mr Miller, who was in the Rafah refugee camp making a
documentary.  The Israeli troops were demolishing a Gazan home
suspected of concealing an arms-smuggling tunnel.
The Brit Foreign Office, Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without
Borders, Brit's Channel Four and Israel's Foreign Press Association
have called on Israel to carry out a thorough inquiry into the
shooting.  Israeli coroners plan to perform an autopsy to determine
whether Israel was responsible for Mr Miller's death.
Israeli media reports say the journalist, who was approaching soldiers
when he was hit, was shot in the back.
Col Avi Levi, deputy commander of the Gaza battalion involved in the
incident, told Israel Radio the television camera crew had approached
troops during an exchange of fire.
Footage on Israeli television showed 3 journalists in vests marked
"TV" carrying a white flag.  They approached troops in the dark,
yelling: "We are Brit journalists."  A shot rang out, then a second,
followed by moaning.  Brit said it wanted a "full and transparent
investigation" into the incident.

Right to die case to have nat'l implications
Melbourne, The guardian of a terminally ill woman has asked the Vic
Supreme Court to determine the legality of withdrawing artificial
feeding.  In a case that will have nat'l implications, Vic's Public
Advocate and the woman's guardian, Julian Gardner, want clarification
on whether feeding the woman via a tube is medical or palliative care.
Counsel for the advocate will urge the court to rule artificial
feeding is medical treatment and can be refused.  The decision is due
later this month.  But the chairman of the AUS Medical Association's
ethics committee, Trevor Mudge, says it should not be a legal matter.
"The only issue really is whether tube feeding is medical care or not,
and I would have thought that too was not a matter for the courts but
something for the profession itself," he said.

London. IF IT'S ON THE INTERNET, IT MUST BE TRUE!  The results of an
Internet intel test show the cleverest people in Britain live
-- you guessed it -- in N Ireland!  The BBC's Test The Nation saw more
than 200,000 people across the country test their intel online.
People living in N Ireland's city of Londonderry came out on top with
an average IQ of 107, while citizens of Birmingham, Glasgow and
Plymouth came in joint last place with a score of 103.  However it was
a close call, with Scotland at 105, England at 104 and Wales at the
bottom with 103.

Violent lyrics linked to aggressive thoughts
Washington.  Violent song lyrics increase aggression-related thoughts
and emotions and could indirectly create a more hostile social
environment, a study released by a US psychology association has found.
The Washington-based American Psychological Association (APA) carried
out the study, involving 5 experiments involving more than 500
college students.  The results are published in the May issue of the
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
The violent songs increased feelings of hostility without provocation
or threat, according to the study.  It said the effect was not the
result of differences in musical style, specific performing artists or
arousal properties of the songs.  Even the humorous violent songs
increased aggressive thoughts, the study said.  The group says the
study contradicts a popular notion that listening to angry, violent
music actually serves as a positive catharsis for people.
The music industry came under criticism from lawmakers in Oct for
failing to use more descriptive parental advisory labels that specify
whether the music contains sex, violence or strong language.  The
Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has said that current
CD labels give parents enough info without violating the right to free
expression.  The RIAA is the trade group for the world's 5 big labels,
including AOL Time Warner, EMI Group, Bertelsmann AG, Vivendi
Universal's, Universal Music and Sony Corporation.
During the APA's 5 experiments, researchers from Iowa State University
and the Texas Dept of Human Services examined the effects of 7 violent
songs by 7 artists and 8 non-violent songs by 7 artists.  After
listening, students were given various psychological tasks to measure
aggressive thoughts and feelings, including asking the participants to
classify words that have both aggressive and non-aggressive meanings,
like rock and stick.  Results of the experiments showed that violent
songs led to more aggressive interpretations of ambiguously aggressive
words and increased the relative speed with which people read
aggressive versus non-aggressive words.
"Such aggression-biased interpretations can, in turn, instigate a more
aggressive response, verbal or physical, than would have been emitted
in a nonbiased state, thus provoking an aggressive escalatory spiral
of anti-social exchanges," researcher Craig Anderson said in a
statement.  While researchers said repeated exposure to violent lyrics
could indirectly create a more hostile social environment, they said
it was possible the effects of violent songs may last only a fairly
short time.

