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This European union sorta talked out of both sides of their mouths.
	-- Katie Couric, nbc "today" show, 19 Feb 2003

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Five Interesting Facts About Iraq.
1. Iraq is slightly more than twice the size of Idaho, or around 1/2
   mn US aircraft carriers.
2. Iraq has 57 km of coastline, or about the length of 300,000 Apache
   attack choppers laid end-to-end.
3. Iraq was once part of the Ottoman Empire. If the Ottoman Empire was
   turned into flour it would feed Iraqi children for 100 y. But
   Saddam refuses to do that, instead building palaces. If all the
   presidential palaces were turned into milk they would fill all the
   oil-wells of the Middle East for a fortnight. We have to stop
   Saddam getting to those wells before he does that.
4. Iraq has 35,000 sq km of irrigated land. This is equivalent to 300
   mn bottles of anthrax laid end-to-end.  So why weren't they on the
   weapons declaration?
5. Iraqis use 27.3 bn kWh of electricity pa. This is enough to power 1
   Star Wars missile system. So where has Saddam hidden it, and who is
   it pointed at?
-- Armando Iannucci [with a little subbing], 17 Feb 2003

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17 Feb 2003

Washington (NBC).  AS YOU WERE! The US Dept of Homeland Paranoia says
it may drop the threat level back to Yellow next wk after it turned
out some of the info that led to the latest 2 wk Agent Orange Alert
(uh oh... I'm having a FLASH BACK!) turned out to be based on a
student's web page.

Massive anti-war protests held nationwide
Polls show most Aussies against war
Melbourne (The Age).  The size of anti-war demos around AUS reflected
the feelings of most Aussies, a leading pollster said today.  While PM
John Howard suspected most Aussies were yet to make up their minds about
war on Iraq, Newspoll found most Aussies had been opposed for the past
6 m, Newspoll managing dir Sol Lebovic told ABC radio.  "These
kind of numbers [at demos] aren't that surprising given the polling
we've been doing, where we've found the majority of Aussies are
against involvement in war against Iraq without UN backing," Mr
Lebovic said.  "We also note from our polling that we are getting
large numbers of people who are strongly against our involvement, so
its the kind of intensity of feelings that do take people off on
weekends to march."  Polling had revealed public opinion had remained
constant for the past 6 m, he said.
Roy Morgan Research Group exec chairman Gary Morgan said Labor was
benefiting from the anti-war sentiment.  "There's obviously a lot of
people who don't want to go to war with Iraq," he said.  "Our latest
poll has the Labor Party in front 52.5 to 47.5, so it shows public
opinion is swinging behind the ALP at this time."

Canberra (ABC). HOWARD UNMOVED BY THE MOB!  The PM John Howard
believes most Aussies are still undecided about whether they support
military action against Iraq.  Mr Howard has refused to back down on
the threat of war despite 100s of 1000s of Aussies rallying against
it.  Aussies from all walks of life took the streets over the weekend
in demos against a possible war with Iraq.  The PM says he still
doesn't believe they represent the majority view.  Mr Howard told Ch 9
most Aussies realise the need to deal with Iraq.  "The one constant in
all the polls is that people think that Saddam Hussein has got
dangerous weapons. They don't believe him and they think something
ought to be done," he said.  "I don't think the mob, to use that
vernacular, has quite made up its mind on this issue and it can't
really make up its mind until we know what all the alternatives are."
The PM concedes the majority of Aussies would prefer the involvement
of the UN but he is still not ruling out acting in coalition with the
US and Great Britain should the UN Sec Council fail to draft a new res.
Opp'n leader Simon Crean maintains a UN mandate is the only option.
"This just isn't about the question of how we deal with the
disarmament if Iraq. It's how we deal with international conflict in
the future. Deal with it through the UN, not unilaterally," he said.
He says Mr Howard's references to protesters as "the mob" is
contemptuous.  "It goes to show how out of touch the PM is," he said.
"It also goes to show how inconsistent he is, when they're agreeing
with him they're mainstream, when they're against him they're the mob."

Las Vegas. AB! Attention Aussies world-wide!  Cross your sequins and
satin pants, Benny and Frida may be headed to AUS sometime soon.
While there's no plan for a reunion or tour, the 2 want to visit AUS
on hols and to see Mamma.  They've been in Vegas for the opening of
the show and were spotted reminiscing about the fans and their happy
time "Down Under".

Brown calls for referendum
Canberra (ABC).  Greens Sen Bob Brown has called for a referendum on
whether AUS should be involved in a war on Iraq.  Sen Brown says the
massive turnout of people at anti-war rallies across the country is
evidence John Howard doesn't have support for any AUS involvement.
Sen Brown says the issue of Iraq was not on the agenda at the time of
the last fed election.  "There are AUS lives at stake here as well the
lives of many innocent people in Iraq, and everybody in this country
ought to be given a say," he said.  "I mean if he can spend $15 mn
sending out a fridge magnet to everybody in the country, let him spend
the same amount sending out a ballot card to everyone in the country."
Labor however is not supporting the push for a plebiscite.

Canberra (Ch 7). THE DON'T ASK POLICY!  Following calls for a
referendum from Sen Bob Green, the fed govt has ruled out asking the
Australian people before going to war.  For Min Alex Downer has
rejected a call for a plebiscite.  Buoyed by the weekend's massive
anti-war demos, Sen Green said past govt's had asked the people about
wartime conscription [rejected] and even "Advance Australia Fair" as
the National Anthem [accepted], so it could easily ask whether or not
AUS should be involved in the attack on Iraq.  PM John Howard had said
the record demos over the weekend didn't indicate much about majority
feeling.  Sen Green maintains The Leader is "out of touch" with the
Australian people.

Downer rules out war plebiscite
Canberra (ABC).  The Foreign Min has ruled out the possibility of a
plebiscite on Iraq, and says he is confident the UN Sec Council will
pass a 2nd res permitting the use of force to disarm Saddam Hussein.
Greens Sen Bob Brown says the massive turnout at anti-war rallies
across the country on the weekend shows Aussies do not support a war
against Iraq.  He has called on the Govt to hold a referendum on
whether AUS should become involved in military action.  "There are AUS
lives at stake here as well the lives of many innocent people in Iraq,
and everybody in this country ought to be given a say," he said.  "I
mean if he can spend $15 mn sending out a fridge magnet to everybody
in the country, let him spend the same amount sending out a ballot
card to everyone in the country."
But Alex Downer says he will follow the normal procedure, which is
that the issue will be considered by Cabinet then debated in
Parliament.  "We've never had plebiscites on this matter, we had a
plebiscite, we had 2 plebiscites during the First World War on the
question of conscription, but we've never had plebiscites on these
sorts of questions," he said.  "In the end, the Govt has to make
decisions based on its best judgements of the national interest based
on the information that govt has available to it."
Labor is also not supporting the push for a plebiscite.

