From the World-Wide Resourses of the Western Australia Reserch Senter(*) OIL THE NEWS THAT FITS MY VIEWS #45 =============================== In the Run-Up to World War III, Reliably Reporting the News Relevant to Extreme Right-Wing Democratic Socialists Everywhere (validated for RiteThink(tm) by the Office of Our Man in Can-berra). Visit Our Home Page At: http://www.chickenhead.com/loserscopes/ See the Undeniable Evidence At: http://www.evil-doers.org/evidence This Stuff Blogged At: http://kymhorsell.blogspot.com/ Also Kindly Archived At: http://www.kymhorsell.com/OIL/ Iraqi Body Count: http://www.iraqbodycount.net/ [3,760+ as at 14 May 2003]. ------------------------------------------------------------ Selecting latest news stories and other data for you... ------------------------------------------------------------ Fri, 16 May 2003. Economic data grim news for Germany, US Markets 9 die in Marseille fire Cigarette to blame for lethal train fire: Indian PM Israeli troops kill 5th Palestinian in Gaza Man goes on killing spree in Germany: Police US Forces Arrest 260 in Iraq Raid US gives ground on Iraq sanctions draft Bremer vows to wipe out Baath remnants Former Rwandan minister never to be released from jail Indonesia swoops on rebels bound for peace talks Indonesia talks peace, prepares for war in Aceh 2 charged over Cole attack Japan backs Aust moves on Nth Korea's illicit trade Taiwan doctor dies of SARS US underestimated vets' radiation doses: study Study: lowest-level radiation is more damaging than thought Buddha's bones on display to public ALP, Coalition both trying to save Medicare: PM Greens pay tribute to Crean's Murray stance Melbourne shrugs off fog shroud Petrol leak at Shell refinery Fed Govt says public hospitals not its job Obesity epidemic Qld land cleaning moratorium Continuous war news Economic data grim news for Germany, US Sydney. There has been a flurry of economic data released overnight in the US and Europe, with some of the numbers carrying particular significance for the markets. Out of Washington has come a read on wholesale inflation. The Producer Price Index for Apr has plunged 1.9%, its biggest monthly decline on record. While it might be good news for consumers, as manufacturers pass on lower costs to finished products, it has also elicited concerns about deflation, especially after deflation was mentioned as a risk in the US Fed Reserve's latest monetary policy statement. At the same time, a confidence index produced by the Philadelphia Fed Reserve has dropped again this month. The weak US figures, helped the AUD attain its highs for the night of 64.77 US cents. But then GDP figures for Germany and Italy upset the apple cart, both negative for the latest quarter. That has refocused speculation on possible interest rate cuts from the European Central Bank. The euro dived around one US cent as a result and the AUS currency shot under 64 US cents to the low for the night of 63.93. At 8.20 am it was being quoted at 64.07 US cents, still down more than 0.33 of a cent since yesterday's local close. Trade on the NY Stock Exchange has now closed, with the DJIA up 65 points at 8,713. The high-tech NASDAQ composite index has finished 16 points higher at 1,551. There has also been a rebound on the Brit sharemarket, taking overall price levels to their highest point this y. London's FT-100 index has added 36 points to 4,011. Yesterday, the AUS market moved modestly lower again. AMP shares wobbled around as the company held its annual general meeting before finishing unchanged at $5.07. The All Ordinaries Index lost 12 points to 2,931. The gold price was at $US352 an ounce. W Texas crude oil was at $US28.57 a barrel. Sydney (close). MARKETS! The ASX ground today but late buying interest in AMP helped the financial services business into territory above $5. The All Ords lost 7 pts to end the session at 2,924. Paris. 9 DIE IN MARSEILLE FIRE! Firefighters have recovered another body from the debris of a fire which swept through a hotel in the French port city of Marseille, bringing the death toll to 9. The fire broke out overnight on Wed in the hotel that mainly houses immigrants from Morocco and Romania. It started on the 4th floor, where 3 people were trapped and killed, then quickly spread to the 5th floor and roof. Firefighters used ladders to evacuated 30 of the guests. Cigarette to blame for lethal train fire: Indian PM Delhi. Indian PM Atal Behari Vajpayee says initial investigations indicate a burning cigarette caused the fire on a train that killed at least 38 people yesterday. Expressing grief over the tragedy the PM, who is on a week-long vacation in the summer resort of Manali, ruled out any sabotage behind the fire that engulfed 3 rear coaches of the Frontier Mail. A full investigation has now been launched over the accident. It was India's worst train fire since 