Nelson plan to reward only best academics
Canberra.  Elite academic staff will be rewarded under a workplace
productivity program expected to be part of the Fed Govt's higher
education restructure.  A radical revamp of university governing
bodies is also on the cards. The Education Min, Brendan Nelson, wants
a more business-oriented approach and professional development classes
for the 800 people who sit on them.
The workplace productivity program would be established to fund higher
salaries, but only if certain performance hurdles were met.  Dr Nelson
wants to stop fed funds being used to supplement salaries for the
entire workforce, arguing that only academics who can demonstrate
"superior performance" should be rewarded.
As the Herald has revealed, Dr Nelson will also seek amendments to the
Workplace Relations Act to strengthen the power of the AIRC to end
protected industrial action where union members are employed in vital
fed'ly funded community services like health and education,
particularly where vulnerable 3rd parties, like students, are affected.
The moves are likely to spark an industrial showdown, with one staff
union, the National Tertiary Education Union, saying any suggestion
that the current enterprise bargaining arrangements did not work is a lie.
As part of next week's fed budget, Dr Nelson is also expected to
announce a shake-up at the ANU, including the removal of politicians
from the university council, and the AUS Maritime College -- the only
2 public institutions established under fed legislation.
The general secretary of the NTEU, Grahame McCulloch, said the Govt
wanted to crush any and all voices of legitimate dissent.

Search continues for scramjet engine
Brisbane.  The team behind last year's world 1st successful launch of
a revolutionary air-breathing scramjet engine has vowed to continue
the search for its remains at Woomera in SA.  The University of Qld's
Dr Allan Paull says his team has narrowed the search area to five
square kilometres of land on the Woomera Prohibited Area.  He says his
team wants to find the engine so that it can see how well the payload
held up under the strain of an 8,000 kilometre per hour journey.  "We
expected it to melt -- the front end of it to melt, and it seems that
it has melted, it took a little bit longer to melt than we thought,
which was good," he said.  "We're just interested though -- the
leading edges of it on certain parts of it get very, very hot and
basically glow red hot when it was coming down and we're really
curious to see how that material stood up to the re-entry."

Canberra. AUS ECO GROWTH SLOWING!  A new survey of business
expectations points to a further slowing in economic growth.  The
ACCI says businesses' perceptions of both the nat'l economy and
conditions within their own firms have fallen again.  ACCI CEO Peter
Hendy says the evidence points to a peak in the economy in May last y
and a gradual decline since.

Job advertising slumps 12 pc
Canberra.  There has been a sharp downturn in employment advertising
in AUS's daily newspapers.  But the consecutive Easter and Anzac Day
holidays have been a significant factor.  Published classified job
advertisements, as tallied in a regular survey by the ANZ Bank are
down 12.1% in Apr.  That is the 2nd biggest decline since the SYD
Olympics in Sep 2000 and the fourth-biggest ever recorded by the
survey.  It more than erases the gains achieved in the 1st
three-months of the year and takes the level of employment advertising
back down to those experienced in Jan 1994.
However, ANZ chief economist Saul Eslake says there are mitigating
factors.  "This appears to be due largely to the fact that we had
consecutive long weekends in Apr," he said.  Mr Eslake is nonetheless
predicting a 6.5% unemployment rate in the next few months, with
hiring decisions 1st impacted by the war in Iraq and now the spread of SARS.

Canberra. LIVE EXPORTS RESUME!  A ban on live sheep exports to the
Middle E has been lifted.  The ban was imposed following a large
number of deaths on several shipments to the Middle E due to heat
stress in cattle and sheep and salmonellosis.  Fed Ag Min Warren Truss
says the ban has been lifted to allow graziers to continue exporting
through the N summer.  New criteria have been intro'd to reduce the
potential of feedlot salmonellosis and of heat stress when the animals
are transported.

{{
ITS DAY FORTY-EIGHT.

22.45 pm
Gov Jay Garner has blamed UN sanctions for the long lines at Iraqi
petrol bowsers. Analysts say it's wartime damage to the oilfields
that's the real reason.
}}

----------------------------------------
Tue, 6 May 2003

Markets
Tornado season opens with 40 deaths
Pentagon releases 22 prisoners
Healing the rifts
UN renews sanctions against Liberia
More troops head to Timor
NK threatens to walk out
Bomb defused in Belfast
World asthma day
Russia joins NASA family
Concorde may go virgin
The ever-growing drug recall list
Opinion polls back Beazley
Wheat virus found at another site
$17 pay rise
Vic budget
Mining inquest
Hot pursuit and shooting in Bris
Call him "Mr" Tinker!