Canberra (ABC). COSTELLO'S WAR FOR PEACE!  Fed Treas Peter Costello
says war might be the only way to achieve lasting peace in Iraq.  Mr
Costello says the rallies show many people want peace but military
action might be the only way to achieve it.  "Whilst brutal dictators
still have the capacity to unleash biological and chemical weapons,
your long-term prospects for peace are not good," he said.  "So I
think a lot of people are saying they want peace and I thoroughly
agree that in both the short and the long term sense we ought to be
aiming for peace and you've got to keep both in mind."

Canberra (ABC). DOWNER'S PEACE PLAN FOR THE UN!  Foreign Affairs Min
Alex Downer doesn't believe the Sec Council will be split over a 2nd
UN res that may authorise force against Iraq.  Splits emerged in the
council last y while res 1441 was being debated and drafted.
Russia, France and Germany openly rejected US attempts to make the
council subscribe to the automatic use of force against Iraq.  Mr
Downer has told the ABC that a 2nd res will mean patience over weapon
inspections has run out.  "I don't think France, China and Russia
would veto a new resolution," he said.  "It will be a resolution that
basically articulated that 1441 has been breached and that Iraq is not
cooperating and complying with the Security Council Res 1441, and
further action has to be taken."

Sydney (ABC). PEACENIKS WARN GOVT!  The Fed Govt has been warned to
dismiss the peace movement at its peril.  Nick Everett from the Walk
against the War Coalition says Mr Howard and Mr Downer are out of step
with public opinion.  "The anti-war movement is snowballing both in
this country and around the world," he said.  "The evidence of this in
SYD is there are suburban groups now that have sprung up throughout
the city that helped make yesterday's rally such a fantastic success,
and my expectation is that this movement will continue to grow."

Melbourne (ABC). UNION PEACENIKS!  The ACTU is hopeful the massive
rallies against war with Iraq throughout the world over the weekend
will have some impact.  The trade union movement was instrumental in
organising the AUS rallies and has vowed to continue to work with
peace groups to apply pressure on world leaders.  It will launch a
global peace message in conjunction with unions from the US later this
wk and has promised more rallies if necessary.  ACTU pres Sharan
Burrow says she hopes people power will ultimately prevail.  "John
Howard, George Bush and Tony Blair are denying that the weekend's
message has any impact on their course of action," she said.  "But
you'd have to say that no leader is immune to public opinion, they
can't afford to be in a democracy, and if it just makes them a little
more cautious, then that would be a victory."

Canberra. BLUB, BLUB, BLUB! Australia's controversial Collins-class
submarines have been beached until investigators find out why at least
1 tonne of seawater burst in through a seawater hose, and flooded HMAS
Dechaineux while it was submerged. I suspect the NAME has something to
do with it! An AUS Def Force rep said the incident happened on Wed
when the boat was conducting "routine exercises" off Perth.  Crew
members were forced to implement flood procedures while the sub
re-surfaced and returned to HMAS Stirling under its own power. I like
it when Navy bases are named like ships!

Washington (ABC). US UNFAZED!  The White House says its urgency for
disarming Iraqi President Saddam Hussein has not wavered despite the
weekend's protests.  The US is considering putting a 2nd res on
Iraq before the UN Sec Council.  US national security advisor
Condoleezza Rice says the Bush admin is weighing another
res authorising force, although the final wording has not been
decided.  "We don't want a Sec Council resolution that somehow is a
delaying tactic," she said.  She says the White House has not been
dissuaded from action by the 100s of 1000s of people who protested
against war on the weekend, nor by last wk's divisive Sec Council
meeting.  "Everybody knows that war is a last resort but you need to
keep the pressure on Saddam Hussein," she said.  "It is fine to
protest, it is fine to have different views about what we should do
about Iraq, but we should not lose sight of who is in power in
Baghdad.  I don't understand how anyone can say the inspections are
working."  Dr Rice has repeated comments by US Sec of State Colin
Powell that Iraq has wks, not m, to disarm.

RSL condemns anthrax vaccine policy
Melbourne (ABC).  The RSL says the policy of sending home defence
personnel who refuse the anthrax vaccine is not sustainable and should
be reviewed.  The RSL's national pres, Maj Gen Peter
Phillips, is calling for the anthrax vaccine to be licensed for use in
AUS, allowing military commanders to order troops to be inoculated as
a condition of service.  However he says while the vaccine is a
necessary precaution the long-term health impacts are unclear.  Maj
Gen Phillips says there is some evidence of links to chronic
fatigue syndrome.  "I've met 4 of the Gulf War veterans who in my
view have some physical as well as psychological debility and I don't
think the jury is out [sic] on this overseas yet by any means," he said.

Fires burn more than 3 mn ha nation-wide.
Canberra (ABC).  This summer's bushfires have now burnt through more land
than ever before, destroying over 3 mn ha of bushland,
national forest and plantation timber across the country.  According
to the National Association of Forest Industries, this is more than
double the previous record set in 1939.  Executive dir Kate
Carnell says she's still pushing for a national inquiry into fire
management, particularly in national parks.  Mz Carnell doesn't expect
the fires to have much of an impact on timber prices in the short
term. "Remember that the timber industry of course isn't allowed to
salvage in national parks, so timber will just be left to rot on the
forest floors. In state forests and in plantations the industry will
go in and salvage what it can.  We see no change in price at this
stage although that could come in up to 12 m time."

Caracas. TAKEOVER!  Venezuelan Pres Hugo Chavez has threatened a
military takeover of factories and new controls on banks.  The Pres
says if any of his opponents even THINK about closing down food
processing factories the govt will take them over, so there!  He said
no-one can be allowed to threaten the people's food supply.  The Pres
is still trying to limit the effects of an oil strike that his
opponents will force him from power before the 1/2-way point in his
elected term.

Caracas. PEACE DEAL! Venezuela's govt and opp'n have agreed to an
anti-violence pact to lower tensions and curb harsh rhetoric that
often inflames their feud over the rule of Pres Hugo Chavez.  The
8-point resolution is the 1st firm development from 3 m of frustrating
talks guided by the Organisation of American States and backed more
recently by a 6-nation group led by the US.

Brussels. NATO! Military planners are beginning to work to improve
Turkey's defences after a m-long deadlock over pre-deployment for the
US-led strike on Iraq.  NATO Sec Gen George (if it's not Sottish it's
crap!) Robertson says solidarity has prevailed and member nations
remain ready to stand by an ally that may come under threat sometime
if some other ally thumbs their nose at the world and attacks someone
because that country's leader tried to kill the other country's
leaders' daddy.  Belgium, Germany and France initially vetoed moves to
deploy US missiles and other equipment to Turkey, to defend itself
from possible counter-attack from Iraq, because they said that would
imply NATO had accepted plans for the US to attack the Evil Regime of
Saddam Hussein.