59 people died last y when a suspected Muslim mob torched a train carrying Hindu pilgrims in the western state of Gujarat, triggering Hindu-Muslim riots. India has one of the world's largest railway networks, carrying more than 13 mn passengers daily. Last m a railway advisory body recommended a massive upgrade of track, bridges and signals to bring down the high number of rail accidents. Israeli troops kill 5th Palestinian in Gaza Gaza. Israeli troops killed another Palestinian during a raid in Beit Hanun, raising the toll to 5 for its incursion into the N Gaza Strip, Palestinian medical sources say. The sources say Abdelqader Abu Kas, 17, was shot by Israelis who had re-occupied the town at dawn. The deaths bring to 3,234 the number of people killed since the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation broke out in Sep 2000, including 2,443 Palestinians and 731 Israelis, according to an AFP count. Man goes on killing spree in Germany: Police Ludwigshafen. A 69-yo man in Germany has shot dead 2 doctors and apparently his wife before killing himself in the SW town of Ludwigshafen. Police say they do not know the motive for the killings. They say the Italian-born man had walked into a surgery, asked to speak to a doctor, then shot and killed him with several rounds fired from a large-calibre pistol. He then drove to another surgery, asked to see the doctor there, entered his room, and fired several shots at him, injuring him so critically that he died later in hospital. Police gave chase and managed to halt his car, but they say the man shot and killed himself before they could arrest him. The man's 71-yo wife was later found shot dead in their apartment. US Forces Arrest 260 in Iraq Raid Ad-Dawr (AP). Heavily armed US Army forces stormed into a village nr the N city of Tikrit before dawn Thu, seizing more than 260 prisoners, including one man on the most-wanted list of former Iraqi officials. US troops encountered no resistance during the 5-hr sweep, officers said. About 230 of those detained were being released later in the day, the military said. Elsewhere, soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division shot and wounded a looter in Mosul after being fired upon, US military officials said. The shooting came a day after military officials, who had been criticised about the continued lawlessness in Iraq, denied issuing a shoot-on-sight policy against looters. Also Thu, new US civilian administrator L Paul Bremer held his 1st news conference, saying American forces are working hard to improve security and promising to fight remnants of Saddam Hussein's regime. He said 300 criminals have been arrested around the country this wk. In Umm Qasr, Brit forces formally turned over control of the port city to a civilian govt, the 1st such hand-over since the war ended. Tikrit is Saddam Hussein's hometown, and the region around it is a hotbed of Baath Party supporters. US officials said one of those arrested Thu was on the "top 55" list but did not give the suspect's name. 5 Iraqi special security forces officers also were caught in the raid -- including 2 army generals and a general from Saddam's security forces who had disguised himself as a shepherd. Cmdrs for the 1st Brigade had been planning the raid, dubbed "Operation Planet X," for a wk after receiving a tip the men were living in the area. About 2 am Thu, US troops formed a cordon around the outer perimeter of a nine-block area. The military operation involved more than 500 soldiers, who sealed off the village and went from house to house. About 200 houses and outlying buildings were searched before the sweep ended at 7 a.m. None of the targets was identified. It was not immediately clear whether another top official also on the most-wanted list had been among those rounded up. No one reportedly shot at US forces during the manoeuvre. Among the 200 people taken into custody were some teenage boys and elderly men. Each was zip-cuffed -- had their hands tied with plastic -- and ordered to sit or kneel on the roads outside their homes. Many were kept in custody outside a large mansion with high walls. 18 Bradley fighting vehicles, 12 Howitzers and 35 armoured Humvees secured the area as forces moved in. Six boats patrolled the nearby Tigris River during the manoeuvre, and Apache helicopters hovered. 