Sydney (noon). MARKETS!  The ASX was softer at noon today, dragged
down by heavyweight News Corp.  The All Ords was 6 pts lower at 2,942.
In NY o'night, the Dow slumped 51 pts to 8,532.  The FTSE was up 73
pts to 3,953. The Dax was also 27 pts higher at 3,013.  NY Gold was
trading $1.20 higher at $US342.20/oz.

Pierce City. TORNADO SEASON OPENS WITH 40 DEATHS!  Violent
thunderstorms and tornados have torn a swath across the US Midwest,
killing at least 32 people in the states of Kansas, Missouri and
Tennessee.  8 people remain missing in the Missouri town of Pierce
City where every home and business has been affected.  The storms were
blamed for at least 14 deaths in Missouri, 7 in Kansas and 11 in
Tennessee.

Washington. PENTAGON RELEASES 22 PRISONERS!  The Pentagon has
announced the release of 22 prisoners from its high-security compound
for terrorist suspects in Cuba.  Before the release, about 660
prisoners from 42 countries were held at the US Navy base at
Guantanamo Bay.  Many were captured during the war in Afghanistan.
Human rights groups had called for the immediate release of prisoners
reported to be as young as 13, and one official says he believes the
juveniles were among those being freed.  [Other reports say many of
those "freed" would be handed over to foreign govts who would hold
them or put them on trial].

Washington. HEALING THE RIFTS!  Pres Bush Jr has met with NATO Sec-Gen
George Robertson amid a potential split in the alliance over Iraq and
a proposed nuclear-armed European military command seen as a potential
rival.  Whitehouse rep Sean McCormack says the 2 discussed Iraq, and
the up-coming NATO role in peacekeeping in Afghanistan.  He says they
also discussed briefly the possibility of a NATO role in Iraq.
Earlier, Robertson said a role for NATO in Iraq is not on the agenda,
'though the alliance may participate later.

NY. UN RENEWS SANCTIONS AGAINST LIBERIA!  The UNSC will renew
sanctions against the Liberian govt for another 12 m.  The Council
hopes to halt the spread of the Liberian conflict to neighbouring
African states.  The sanctions, incl an arms embargo, a ban on trade
in rough ["blood"] diamonds, and restrictions on air travel by snr Liberian 
govt and military officials and their wives, it due to expire tomorrow.

Townsville. MORE TROOPS HEAD TO TIMOR!  More Aussie soldiers leave
tomorrow for peacekeeping duties in E Timor.  Several 100 personnel
from the 1st Bat of the RAR, based in Townsville, are heading to the
fledging country for 6 m.  CO Lt Col Stuart Smith says the soldiers
will provide security in the area W of Dili to the border.  He told
ABC radio they'll patrol alongside the Timorese Border Control Service.

Seoul. NK THREATENS TO WALK OUT!  NK has threatened to scuttle nuclear
talks unless the US responds positively to Pyongyang's offer to
dismantle its nuclear program in exchange for economic and diplomatic
pay-offs.  NK also accused Washington of making efforts to resolve the
nuclear crisis more complicated by again incl the Stalinist state on a
list of countries suspected of sponsoring terrorism.  It denounced
Washington for ignoring the N's proposals, presented at talks in
Beijing last m, meant to de-fuse the 6 m standoff.

Belfast. BOMB DEFUSED IN BELFAST!  Bomb disposal experts have defused
a powerful car bomb in Belfast suspected of being planted by dissident
paramilitary group the Real IRA.  Police say Brit army bomb defusal
experts disabled a booby-trapped van parked in the C of Belfast just
hrs before the city's annual marathon. They were alerted by the diver
of the van, who told police by telephone he had been kidnapped by a
paramilitary group in a Catholic Republican stronghold in N Belfast.