NATO reaches Turkey deal
Brussels (ABC).  NATO has reached an accord on boosting Turkey's
defences in view of a possible Iraq war, ending a damaging rift on the
issue within the alliance.  "The solidarity of the Alliance has
prevailed," NATO secretary-general George Robertson said in announcing
the breakthrough.  Germany, France and Belgium said in a joint
declaration that the accord "does not in any way prejudge ongoing
efforts" to work within the framework of UN Res 1441 on Iraq.

NATO decides to help Turkey
Brussels (The Age).  NATO reached an accord tonight on boosting
Turkey's defences in view of a possible Iraq war, ending a damaging
rift on the issue within the alliance, NATO Sec-Gen George Robertson
announced.  "The solidarity of the Alliance has prevailed," Robertson
told a news conference.  Germany, France and Belgium immediately
issued a joint declaration stressing that the accord "doesn't in any
way prejudge ongoing efforts" to work within the framework of UN Sec
Council Res 1441 to reach a peaceful solution of the Iraqi crisis.
The trio have been blocking US proposals to give military support to
Turkey in the event of an Iraq war, arguing that NATO should not send
a wrong signal while diplomacy continues.
The NATO agreement was reached at around 11.30pm (0930 AEDT) during a
marathon meeting of NATO's 18-member Defence Planning Committee (DPC),
on which France doesn't sit. Paris withdrew from NATO's integrated
military command in 1966.  "I'm happy to announce that we have been
able collectively to overcome the impasse that we've faced for the
last few days," Robertson told the press conference.  "We agree on
substance, we agree on timing, and we agree on how to integrate our
collective solidarity with Turkey," he added.  "I can now confirm that
the 18 NATO allies ... agreed today to task military planners to begin
their work and to advise allies."  "This is not a step towards going
to war," he added.
In their joint statement afterwards, Germany, France and Belgium said
they agreed any alliance members wishing to do so could provide
"adequate measures" to boost Ankara's security.  They also said that
not all diplomatic routes have been exhausted in seeking to resolve
the Iraq crisis, affirming that war was a "last resort."  The three
"underline that the use of force can only be the last resort and that
not all options offered by res 1441 have, as yet, been fully
exploited," said the statement.

Brussels. THAT OLD EU! The Iraq debate that's split the West is
threatening to rear its head when EU leaders hold an emergency summit.
The Brussels meeting is likely to refocus attention on the rift
between those favouring diplomacy -- France, Germany and their allies
-- and those backing a US war -- Spain, the Czech Rep, and their
allies -- as the only means to rid Iraq of banned weapons.  Meanwhile,
Washington has hinted it will give diplomacy more time -- but not too
much more time.  Pres Bush's national security advisor, Condoleezza
Rice, in a series of interview, had left the door open for a compromise.

Seoul. DON'T WORRY, WE'RE JUST TRAINING ON YOUR DOORSTEP!  Officials
say US and S. Korean troops will start emergency "joint exercises" to
deter a threat from N. Korea amid tensions over the Stalinist nation's
nuclear program.  US authorities say the annual exercise -- from Mar 4
to Apr 2 -- are "purely defensive" and designed to "defend South
Korea" against "external aggression".  The drill will be in the
spotlight because of the continuing standoff over NK's program to
generate "peaceful electricity" around a complete nuclear fuel cycle.
In the following war of words, the US had until now been saying it had
no plans to invade the N.  In other reports, the NK on official radio
has declared it will win any nuclear war with the US because of NK's
strong military.

NY (NY Times). US CENSORSHIP!  More than 20 leading scientific
journals have agreed to self-censor articles they believe could
compromise national security, regardless of their scientific merit.
The policy, announced on Sat, is one of the 1st concrete steps to
emerge from a fierce debate over how to balance the ethics of
scientific openness with calls from some Govt officials for greater
secrecy after the anthrax attacks in 2001.  "We recognise that on
occasion an editor may conclude that the potential harm of publication
outweighs the potential societal benefits," reads a statement endorsed
by the journals' editors, as well as some scientists and Bush
Admin officials.  "Under such circumstances, the paper should
be modified or not be published."  The journals include Science and
Nature.

China poised to enter space race
Beijing (ABC).  CHINA TO THE MOON! China plans to send its 1st human
into space around Oct and has the ability to send astronauts to
the moon, reports said on Sun, citing space program officials.
"[Our] journalist got information from authoritative persons from
China's space program that China will launch as planned this autumn
the 1st manned spacecraft," the Beijing Star Daily said.  Unlike
China's previous spaceflights, which were unmanned, the manned flight
will have the number of instruments used for in-space experiments
reduced to make room for astronauts to conduct observation missions,
the report said.  Only 1 or 2 astronauts will be selected from a
pool of 14 trained astronauts to man the spacecraft, called Shenzhou
V, the paper quoted Zhang Houying, general dir of a department in
China's manned space program, as saying.  Top officials in the space
program have said the US space shuttle Columbia tragedy would not
affect China's plans and that China would forge ahead with its goal of
launching its 1st manned spacecraft this y.  With a successful manned
space flight, China would become only the 3rd country to send a human
into orbit following the former Soviet Union and the US.

Finding love ain't easy in workaholic Singapore
Singapore (ABC).  Almost half of Singaporeans do not have a love life
because of the pressures of work in the highly competitive city-state,
new survey results released today showed.  An online poll, timed for
release on Valentine's Day, showed 43% of Singaporeans feel that their
love life "doesn't exist", 26% think it could be better and
30% said it was going great.
In the poll 37% said they would have had a love life if they had less
work.  "Singaporeans are too busy at work to find love," the survey
said.  Singaporean males also fell short in the area of romance, with
48% saying they cannot define its meaning, while 47% are pragmatic but
still full of surprises, according to the survey.
Among Singaporean females a man's wit and humour far outweighed a
great body or a platinum credit card.  41% of female respondents chose
wit and humour as the quality they look for in a man, while only 7%
preferred a great body, 24% a credit card and 26% a big heart.
Asked to choose the most important romantic gift, 50% of
respondents picked "a simple kiss", compared to 22% for jewellery and
24% for roses.
Govt agencies and private businesses have declared Feb as "Romancing
Singapore" m in a bid to encourage people to fall in love, get married
and start families to reverse a falling birth rate.

Canberra. FREE TRADE WITH SINGAPORE!  AUS and Singapore have signed a
free trade agreement, with both countries expecting the deal to
strengthen their economic relationship.  The deal -- which is AUS's
2nd free trade agreement -- follows more than 2 y of negotiations.
AUS Trade Min Mark Vaile and his Sing counterpart, George Yeo, say the
deal will also help their efforts in the WTO to liberalise trade.

Canberra. NUCLEAR WAR THREATENS TRADE!  A research paper has found a
war on the Korean peninsula would drastically affect AUS exports to
the area.  The Parliamentary Library research paper says even if war
is averted, forced unification of N and S would hurts
Australia. Economies of scale mean reduced imports?  There are growing
fears over North Korea after the UN's IAEA last wk declared the
country in breach of UN nuclear safeguards.