17 bricks of plastic explosive were seized from one house, military officials said, and one man was apprehended in a sniper's perch toting an AK-47 assault rifle. A large stack of brand-new Iraqi currency was found at another house, the military said. At another, a soldier emerged carrying a camouflage military uniform top. 2 explosions were heard after the raid from an area close to the village. Military officials said they believed they were mortar rounds but the blasts caused no damage. Patrols had been discreetly combing the streets of the village to gather intel, while a drone surveillance aircraft has been providing up-to-date photographs and real-time video of the area for two days. A cmdr said the raids should make clear to people in areas around Tikrit what they should do. "If they don't want their lives disrupted, they can just tell us where the bad guys are," he said. "Because it's our job to find them, one way or another." US gives ground on Iraq sanctions draft NY. A new US-drafted res on lifting UN sanctions against Baghdad gives the UN a slightly more defined role in post-war Iraq but does not change basic Bush administration demands. Nevertheless, Russian envoys who had strong criticisms have welcomed it as a step in the right direction and a sign of willingness to negotiate by the US and Brit, who want a vote next week. The US says it has moved significantly. But the new draft still gives Washington and London broad powers to decide how to spend Iraq's oil wealth for reconstruction, with an internat'l advisory board that has few powers. It calls for oil revenues, now under UN control, to be put into a Development Fund for Iraq instead of the previously named Iraqi Assistance Fund. But the advisory board no longer can choose auditors, only approve them. The new draft suggests Iraq's debt to govts should be resolved by such internat'l institutions as the Paris Club, a 19-nation grouping that restructures emerging countries' debt. The US says this is intended to make clear it will not be adjudicating over Iraq's debt. The draft still forbids any claims against Iraq's oil revenues from private firms until a permanent, UN-recognised govt is established. The US says details on phasing out the current UN oil-for-food plan to ease the impact of sanctions are still under discussions. On the role of the UN, some language is strengthened although precise duties are still unclear. Countering objections that a political coordinator UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan is asked to appoint would be subordinate to the US and Brit, the resolution allows him or her to report to the internat'l advisory board. The UN has a seat on this board along with the World Bank and IMF. New also is that the UN coordinator would report to the Sec Council regularly on the implementation of the resolution. The main purpose of the resolution is to lift sanctions as soon as possible so that Iraq can use its oil revenues to rebuild its shattered war-torn economy. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder says the sanctions have become unnecessary and should be lifted. Mr Schroeder will hold talks with US Sec of State Colin Powell later today. Without UN action to lift the 12-yo sanctions, the US and Brit would be in a legal no man's land in Iraq, with many companies unwilling to engage in trade and Iraq's oil exports open to lawsuits. Bremer vows to wipe out Baath remnants Baghdad. Iraq's new US administrator has vowed to boost security in the country and wipe out the remains of Saddam Hussein's regime. Paul Bremer has made the comments at his 1st media conference in Baghdad since taking over the much-criticised US administration. He has pledged to bring back law and order and assured Iraqis that Saddam's once dreaded Baath Party is gone forever. "We have and will aggressively move to seek to identify these people and remove them from office," Mr Bremer said. "We have hunted down and will continue to deal with those members of the old regime who are sabotaging the country and the coalition's efforts. "We will ensure that representations of Saddam Hussein and other Baathist symbols are removed systematically from public display." Former Rwandan minister never to be released from jail Amsterdam. A former Rwandan govt minister has been ordered to spend the rest of his life in jail for his role in the 1994 genocide in the central African country. The former info minister, Eliezer Niyitegeka, has been convicted of committing crimes against humanity. The Internat'l Criminal Tribunal found that Niyitegeka orchestrated and took part in the killing of 1000s of ethnic Tutsi civilians in W Rwanda. The tribunal was told that the disgraced former minister ordered the castration and decapitation of a local business leader, before calling for the slaughter of other Tutsis in Apr 1994. He was arrested in 1999 and has been on trial since June 2002. The 50-yo is one of the most high profile members of the former Rwandan govt to be sentenced for taking part in the bloodshed. The tribunal has also sentenced a former mayor to 25 y in jail for his role in the genocide. Laurent Semanza has been found guilty of complicity to commit genocide and crimes against humanity, including rape, torture, murder and extermination. Indonesia swoops on rebels bound for peace talks Jakarta (AFP). Indonesian police have detained 5 Aceh separatist