Sydney. WORLD ASTHMA DAY!  It's World Asthma Day and the fed govt is
hoping to give young sufferers some relief with a new program for
asthma awareness in schools.  The $1.3 mn program is targeting 10,000
prim and sec schools around AUS to promote understanding of the
condition suffered by 1 on 4 Aussie children -- the highest rate in
the world.  Health Min Kay Patterson says she hopes 80% of schools
will take up the funding for newsletters and other informative material.

Moscow. RUSSIA JOINS NASA FAMILY!  Russian and the US have announced a
joint program of Mars exploration.  Officials in Moscow announced the
move following talks between the heads of the US and Russian space
agencies.  Sergei Gorbunov, rep for Russia's Rosaviakosmos space
agency, told the Interfax news agency the 2 countries have agreed to
begin joint exploration of Mars and unmanned interplanetary station
flight programs.

London. CONCORDE MAY GO VIRGIN!  Brit tycoon Richard Branson is
determined to keep the Concorde in the air, even though its Brit and
French owners plan to ground it.  Branson says his company is
determined to see the world's only supersonic airliner continue to
fly.  He believes the plane still has a potential life of 20-25 y.
Last m he made a symbolic offer of 1 STG for the BA Concorde fleet,
which has served as a luxury 4 hr shuttle for the rich and famous for
more than 1/4 C.  BA and the state-owned Air France announced last m
the aircraft would be grounded at the end of Oct because of a slump in
business traffic.

Canberra. THE EVER-GROWING DRUG RECALL LIST!  Another 421 products
have been added to the list of recalled products made by disgraced Pan
Pharmaceuticals, taking the total to well over 1,000.  An updated list
of the pills has been advertised in today's newspapers.  The TGA says
the additional items recalled and banned from sale last night takes
the total to 1,546.

Sydney. OPINION POLLS BACK BEAZLEY!  2 new polls say most voters
prefer former Labor leader Kim Beazley to Simon Crean.  The Herald-AC
Nielsen poll published in today's SMH shows nearly 4 times as many
voters prefer Beazley to Crean as Labor leader.  The poll has found
43% want Mr Beazley to resume his role as Labor leader, while Mr Crean
has 11% support.  Meanwhile, the latest Newspoll shows Mr Beazley is
strongly preferred as a future PM to Treas Peter Costello.

Canberra. WHEAT VIRUS FOUND AT ANOTHER SITE!  A virus that threatens
AUS's wheat production has now been found in Vic.  A rep for the
state's Dept of Prim Ind says the wheat streak mosaic virus has been
found in a sample from the Vic Inst of Dryland Ag in Horsham.  The
virus has already been found at 2 CSIRO facilities in CBR, the Waite
Inst nr Adel, and at the Leslie Research C in Toowoomba in Qld.

Melbourne. $17 PAY RISE!  A full bench of the AIRC has awarded a
2-tiered pay rise for federal minimum award wage workers.  Workers
earning less than $731.80 per wk will receive a $17 a wk rise while
workers earning above $731.80 will receive an additional $15 a wk.
AIRC Pres Geoffrey Guidice says the commission has taken into account
the likely effects of the pay rise and a range of economic indicators
in handing down its decision.

Melbourne. VIC BUDGET!  Vic's govt needs to find $2.35 bn and today's
budget will cut spending to the basics in order to deliver cash for
vital projects.  Prem Steve Bracks' govt needs to find $1 bn for his
election promises and faces blow-outs of $350 mn for the 2006
Commonwealth Games, and $1 bn in public transport.  Cuts to govt
advertising are expected, along with measures to boost public sector
productivity.

Hobart. MINING INQUEST!  An inquest has opened into the 2nd mining
fatality in Tas in as many wks.  The latest death occurred about 5 pm
yesterday when an underground mine workers at Renison Bell tin mine,
on the state's W coast, was crushed by a rock fall.  Police say the
man, believed to be in his 40s, was working with 4 others about 1 km
underground when the accident occurred.  His workmates escaped serious
injury, but have been treated for shock.

Brisbane. HOT PURSUIT AND SHOOTING IN BRIS!  A man has been shot in
the leg and a police officer injured during a police pursuit of a
stolen car through Bris's S suburbs.  The chase began when police
spotted the vehicle in Kingston Rd at Woodridge on Bris's S outskirts
last night.  Police say the stolen car was followed to a cul de sac
where the driver attempted to make a U-turn, then rammed 1 of 2 police
cars which had stopped a short distance away.