Canberra. WHEAT SALES MAY BE FIRST VICTIM!  Aussie wheat farmers have
been warned they'll probably lose lucrative export contracts with Iraq
if AUS joins any US-led war.  Wheat is AUS's biggest trade commodity
with Iraq and is worth up to $800 mn pa. Alan Oxley, a former
Ambassador to GATT, says the trade will probably be lost if AUS joins
in an attack on Baghdad.  Mr Oxley, who chairs Monash Uni's APEC
justification centre, couldn't say if Iraq would be able to find
another wheat supplier.  Don't Worry, Al, when the US becomes the
Occupying Power the contract will go to struggling subsidised farmers
on the US wheat belt.

Canberra. ONE IS NEVER ENOUGH! Treas Peter Costello has welcomed an
upgrade of AUS's official currency rate to AAA.  Int'l ratings agency
S&P has just raised the rating from AA+.  It's a move set to warm the
Fed Govt, because both the US and UK have triple A ratings.  Mr
Costello says it means that if the govt wants to borrow a lot more
money, to pay for a war say, it can do so at cheaper rates.  However
he says the govt is repaying debts, not borrowing, at present.  He
says the good news is that Aussie-based multinational companies will
be able to borrow at better rates too, and the Aussie economy will be
stronger for it.  S&P said the upgrade was due to Australia's low
public debt and consistent surpluses.

Canberra (ABC).  FARMERS BEEF! The NFF is disappointed Japan is
pressing ahead with plans to increase beef tariffs.  Despite AUS Govt
lobbying, Japan wants to increase tariffs on beef imports from 38% to
50% citing a depressed market affected by the mad cow disease scare.
NFF national pres Peter Corish believes Japan's move is shortsighted.
"They are only going to likely have the benefit of this short-term
anyway because beef imports will hopefully continue to rise into Japan
now that the BSE scare is well and truly behind us," he said.  "So
they are really in our view playing a very short-sighted game here and
we'd call on them strongly to look at the long term and see some sense
in this."  Agforce says Japan's plan to dramatically increase beef
tariffs will not affect graziers in the short-term.  The pres of the
Cattle Council of AUS is meeting Agforce officials in Bris today to
discuss the issue.  Agforce rep Peter Kenny says the move will hurt
the industry in the long-term but at the moment producers have nothing
to worry about.  "Once this industry gets back on track, and if they
don't bring that tariff back to where it was, and I believe that maybe
they will by that stage, what it will do is put pressure on our
processing industry and it's going to be more difficult for our
processors to get that commodity into Japan."

Brisbane (ABC). QLD BEEF! The Qld Govt has called for PM John Howard
to personally intervene to try and have Japan reverse a decision to
increase tariffs on AUS beef.  The state's Primary Industries Min
Henry Palaszczuk discussed the issue with Fed Ag Min Warren Truss
during a meeting in Rockhampton about drought relief.  Mr Palaszczuk
says the tariff increase is an extra burden on beef producers at an
already difficult time.  "Then we have the rising AUS dollar and then
we have drought, and now flood," he said.  "All these things are
adding up to our producers woes. So I just think that at this time,
let's see some leadership, let's see the PM out there with the
Japanese Govt going head to head to see if he can help our producers."
Bloody Rocky farmers! If it ain't fires, it's bloody floods.  If it
ain't fire or floods it's the price of sushi in Tokyo!

Denver. WETHOUSE!  A scientist has warned that greenhouse gases will
raise the earth's temps by as much as 10 C by the end of the century
unless something is done.  Warren Washington (this MUST be a made-up
name!), of the US Nat'l Center for Atm Research, has used computer
models to plot global temp changes under expected greenhouse emissions
to 2100.  He says the changes predicted would melt polar ice, raising
the levels of the oceans and threatening coastal regions world-wide.

Canberra (ABC). GOVT URGED TO SIGN KYOTO!  The Fed Govt is again being
urged to change its position on the reduction of greenhouse gas
emissions and sign up to the Kyoto protocol.  A report sponsored by
the NSW, Vic and SA govts shows the cost to the local economy of not
ratifying the agreement is higher than what it would be if AUS commits
to the reduction targets within the treaty guidelines.  NSW Prem Bob
Carr says the Fed Govt is becoming increasingly isolated because of
its decision not to ratify the agreement.  "Business is changing its
view on Kyoto, I think business is far more enlightened than the Fed
Govt," he said.  "They see opportunities for investment in us being
part of this world trading system based on clean technologies. They
don't want AUS to miss out, they don't want AUS to stay aside from it."
The AUS Conservation Foundation says the release of a new report today
has revealed the economic cost to AUS of not signing the protocol.
The foundation's exec dir, Don Henry, says AUS and the US are the only
two developed countries who have not signed.  "I think now that this
report clearly shows that it's in our economic and environmental
interest to ratify," he said.  "One just has to assume our Fed Govt is
blindly following the anti-Kyoto stance of President Bush in the US."
A rep for Fed Environment Min David Kemp says the report will not
influence the Govt's position on the protocol.  She says the Fed Govt
believes the protocol is deeply flawed because it doesn't include many
developing countries, which are among the biggest polluters.

Brisbane (ABC). QLD WANTS MORE TIME!  The Qld Govt has rebuffed calls
to sign the Kyoto Protocol.  Last y Qld Prem Peter Beattie said the
situation was not that simple - today he says nothing has changed.
"It's easy to say sign up to Kyoto if you're not disadvantaged and I
know Bob Carr is a very committed environmentalist, and so am I, and
so is Steve Bracks but the 2 states that suffer as a result of it
are Qld and WA," he said.  "All I've asked for is time, I believe in
the long run we will comply with any Kyoto agreements."

Tokyo. JAPAN GROWTH! Japan's economy grew 2% in the qtr to Dec,
compared with a prev qtr, seasonally adjusted. As in other qtrs in
2002, growth was driven by strong exports and steady gains in consumer
spending and capital investment, which offset declines in new home
starts and govt spending. The string of 4 consecutive qtr expansions
may come to a halt this y if global growth stalls and the govt's
campaign to purge the financial system of non-performing loans gathers steam.

Sydney. MARKETS!  The All Ords closed up 25 pts to 2830. The AUD was
down to 59.60 US cents.  Oil increased it's upward trend to
$US36.58/bbl.  Gold was down to $345/oz.  Commonwealth Bank shares hit
a 3 y low, down 2%, after paying a 69 c div.  The fall followed news 3
more gen mgrs are to follow Cuffe to work for Packer.

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18 Feb 2003

Canberra. PM John Howard has ruled out a plebiscite on war with
Iraq. He also ruled out a conscience vote by Cabinet Ministers on the
issue.  Despite the massive turn-out at anti-war rallies over the
weekend, Mr Howard says he doesn't believe public opinion on the war
has settled yet. Along with For Min Alex Downer, he's dismissed calls
from Greens Sen Bob Brown for a plebiscite on committing Aussie troops
to war.  Mr Howard told Ch 9 the govt had been elected to govern.