rebel representatives as they left their hotel for peace talks in Tokyo. A witness has told the AFP news agency that police arrested the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) envoys just 50 metres from their Banda Aceh hotel. The witness says the envoys were taken to police headquarters in the provincial capital. The representatives were headed to Tokyo for peace talks with the Jakarta Govt. The talks are seen as the last chance to avert a return to all-out war in the province. It is not clear how long the 5 will be held or whether their departure for Tokyo will be delayed. AFP reports the move appears to be a local police initiative and not a decision by the central govt. Local detective chief Surya Darma, speaking on ElShinta radio, said the 5 men were "obligated to report to me" if they wanted to leave the city. An aide to top security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono described the move as "somewhat inappropriate". US Pres George W Bush and the European Union have welcomed the decision to hold the talks in Tokyo in a last-ditch effort to save a peace pact. Yesterday, Mr Bush praised Indonesian Pres Megawati Sukarnoputri "for her willingness to go the extra mile in pursuit of peace". Indonesia talks peace, prepares for war in Aceh Jakarta. Indonesian Pres Megawati Sukarnoputri says her Govt is still preparing for a military offensive in Aceh, despite last-ditch talks in Tokyo this weekend to end the separatist war in the province. Pres Megawati has made the comment after meeting parliamentary leaders who said they would support military action. Separatist rebels said they would attend the talks soon after the Govt gave them a new deadline to salvage a Dec peace pact that had promised to end a conflict that has killed more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians. But Pres Megawati has admitted she is employing a double-edged strategy by talking peace and preparing for war. 2 charged over Cole attack Yemen. 2 men have been charged in relation to the 2000 terrorist attack on the USS Cole, which killed 17 American sailors. 2 men, both citizens of Yemen, have been charged with 50 terrorism offences. But both suspects remain at large, after escaping from a Yemeni prison where they were being held. US A-G John Ashcroft says the US is working overtime to capture the fugitives. The indictment against the men alleges that Osama bin Laden's directives to kill Americans motivated the USS Cole attack. Japan backs Aust moves on Nth Korea's illicit trade Tokyo. The Japanese Govt has welcomed AUS proposals for a crackdown on N Korea's illicit exports. AUS For Min Alex Downer spent yesterday holding talks with his Japanese counterpart and other senior officials. He told them the internat'l community should do more to crack down on N Korea's illicit exports. It is estimated Pyongyang earns $100s mns pa from the sale of ballistic missiles and illegal drugs. Taiwan doctor dies of SARS Taipei. A 28-yo man in Taiwan has become the 1st doctor on the island to die from SARS. Taiwanese authorities have announced his death as they struggle to prevent new outbreaks of the virus among health workers. Lin Chung-wei was a doctor at the heavily infected Taipei Municipal Hoping Hospital. He is believed to have caught SARS from a patient in mid-Apr. He was among 5 deaths reported in Taiwan yesterday. In total, 34 people have died from SARS on the island. There have been 264 infections. The cmdr of Taiwan's nat'l anti-SARS task force says the country's focus is fighting against hospital infections. A hospital yesterday was forced to shut its emergency and outpatient services. 3 other hospitals have closed or quarantined patients and staff because of SARS. Taiwan has appealed for observer status at the WHO, saying it needs info that could save lives. The deputy director of Taiwan's Centre for Disease Control has said it is a tragedy the island is not getting input from the WHO. Taiwan was ousted from the UN in 1971 and replaced by China. Repeated bids to obtain observer status with the WHO have been refused under political pressure from China, which says Taiwan is not a sovereign state. Only China and HK have more infections and deaths. China has announced it might execute SARS patients whose actions are deemed to have caused the deadly flu-like disease to spread. China is the epicentre of the SARS outbreak and has recorded 5,163 cumulative cases and 271 deaths. Yesterday the country reported 52 new infections -- the lowest daily number since the govt admitted in late Apr to covering up the epidemic. The country's latest measure to combat the outbreak is its most drastic. China's judiciary says that under infectious diseases laws SARS patients who violate quarantine restrictions could face execution or life imprisonment. With SARS now biting into the country's