London. CALL HIM "MR" TINKER!
An elderly widow has left Tinker, a stray black catm hiw
own detached house in London and a trist fund to keep him comfortable.
The Times says that 89 yo Margaret Layne left the $A900,000 home
and $A300,00 fund to Tinker after he befriended her.
The childless widow maed it clear in her will that Tinker,
who has life-long residency at the house, should not stray again.
The Times says when Tinker dies the estate will pass to trustees,
Leyne's former neighbours.

{{
ITS DAY FORTY-NINE.

6 am
The US military has taken a snr Iraqi bio weapons scientist into
custody.  "Mrs Anthrax" was the only woman on the list of
55 most wanted, and the only woman in Saddam's Council.  A US Def Dept
official said Dr Huda Salih Mahdi Ammash was taken into custody, but
gave no other details.  She is expected to help the US locate Iraq's
hidden WMD program.  More than 1/3 of the deck has been caught. But
the big fish are still out there. There is growing frustration that no
hard info has been turning up.

Midday.
A new opinion poll shows an overwhelming majority of Aussies want the
GG to resign. Royalists say the poll means nothing.  But it got funny
when one staunch supporter of the Queen started complaining about
undemocratic and unelected special interest groups.

Nearly 40 people have died in the most disastrous start to the US
tornado season on record. The region has been declared a disaster
zone. 200 kph winds have destroyed lives and public buildings.  Around
90 tornados have hit in the past few days. The cleanup will take wks.

PM Howard has arrived in London to see the Queen and PM Tony Blair.
An al Jazeera reporter asked why AUS was involved in Iraq.  He said
"Australians are used to travelling".  Elsewhere, Bush was again
"heaping praise" on Australia as being an "important ally". Mr Howard
said he didn't see AUS becoming part of an "Anglo sphere" but wanted
to see the country develop a strong network of international ties.

Outside a notorious prison outside Baghdad, they're searching the
numbered graves for news they couldn't know until the regime
changed. One group has compiled an archive of the politicals that have
tortured and executed. Every day families come to pour over the huge
jumble of records. Whole families were executed for thought-crime,
according to the records -- accused of plotting to overthrow Saddam.
 Bones are taken from the prison graveyard for a proper Islamic burial.

It's been confirmed 2 Aussie POW's at the US prison in Cuba will not
be among those released in the latest list.  Don Rumsfeld says the
process hasn't been as fast as he or Powell would like.  US officials
say in many cases those "released" from US detention will not go free
-- they will be handed over to other govts who will hold them or
charge them.  They say others have been determined to be not a threat
to the US.

London. A landmark case has recognised the cocktail of chemicals used
to protect soldiers against anthrax and other bio- and chem-weapons in
GWI is the most probable cause of Gulf War Syndrome.  But it's
unlikely the decision will have any affect at the DoD.  The Brit Def
Dept doesn't recognise the condition exists.  But veterans note the
cocktail of chemicals given to GWII fighters was quite different from
the mixture they received a decade ago.

The AIRC has awarded the lowest-paid Aussie workers an addition $17.
The ACTU had been seeking a $24.60 increase. Reps say the rise awarded
will be "impossible to live on".  Employer groups say the decision was
a near-record rise on the back of a record rise, and will hit small
and medium businesses hard.  They had been trying to keep the rise to
under $12.  The increase takes the minimum wage up to $448 per wk --
$11.80 per hr.

Gold is trading around $US342.15/oz.  Oil is down slightly on record
highs at $US26.47/bbl.  The AUD is still travelling well at 63.42 US c.

4.30 pm
In N Iraq a mayor and councillors have been elected in the city of
Mosul.  The 24-strong interim council was elected under the
supervision of the US.  It's said to represent the full ethnic diversity 
of Iraq, with Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen and Christians all represented.  
Meanwhile, Governor Lt Gen Jay Garner (ret) says he wants a 9-man
Council up and running the whole country by May.  Today he went to see
the health probs in Basra for himself.  Doctors complained over the
lack of drugs and security.  
Elsewhere, Coal'n tanks are crushing weapons that have been
confiscated.  Law and order is a major concern for many Iraqis.
Divers from 28 Reg have been unblocking water pipes to Basra.  The
first cholera case has been reported in Iraq's 2nd city, and clean
water is a key to stop its spread.