NY. BLIZZARD OF 2003!  Wiping Iraq, NATO and President's Day off the
morning news shows, a fierce storm has dumped nearly 60 cm [some dolt
here said "600 cm"] of snow across the Ohio Valley and into the
mid-Atlantic states.  The deaths of 6 people have already been blamed
on blizzard [for Aussies -- 3 consecutive hrs with winds over 56 kph].
The weather shut down airports, snarled highways, and cancelled major
sporting events. But the kids are happy.  Where snow isn't piling up,
floods and mud-slides have created havoc. Even the Daytona 500 was cut
short by heavy rain in Fla. Governors of Kentucky, NJ, W Va, Maryland
and DE have declared states of emergency.  In Washington, what was
thought to be the heaviest falls in 80 y brought the city to a
standstill.  40,000 were left without power in C Kentucky when ice
brought down power lines. In NYC Mayor Bloomberg said budget cuts
wouldn't affect the streets and all 1,600 plows would be at work. Gov
Jimbo McGreevey told NJ-ers to keep the Hell off the highways and stay
home and read to their kids.  There's also a curfew in Maryland.

Saudi Arabia. WAR UNDERWAY!  Following peace demos over the weekend,
Saudi Arabia has publicly cautioned the US against unilateral action
against Iraq.  The Saudi For Min told the BBC that such action would
be seen as an "act of aggression" across the Middle East.  He said his
govt was hoping and urging the US to work through the UN.  Saudi
Arabia is a key ally of the US in the region.
Elsewhere, the first U2 spy mission hunting for WMD in Iraq flew for
4 hrs today.  Observers say Baghdad seems to be meeting key UN
demands. Poison shells left over from the 90s also continue to be destroyed.
Iraqi TV showed troops and tanks preparing for battle at an
undisclosed location.
The US was also preparing for battle.  In N Kuwait soldiers practised
to accept the surrender of 1000s of Iraqi conscripts, as happened in
the first Gulf War.  US planes were dropping leaflets across Iraq,
warning the people things are about to change.
Other reports say the war is already underway.  Not only are bombing
missions by US and UK warplanes are now a daily occurrence, CIA
operations are already proceeding in Iraq.  Commando teams are also
reportedly in Iraq's W desert, where they're looking for Saddam's
hidden Scuds.  The teams are dropped by choppers in darkness, stay for
a day or 2, plant equipment, scout forward bases, then leave.  Psych
operations are also proceeding, aimed at top Iraqi commanders.  The US
is sending them emails and also calling on their cell phones.  The
Iraqis are being urged to to overthrow Saddam.  The tactic is intended
to at least rattle those targeted.  The message is "we are watching
you and know who you are", said one US official.

Sydney. AUSSIE TARGETS! Israeli intelligence has passed on "specific
information" that Australia is a major terrorist target.  The
Australian newspaper quotes a snr Israeli security source as saying it
had info that terrorists linked with Al Qaeda will target Australia in
coming wks and m.  The sources says the terrorists find AUS easy to
enter and move money in.

Canberra. TERRORISM UNCHANGED!  Doing the rounds of the talkshows this
morning, PM John Howard is pleased his govt's lead over the Opp'n has
increased. But he was unfazed by the big hit to his approval since the
weekend peace demos.  Mr Howard went on to deny war in Iraq would
increase the liklihood of a terrorist attack in AUS.  While Alex
Downer elsewhere was warning that terrorists now had a "radiation
dispersal device", or dirty bomb, the PM denied AUS was any more
likely a terrorist target because of his govt's support of US military
action.  He said AUS was a target simply because it was a Western
nation.  Mr Howard argued that French and German citizens had died in
terrorist attacks, despite their govt's policy to settle the Iraq WMD
crisis peacefully.  "Supporting peace doesn't buy immunity", said Mr
Howard.

Melbourne. TERRORISM UP!  NZ PM Helen Clark says terrorism will flow
from any new Gulf war.  Speaking at an intl trade union womens' conf
in MEL, Clark said a war on Iraq would lead to widespread resentment
across the Middle East, and that would be a stimulus for terrorists.
She called for weapons inspectors to continue to carry on with the
task of disarming Iraq by peaceful means.

London. BLAIR SLUMP! A new opinion poll shows Brit PM Tony Blair's
popularity continues to slump amid continued concern over war with
Iraq.  The ICM survey for The Guardian shows only 35% of respondents
are satisfied with Blair's performance as PM, down from 49% in a poll
last m.  55% are dissatisfied, up 12 points from Jan.  Of those
surveyed, 52% oppose a war with Iraq under any conditions, up 5 points
from last m.

Canberra. GOVT SUPPORT UNCHANGED.  Newspoll has found there has been
no change in voting intentions despite huge peace protests across AUS
over the weekend.  The coal'n govt still maintain a healthy lead over
the opp'n.  The poll shows 42% (down 1 pt since Jan) of voters prefer
the Coal'n while only 36% (also down 1 pt) would vote for the Opp'n.
Mr Howard was judged best PM by 56% of voters, compared with 21% (down
2 pts) in favour of Simon Crean.  48% of voters approved of the job Mr
Howard was doing (down 8 pts), compared with 31% approving of Mr Crean
(down 4 pts).  The poll also found while 70% of Aussies were against a
war in Iraq, 70% would back a strike if sanctioned by the UN.  Happy
with the numbers, a determined Mr Howard said on morning TV he's doing
the right thing for AUS.  The PM said he isn't worried by peace
protests and will let Aussies decide at the next election whether they
support US military action against Iraq.  The Fed elections are due in
Nov 2004.  Mr Howard said demos don't show that most Aussies
disapprove of his backing for war in Iraq.  People don't demo against
the status quo, he said.  Except in France and Germany!  In Brussels,
Pres Chirac, buoyed by demos, says France is still against Iraq war,
there would be no 2nd UN res authorising force against Iraq, and if
there was, France would oppose it.

La Union. KA-BOOM! A huge rebel bomb has destroyed a village in
Colombia.  FARC geurillas left the bomb in the nicest house in La
Union last Dec, planning to detonate it by remote control whenever an
army patrol passed through the village.  However, the army was tipped
off. Unable to dis-arm the device, they cleared the village and
detonated it. No-one was hurt, but the village has been completely
destroyed.

Chicago. CHEM ATTACK! 21 people have been killed and at least 30
injured in a stampede at a Chicago nightclub.  Fire officials say
party-goers were crushed and suffocated in a stampede for the club's
only open exit after security staff used pepper spray to break up a
fight between 2 women.  The incident sparked panic and a rush for the
front door, with up to 1,500 people trying to get down a staircase
from the 1st floor dance venue to the exit on the ground floor.
Reports say other exits at the nightclub had been illegally chained
shut.  Police say they found 4 people suffering heart problems
struggling near one locked door.  Victims said many had succumbed to
the effects of the pepper spray which venue staff had used over the
"whole room" during the incident.  With the US on a heightened state
of alert, many patrons thought a chemical attack was underway.  The
venue also appears to have been crowded with more people than allowed
by its license. If it had one.  Officials say the nightclub should not
have even been operating.  It had been ordered shut down 7 m ago after
the owner had repeatedly breached fire safety rules. Officials
promised to "get to the bottom of it".

Sydney. POISON PLATYPUS! The excruciatingly painful poison of the cut
little Aussie platypus could prove a key to a new treatment for
chronic pain. Platipi are the only mammals to produce a venom, that
males can inject using spurs on their back legs during the mating
season. While rarely fatal to humans, its effects include a drop in
blood pressure, pain, and swelling that can last for m.  SYD
researchers have found the poison contains a range of interesting
chemicals that could lead to new treatments for high blood pressure,
as well as better pain-killers for conditions like cancer.

Seoul. ARSON ATTACK! Up to 10 people are feared dead and more are
trapped after a suspected arson attack on a subway train in the SE
city of Taegu. A fire dept official says firefighters are struggling
to get to passengers because of heavy smoke.  He told YTN the death
toll is likely to rise from smoke inhalation.  Another rescue official
says the fire appears to have been caused by arson. Later reports say
witnesses saw a man throw a flaming milk carton onto the train.  

Seoul (6 pm). TOLL RISES! At least 22 are dead and another 66 are
still missing after a subway fire in Taegu.  A man in his 40s has been
arrested.

Seoul (10 pm). AND RISES! Latest reports say 134 are dead in the
subway fire, with 99 still missing. 136 have been injured.  All major
hospitals in the city are full. A suspect described as a "mental
patient" is still being questioned by police.

Melbourne. ARSON ATTACKS!  Police say an arsonist who went on a
dangerous fire spree in MEL last night risked killing himself and
others.  The unknown arsonist set light to gas meters at 3 homes in
Reservoir in MEL's N early today, while families slept inside.  Up to
11 fires were started, causing more than $150,000 damage to playground
equipment, rubbish skips, fences and other property between 2 am and 4
am. Soon after, the arsonist used matches to set light to 3 gas mains
after pipes were severed at different homes. Police are warning the
firebug could strike again, and the Neighbourhood Watch has swung into
action to organise nighttime patrols.

Gaza City. SUSPECTS KILLED! Israeli undercover troops hidden in a
truckload of vegetables have ambushed and killed a suspected top Hamas
militant. They say the suspect shot first and was believed to be
plotting a bomb attack. Another group of soldiers has blown up a house
linked with a suspected Hamas bomb-maker, and shot 2 people dead in a
separate operation on the Gaza Strip. The military actions comes as
Israeli leaders pledge to crack down on Hamas, the militant Islamic
group that killed 4 soldiers in a weekend bombing of a tank in Gaza.

Seoul. NK CRISIS! North Korea has threatened to pull of the armistice
agreement that ended the Korean War, accusing the US of breaking the
terms of the truce. A Korean People's Army rep says in a statement
that if the US continues violating and misusing the armistice
agreement as it pleases, there will be no need for NK to remain bound by it.

Canberra. UN CRISIS! Australia's ambassador to the UN will today urge
the Sec Council to adopt a new Res allowing the use of force
against Iraq. For Min Alex Downer says John Dauth will emphasise the
importance of upholding international law and the credibility of the
UN. Mr Downer told ABC TV last night that civilian deaths in Iraq
would be kept to a minimum during any war, and that coalition forces
would attack targets of only military significance.  Meanwhile, in
Baghdad more peace activists have arrived and are organising
themselves, ready for any US-led attack on the city. TV reports showed
peaceniks arranging to move into or near the city's water supply
building, understood to be a target of military significance.

Brussels. EU CRISIS! Deeply divided EU leaders have met for crisis
talks to forge a common position on Iraq against the backdrop of mass
public hospitality to the US push to war.  The emergency summit was
called by the Union's Greek presidency after acrimonious rifts emerged
over how to handle the disarmament of Iraqi Pres Saddam Hussein,
threatening both European and trans-Atlantic unity.  However on the
eve of the summit, NATO has reached a last-ditch compromise to settle
a dispute on military preparation for a war.  Some NATO officials have
been quoted as saying the plan to protect Turkey has no link with a
possible war on Iraq.

EU Warns War Possible if No Cooperation
Brussels.  EU leaders have united to warn Iraq that UN arms
inspections could not go on indefinitely without Baghdad's cooperation
and declared for the first time that war could be the last resort.
But the 15 leaders, who have been bitterly divided over the Iraq
crisis, failed to agree on how much time Baghdad should be given to
rid itself of suspected WMD, saying the UN Sec Council should decide.
A joint statement issued after a 4 hr emergency summit said: "War is
not inevitable. Force should be used only as a last resort.  It is for
the Iraqi regime to end this crisis by complying with the demands of
the Security Council."
"Iraq has a final opportunity to resolve the crisis peacefully," the
leaders said.  They admitted peace protests over the weekend
had effected the timing of their decision.
Anti-war Germany went along with the statement even though Chancellor
Gerhard Schroeder has insisted Germany would not support or
participate in military action even if the Sec Council backed it.
The agreement restored a greater degree of unity than many
commentators had forecast after a m of feuding among EU leaders, with
rival statements and open letters, gleefully fuelled by Defence Sec
Donald Rumsfeld.  French Pres Jacques Chirac told reporters: "The
European mini-crisis has been overcome."  But he launched a stinging
attack on E European candidates for EU membership who had signed
pro-American open letters on Iraq, branding them reckless and
ungrateful, and saying they had "missed a great opportunity to shut up."
Diplomats said the EU's internal rifts could open again soon over the
timing of any military action, with govts under fierce pressure from
giant anti-war demos.  Not all was sweetness and light at the
summit. Britain and France continued to bicker over the need for and
timing of a 2nd UN Res that would declare Iraq had failed to
cooperate with the inspectors and faced serious consequences.  Chirac
said only the arms inspectors could determine when the process should
end, and France would oppose a 2nd UN Res at this stage to
authorise military action.  Brit PM Tony Blair said the issue was not
a 2nd Res but the disarmament of Iraq.
The EU statement also included an appeal to reinvigorate the peace
process in the Middle East, demanding an end to violence and to the
building of Israeli settlements in Palestinian areas.

Canberra. DROUGHT!  The Aussie farm sector is bracing for more bad
news, with new figures today expected to show a bigger-than-expected
fall in crop income because of on-going drought.  What record?  ABARE
will release its final crop forecasts for the y, with a focus on the
last 3 m.  Grain analysts are tipping the bureau will lower its
earlier pessimistic forecasts that the drought will slash crop exports
by 19%.