18% of Aussies say GG Hollingworth should stand firm.  75% say he
should resign.  Alex Downer has joined the ranks of govt mins
indicating he should go.

The ASIC has announced it's investigating unusual trading in AMP
shares prior to the announcement of its de-merger.

AMP shares have fallen to a new low after a short rally this morning.
Share was last seen at $5.40 and headed lower.  The company recently
issued more than $1 bn in shares to institutions at around $5 ea in a
bid to provide funds for de-merging with their loss-making Brit arm.

An Aussie has broken the 10 sec 100 m. He closed 9.93 for the fastest
time world-wide so far this y.  30 yo Patrick Johnson's a DFAT
officer, and 1/2 Irish and 1/2 Torres St Islander. He joins an
exclusive club of fewer than 40 that have broken the 10 sec barrier.
He's been running for 6 y.

Pauline Hansen has appeared in court for defrauding supporters.  She's
accused of taking $20,000 from a "fighting fund" that had been set up
to pay her expenses when the Qld electoral commission demanded back
$1/4 mn they said had been fraudulently claimed by PH's One Nation
Party. Ms Hansen spent the $20,000 to pay off credit cards, various
purchases and had also gave some of it to her daughter.  The hearing
will continue for 2 more days.

5 pm 
Melbourne. The Vic govt has announced a Budget that plans for a $160
mn surplus, down on last y. The govt has announced it will CPI index
100s of fines and charges, in what's seen as a money grab by the
Opp'n. Victoria is "on the brink", according to the leader of the Vic
Lib Party. [I can't remember his name. ;-)]. Drivers' licenses, boat
licenses and fishing licences will all go up, reaping the state $mns.
But education and health will be big winners, in line with election
promises.  Vic will get more police, more teachers and more nurses.
Unions are worried about plans to cut back state-subsidised trainee
schemes. The VCOSS says the surplus should be spent on social welfare,
not putting under the carpet. But govt reps say the surplus is $400 mn
less than forecast, and the govt can't afford to risk slipping into deficit.
}}

----------------------------------------
Wed, 7 May 2003

Markets
Bomb blast kills 1
Rescue ops continue in US midwest
SARS hasn't peaked in China: WHO
Al-Qaeda "wounded": FBI
State Dept warns of new terror threat
Saddam may be alive: SMH
Fewer than 2,000 Iraqi POW's remain
Sharon sets conditions for peace talks
US and Sing sign trade deal
Aussies still popping pills
Govt to sell Medicard reforms
AUS 8th on well-being scale for mums
Govt gets desperate on water
Store giveaway attracts natl interest

Sydney (noon). MARKETS!  The Dow has closed up 56 pts to 8,588, despite
a Fed-induced panic.  In London, the FTSE also ended the session 52
pts up.  At noon, the All Ords is up 19 at 2,956.  But Qantas has lost
4.5% after another profit down grade for the 2nd time in 5 wks.  In a
statement, the company said its profit would be down another 17%.  It
says more jobs will be cut.  It says the SARS crisis in Asia is having
a bigger impact than expected.  The company reports a 64% drop in
flights to HK.  Gold is trading around $US345/oz.  Oil is steady at
$US25.72/bbl.  The AUD continues to rise against the USD. Presently
it's 64.15 US c.

Tripoli. BOMB BLAST KILLS 1!  A bomb exploded outside the home of a W
Christian missionary couple in the N Lebanese city of Tripoli,
killing 1 person.  Security sources say the bomb was planted outside
the ground floor apartment of a Dutch missionary and his German wife
in a Tripoli suburb.  Security sources say the dead man may have been
an Arab foreigner who lived in the same building. The missionary
couple wasn't hurt.

Nashville. RESCUE OPS CONTINUE IN US MIDWEST!  Blackouts, water
shortages and desperate searches for the missing have confronted
tornado-battered residents of the C US as the death toll rose to 40
from the most violent weather in 4 y.  Some streams and rivers in
Tennessee were at flood stage or above, adding to that state's misery
as forecasters warned a 3rd day of severe weather was possible today
in parts of Missouri and Arkansas. Experts say around 1,000 tornados
are expected this season.

Beijing. SARS HASN'T PEAKED IN CHINA: WHO!  The head of the WHO says
SARS call still be eliminated world-wide, but has not yet reached its
peak in China.  She made the comment after China's Prem described
Beijing's crisis as "grave" and warned officials to work hard to fight
the disease or be punished.  Strict measures have put more than
25,000 people in quarantine across China where news slowly emerged of
more SARS-designated hospitals being attacked by mobs fearful that
patients will infect their communities.

Washington. AL-QAEDA "WOUNDED": FBI!  The FBI's counter-terrorism chief
has told the US Congress that al-Qaeda is wounded and disorganised but
remains a dangerous foe dedicated to harming the US.  FBI Exec Asst
Dir Pasquala D'Amuro says the FBI, CIA and DoD have been very
effective in arresting al-Qaeda operatives, disrupting training camps
and ID-ing possible sleeper cells.  However D'Amuro says al-Qaeda
still has the capability to attack US interests.

Washington. STATE DEPT WARNS OF NEW TERROR THREAT!  The US State Dept
has warned that extreme Islamic groups may be planning terrorist
attacks against US citizens or interests in Kyrgyzstan.  In a public
announcement, the Dept has alerted Americans that radicals such as the
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan could be planning attacks.  The Dept
says US citizens are urged to consider their safety and security
before travelling to the Kyrgyz Republic.

Sydney. SADDAM MAY BE ALIVE: SMH!  The SMH says it may have evidence
Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein survived military strikes on Baghdad --
a tape he allegedly recorded just 2 days ago.  The newspaper reports
that it has an audio tape allegedly recorded by Saddam on Mon.  2 men
have the tape to the paper's staff in Baghdad after failing to
deliver it to correspondents for the Arab TV stn al-Jazeera.

Camp Bucca.  FEWER THAN 2,000 IRAQI POW'S REMAIN!  US officers say
fewer than 2,000 Iraqi POW's remain in a camp in S Iraq where 7,000
were detained during the war to oust Saddam Hussein, and the rest will
be freed soon. Around 150 prisoners were freed this morning and given
a packed meal and a few cigarettes before boarding buses to take them
home.  A further 50 were due to be freed later today, and the camp was
expected to be virtually empty within a wk.  The first batch of POW's
were released on Apr 27 and more have been freed eery day since then.

Jerusalem. SHARON SETS CONDITIONS FOR PEACE TALKS!  Israeli PM Ariel
Sharon says as a condition of peace talks with the Palestinians, they
must drop demands for the so-called "right of return" for refugees and
their descendants back to Israel.  Palestinians have charged that
Israel is trying to sabotage the new Mideast peace plan.  The demand
has cast a shadow over the "Road Map", which aims to put a stop to 31
m of bloody Middle E violence, leading to a peaceful resolution of the
Arab-Israeli conflict.

Washington. US AND SING SIGN TRADE DEAL!  US Pres Bush Jr and
Singapore's PM Goh Chok Tog have signed a FTA that will wipe out
tariffs and other trade barriers on about $A52 bn in annual trade.  If
approved by the US Congress, Sing will become the 5th nation to have a
duty-free arrangement with the US, and the first one in Asia.

Melbourne. AUSSIES STILL POPPING PILLS!  A new survey shows Aussie
continue to take health supplements -- incl brands affected by the
drug recall.  A nation-wide AC Nielsen survey of 1,400 people
published in The Age says 61% of respondents took Vitamins, herbs and
supplements.  77% of those are continuing their health routine, despite
the TGA's directive to stop taking the complementary medicines.

Canberra. GOVT TO SELL MEDICARD REFORMS!  Pressure is mounting on the
fed govt to better sell its $900 mn program to reform the national
health system, with 2 new polls showing many Aussies oppose the
changes.  Labor says it will soon unveil the first installment of its
own package to rescue Medicard, while nurses have urged govts to
consider other options.  Under the govt's proposed changes, doctors
would be paid incentives to bulk-bill poorer patients with health care
cards, but could charge others any fee they choose.