Canberra. CROPS DOWN!  Aussie crop production has fallen to a 20 y
low.  In new numbers released today, ABARE says the winter crop was
reduced to 15 mn t, 60% lower than last y.  The numbers show the
summer crop will be just as bad, a new record.  If we lose another
winter crop, say officials, it would be "disastrous" for regional AUS
and the whole country.  AUS is already importing stock feed.  This
report shows the situation is only set to get worse, and more
expensive.  Meanwhile, the Met says most E areas have a 50% chance of
significant Autumn rains.  But that may be too late for many, with
$bns in stock and crops already lost.

London. CAR TAX! The city's congestion tax came into force today, and
appears to be working. Although it was also a school holiday,
officials say the traffic volume seems to be down by around 20%. Under
the Congestion Charge scheme it costs around $A13 (5 pounds) to drive
into a 21 sq km zone between the hrs of 7 am and 6.30 pm. The zone
stretches from the financial district to Hyde Park.  The tax was
intended to cut congestion by 10 to 15%.  100s of cameras capture the
numberplates of cars driving into the city, and if payment hasn't
been received by the end of the day a $A208 (80 pounds) fine is
automatically posted out.  London Council will use 100% of the
estimated $800 mn pa revenue on public transport.

Canberra. HIGHER ED SHAKE-UP!  Fed Cabinet will today consider plans by
Ed Min Brendan Nelson to deregulate HECS fees.  Dr Nelson says the
plan will allow individual unis to apply a premium or discount on the
standard HECS course fees, within limits.  The National Tertiary Ed
Union says it's likely uni students will have to pay higher fees for
popular courses under the govt's higher education review.  The Fed
Govt has already moved to cut unpopular courses from universities,
with Dr Nelson saying he was amazed 40,000 Aussie students studied
subjects in "uncommercial" areas that saw as few as 4 students
enrolled in a given uni.

Canberra. DEBIT CARD FEES!  Consumers have been warned banks are set
to more than double fees for using EFTPOS terminals in shops.  The Aus
Retailers Assoc has slammed a plan by major banks to raise the charge
on merchants who offer EFTPOS from 17 to 37 centres per transaction.
The Association's policy mgr Stan Moore told ABC radio consumers will
end up paying more.  He also accused the banks of trying to recoup
some of the money they're likely to lose from new credit card reforms.
The Banks say the fee hike is due to the retailers. And, for once,
consumer groups agree.  The new fees will be levied by retailers,
following the removal of "inducements", worth $80 mn annually, banks
had used to get retailers to start using EFTPOS.  The subsidy was
recovered by banks with the old EFTPOS charge.  Consumer reps say
retailers are $mns ahead, and should now pass that on to consumers.

Beechworth.  FIXED TERMS! Victorians will re-elect a new govt on 25
Nov 2006.  Signalling significant changes to the state's 152-y
democratic system, Prem Steve Bracks says parliamentary reforms to be
presented later this m will give both houses of the Vic Parl fixed 4-y
terms. He says Victorians will vote for a govt on the last Sat in Nov
every 4 y.  The changes will require a state-wide referendum for approval.

Canberra. AUS HITS 20 MN!  Australia's population is edging closer to
20 mn.  The latest population estimate stands at 19,727,500 -- a 1.3%
increase on the prev y.  The ABS says the Sep 2002 figure is an
increase of 252,000 on the prev 12 m.  With the exception of the NT,
all states and the ACT are growing, with Qld topping the list with a
population increase of 2.3%.

Brisbane. NEW QLD AMB FEES!  Qld-ers will pay $88 pa for ambulance
cover through their electricity bills and a new scheme.  Prem Peter
Beattie was last y forced to reconsider imposing the levy through
council rates after opp'n from community groups and councils, who
refused to collect it.  The new level comes into force from Jul 1 and
will replace the voluntary scheme and ensure AUS-wide coverage.  Mr
Beattie says about 412,000 families who previously paid $98 pa will
save under the scheme.

Sydney. MARKETS!  The All Ords was flat today, with no leads from the
US because of a national holiday.  The main action locally was in the
banks.  Westpac lost more ground and is now the 4th largest of the Big
Four, down from Number 3 just a few months back.  New numbers show
imports were down 10% last m, mainly due to no new aircraft.  Gold was
higher at $US347.27/oz.  The AUD rose to 59.13 US cents.  Oil is
stable at $US36.58/bbl.

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19 Feb 2003

NY. BLIZZARD OF 2003! It's still snowing. 80 mn are affected.  People
are trying to get back to work.  28 deaths are now blamed on the
blizzard. Ripple effects are being seen to the W coast.  Forget the
trains, too. The cleanup bill is $20 mn for NYC alone.  Americans
pronounce it "War-wick".

Turkey (NBC).  US ARRIVES IN TURKEY! 3,500 American soldiers have
arrived in Turkey to upgrade the country's defences ahead of a
possible counter-attack from Iraq.  The US wants to deploy 10,000
troops there prior to a strike on Iraq.  its co-operation as a launch
base.  The Turkish govt wants a multi bn dollar aid package in
exchange for allowing US bases in the country.

Whitehouse (NBC).  BUSH STRATEGY! Following ructions at the UN, EU and
NATO, the Bush Admin must probably wait until next wk before it can
put up a UN resolution authorising force against Iraq.  Pres Bush
reportedly understands he has more work ahead to establish a
presentable coal'n for war.
In what observers describe as a "PR counter-offensive", the US Pres
will meet this wk with diplomats supporting his stand.  Spanish Pres
Aznar is due in Washington mid-wk.  Latvia's leader, 1 of 10 European
leaders backing Pres Bush, will also arrive later in the wk.
Diplomats from Lithuania will also talk with the Pres.  The US needs 9
out of 15 members of the Sec Council to pass any resolution.  But the
biggest wildcard is France, with its veto power.  Pres Chirac has
promised to oppose any motion authorising war.  US officials say it
could take weeks to get a new resolution through, even if there is
support for it.
The focus now for Pres Bush will be on setting new tests for Saddam to
pass, to help shore up int'l support.  NY Times writer Thomas Friedman
said the strategy for the Whitehouse would be to show Saddam can't get
over some very simple hurdles. This would help cajole other nations
into supporting the US position.  Mr Friedman indicated the coal'n of
Latvia, Lithuania and Spain wasn't credible enough.
It's also noted the Whitehouse is now for the first time talking about
the risks of war.  Admin officials say they're worrying that rogue
groups might get hold of Iraqi chem or bio weapons before they are
secured by US forces.  Mr Friedman reminded NBC viewers the other big
problem for the US is Iraq blowing up its oil fields at the time
Venezuelan oil production is down. A price of $US80/bbl was mentioned
half-jokingly.

Taegu. SUBWAY BLAZE! Officials in the SE Korean city say a 56 yo man
with a history of mental illness is suspected of starting a blaze on a
subway train at the end of the morning rush hr.  The exact toll still
remains unclear, with latest reports saying "more than 230" were
killed, with dozens still missing.  Reports are still conflicting on
how the fire started.  One witness says the suspect set fire to
flammable liquid in a plastic milk carton and threw it onto the train
as the doors were closing.  Another says he was playing with a lighter
and a fire started during a scuffle with another passenger who had
asked him to stop.  Officials say a 2nd train pulled into the stn just
as the blaze took hold. Up to 600 people may have been trapped by the
quickly-developing blaze.  Still on Orange Alert, US commentators
worry what loss of life even a single non-terrorist can cause.

Bali.  OFFICIAL TOLL! Officials in Bali have confirmed the final death
toll from the Oct bombings is 202.  Victims came from 21 countries.
The death toll included 88 Australians.  3 bodies could not be ID-ed.

Washington. BUSH IGNORES WORLD OPINION!  US Pres George Bush says he
won't be deterred by global protests against war with Iraq.  He says
he disagrees with those who doubt that Iraqi Pres Saddam is a threat
to peace.  Mr Bush says he doesn't need a 2nd UN res to authorise
military action in Iraq.  Saddam couldn't care less about the 1st one,
the Pres said. The Pres said war was his last option, but doing
nothing was an even worse option. Yeah!

Washington. MORE US TROOPS!  The US Def Dept has ordered 28,000 more
troops to the Gulf, building a military force more than 200,000 for a
possible war with Iraq.  Military officials say the US now has 182,000
troops in and nr the Gulf in case Pres Bush orders an invasion of
Iraq.  10s of 1000s more troops are heading toward the region in
coming wks.

Durham, NC (NBC).  TRANSPLANT DISASTER! A 17 yo heart lung transplant
patient is near death today after a hospital slip-up gave her organs
with the wrong blood type.  Medical officials say there is little
chance of anything being done in time to save the young woman's life,
and she could die at any moment.  An investigation is proceeding into
how the mis-match could have occurred.

London. BLAIR WARNS OF US UNILATERALISM!  Amid plunging personal
approval, PM Blair says supporting military action in Iraq is the
"right thing to do".  Having failed to convince Brits that Iraq poses
a threat to the world, Mr Blair again stressed Baghdad's bad human
rights record.  The people that would celebrate most if Saddam was
removed from office would be the Iraqi people, the PM said.  An Iraqi
defector confirmed that.  Addressing peaceniks, the PM argued the
longer Saddam is in power, the more innocent Iraqis would suffer.  Mr
Blair said Saddam had been ignoring world opinion and the UN for 12 y.
Sounds familiar!  In apparent disagreement with the Whitehouse, the PM
says he wants a 2nd resolution before action goes ahead.  He also
urged the world to get behind America so it would be less likely to
ignore world opinion next time.  Unless the world supported the US
position now, Mr Blair said, what chance would there be of preventing
the US from unilateral action in the future? I don't know whether
Blair screens these things before he says them.

NY. AUS TO SUPPORT 2ND RES!  Australia's ambassador to the UN, John
Dauth, is set to speak to the UN Sec Council in support of a 2nd
Resolution that would authorise "any action" the US deems necessary to
disarm Iraq of WMD.  Apparently "special arrangements" have to be made
for the address because AUS is not currently a member of the Council.
Observers say AUS will declare Iraq in breach of 1441 and will urge
the Council to define the "serious consequences" mentioned in the 1st
Res.  They say AUS will argue the new Res should set a 2 wk time limit
for Iraq to disarm voluntarily.  Mr Dauth told Ch 7 the Sec Council
will become a "toothless tiger" unless it takes strong action against
Baghdad.  The US is likely to present a new Res tomorrow.

NY (midday). JUST FOLLOWING ORDERS! Australia's ambassador to the UN
has used an address to the Sec Council to urge quick and decisive
action on Iraq. In a 7-min speech, John Dauth told the Council Saddam
Hussein's record of deception meant he didn't deserve the benefit of
the doubt.  He urged the Council to move quickly on a 2nd Resolution
giving the US the right to use military force.  Mr Dauth was the only
speaker in the first dozen to appear to give outright support for
military action.

Canberra. THE AUSSIE MALE!  Maintaining the stereotype, a new study
finds young men smoke and drink too much. They're also the least
likely Aussies to visit a doctor.  The study by the Australian Inst of
Health and Welfare in Syn Uni has found 1/3 men aged 18 to 24 smoke
every day.  It also found 3% of men aged 15 to 35 are [other] drug
abusers.  However, young Aussie men only visit a doctor when they have
a specific injury or infection, and don't give their GP much
opportunity for health assessment and education.

NY.  MARKETS! Wall St is in positive mood after the holiday, with the
Dow closing up 97 pts to 8002. The Nasdaq was up 24 pts.

Washington. HACKER!  A computer hacker has accessed 8 mn Visa and
Mastercard accounts in the US in one of the largest security breaches
in the companies' history.  A Mastercard rep says 2.2 mn registered to
the company may have been compromised.  She says it's still not clear
if the intrusion came from inside the US or from O/S.  A statement
from Mastercard International says the problem was discovered early
this m after a database of 3rd-party merchant processors in the US was
breached.

NY (9 am). STORM DEATHS!  At least 37 deaths have now been blamed on
the snow storms that have also stalled mn's of commuters in the US NE.
More than 1/4 mn homes and businesses are reportedly without power.

Gaza. AMBUSH!  Israeli soldiers have battled gunmen during a raid into
the Gaza stronghold of the militant Islamic Jihad.  Witnesses say a
firefight erupted as about a dozen Israeli tanks rumbled several
hundred m into the Shajaiyeh neighbourhood E of Gaza City.  Israeli
helicopter gunships fired missiles but it's not clear what targets
were hit.  The Israeli army has stepped up offensives since 4 soldiers
were killed in a roadside bombing last wk.

Melbourne.  THE FIRE STILL BURNS! Fire crews are continuing to battle
a blaze in Vic's high country that's destroyed more than 1 mn ha.  The
vast S edge of the Bogong bushfire is still burning and authorities
say it'll take decent rainfall to put it out. The fires have razed
more than 40 homes and blackened over 1 mn ha of park and forest since
they were sparked by lightning 42 days ago.

Canberra. DERAILMENTS! A new rail safety report says NSW has recorded
the largest number of train derailments in the country. The numbers
from the Aus Transp Safety Bureau shows there were 47 derailments in
NSW in the past 12 m.  Over the same period there were 43 train or
tram derailments in Vic, 21 in Qld, 18 in SA and WA, and 12 in
Tas. The NT had none.  The US records dozens of major and minor
derailments a day, worrying greenies because so much radioactive
material, poison gas, acid, and other dangerous substances are
transported by rail.

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

(*) 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.

*** FILL OUT THOSE FRIDGE MAGNETS PEOPLE! ***