Washington. AUS 8TH ON WELL-BEING SCALE FOR MUMS!  A new study
comparing the well-being of mothers world-wide has ranked AUS 8th. The
study says Sweden, Denmark and Norway are the world's best countries
in which to be a mother, while women and their offspring fare worst in
poor African countries.  The index has considered 10 factors related
to women's and children's health, education and political status.
Scandinavia, Switzerland and Finland are ranked in the top 5 countries
respectively for mothers, followed by Canada, the Netherlands, AUS,
Austria, and the UK.

Canberra. GOVT GETS DESPERATE ON WATER!  The fed govt has called for
anyone with innovative ideas on how to save water in rural AUS to come
forward.  Ag Min Warren Truss says the ideas could incl renewing
infrastructure, improving extant technologies, recycling, and new mgt
systems.  Mr Truss says many parts of AUS are still gripped by
drought and new water saving ideas are needed.  A water saving
project has been set up and a panel of experts will assess the ideas
and refer them to a joint state and fed committee.

Melbourne. STORE GIVEAWAY ATTRACTS NATL INTEREST!  A man offering to
give away his general store in rural Vic, in a bid to keep open the
only shop in a tiny town, has been inundated with interest from around
the country.  Des Robertson, who offered his general store in Tempy in
NW Vic free to a good owner, says the response has been overwhelming.
He says he's received calls from Perth and remote opal mining areas
of SA, SYD and CBR.  Mr Robertson says the majority of the callers are
looking for a quiet life without hustle and bustle.

{{
ITS DAY FIFTY.

6 am
Saddam Hussein and family have been accused of stealing $US1.0 bn
before the war started.  The C bank is presently a burned-out shell
and presently under US guard.  But a good portion of the cash was
reportedly cleaned out the day before the bombs started landing.  The
withdrawal -- being called the largest theft of the last 100 y -- was
removed from the Iraqi C bank in 2 semi-trailers. The "raid" was
carried out by Qusay, with a letter signed from his father. The US
says the cash may have headed to Syria.

A truck found nr Mosul is being touted as the latest "proof" that Iraq
had an active bio- and chem- weapons program. Critics say the truck
dates back to the 80s, and was found in an area protected for the past
12 y by the US/Brit no-flight zone and the anti-Saddam Kurds.

It's feared missing radioactive material from Iraq could be used to
make a dirty bomb.  The IAEA says the material appears to have been
lotted from known storage sites. It calls on the US to be allowed to
survey the sites. Some Iraqis say they've found indications nr their
village that "yellow cake" and other material have been removed and
spilled on ground nr at least one village.  The Americans say the
areas are now secure.

Tony Abbott appears to be the only Min that supports the GG remaining
in office. Other snr Lib Party members and Mins are lining up to give
Hollingworth advice. Mostly on how to quit with dignity.  In London,
the PM visiting the Queen refused to comment on the controversy. 
Previously, he'd said there were "no grounds" to dismiss the GG.

10 am
The RBA has left int rates at 4.75% for the 11th m in a row. The US
Fed o'night also left their rates on hold at its 45-y low of 1.25%.
But it gave indications it may be prepared to drop them further next m.

A NASA investigator has revealed his favoured theory of what brought
the Columbia shuttle to grief. He says it may not have been foam
hitting the left wing on takeoff, but a fault in a seal between panels
on the left wing. The faulty seal allowed hot gasses to enter the
wing, causing a runaway catastrophe during re-entry.  Analysts say
it's absolutely vital for NASA to nail down the cause of the disaster
and fix it. At present, the US is relying on Russian technology to
keep the US in the space business.

The AUD has broken through the 64 US c barrier.  It peaked at 64.30,
its highest level since Jan 2000.  The US Fed said o'night the risks
in America "remain tilted on the down side", immediately causing a
down side in the USD.

Just as the AUD heads higher, the fed govt has kicked off a $7 mn
campaign to encourage Aussies to have a holiday at home.  The move
follows significant downturns in inbound tourism due to SARS and
terrorism fears.  Joe Hockey says most Aussies don't know what
fabulous deals are available in their own back yards.

The All Ords are up 17 pts in morning trade.

A building has collapsed at an RAAF base in CBR.  Fire crews are at
the scene. ABC TV says it believes the building is a hanger.
}}

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

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

All speling macroizated for correctitood by Mcrosotf Speelchek.

*** Please stand by for further orders from The Leader ***