development, authorities seem willing to do whatever it takes to stop the outbreak. Meanwhile Brit has confirmed its 1st case of SARS. Brit's Health Protection Agency says the patient has recovered and has not passed on the infection. The agency has not released any personal details about the patient, but says no further public health action is required. Brit has 3 more possible SARS cases, while 4 others have been discounted. US underestimated vets' radiation doses: study Washington (Reuters), 15 May 2003. US military veterans involved in nuclear weapons tests from the 1940s to 1960s were probably exposed to more radiation than the govt has estimated, although not enough to merit compensation, a report issued on Thu said. Some of the highest doses were probably underestimated by as much as two or 3 times, the report from the Nat'l Research Council, one of the Nat'l Academies of Science, said. But that does not mean the exposures caused cancer in the veterans, it said. "The committee hopes that veterans will understand that their radiation exposure probably did not cause their cancer in most cases," the report reads. Nonetheless, it recommended that the Dept of Defence revise its reconstructions of the doses that certain groups were exposed to. "The veterans have legitimate complaints about their radiation dose reconstructions," said John Till, president of Risk Assessment Corporation of Neeses, S Carolina, who chaired the committee. The US conducted about 200 above-ground nuclear-weapons tests between 1945 and 1962. Many times troops were part of the experiments or nearby. The Defence Threat Reduction Agency later worried about the health of these men and women and started a review. But records were not always carefully kept and many participants did not wear radiation detectors, or the badges were lost. So the agency had to reconstruct and estimate how much radiation they were exposed to for use in evaluating claims by the veterans as they have aged and developed health problems. Congress asked a committee of experts, including cancer researchers and radiation specialists, to review 99 individual dose reconstructions for military personnel. The veterans were either involved in nuclear weapons tests, prisoners of war in Japan when Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed or stationed in Japan after World War II. The committee found that while the methods used to estimate average doses are generally valid, upper-bound doses are often underestimated. However, except for exposure to beta radiation, which may cause skin cancer, the committee did not find that very many more veterans would be able to successfully claim compensation. Study: lowest-level radiation is more damaging than thought Austria (USA TODAY), 8 May 2003. Radiation may damage living cells at surprisingly low energy levels, challenging scientific beliefs about the levels of radiation likely to prove deadly. The study by a team of European researchers found unexpected molecular reactions to low-energy radiation that suggests it may play a greater role in causing cancers than originally thought. It also suggests a possible new route for cancer treatments. Although ultraviolet rays in sunlight are known to cause skin cancer, the health effects of other low-energy, or "non-ionising," radiation from cellphones or electrical wires is a controversial subject. High-energy radiation, as in X-rays, that damages cells by "ionising," or electrically exciting, molecules is a well-established cause of cancer. In Wed's Physical Review Letters journal, physicists led by Tilmann Maerk of Austria's University of Innsbruck describe experiments on the effects of low-power radiation on chemicals found in RNA, the "helper" molecules that cells use to carry out genetic instructions. Using a beam of radiation lower in energy than that used in any previously reported experiments -- about 1,000 times weaker than the dangerous ultra-violet radiation in sunlight and far lower than the level at which damage was thought to occur in cells -- the team discovered fragmentation in the RNA parts. Not strong enough to electrify the molecules, the beam instead triggered secondary effects that splintered the molecules in a quick chain reaction. Maerk called the damage "a big surprise." The research team told Physics News Update, an Internet publication of the American Institute of Physics, that the same low-energy beam disrupts a constituent molecule of DNA, the repository of genes in cells. "This work challenges current models of how ionising radiation damages cellular material and thus how (the cell) might be treated," says biological physics expert Nigel Mason of London's Open University. The chain reaction may target particular sites in cells for destruction, he says, suggesting a way of using low-energy radiation to kill tumour cells. Doctors already use high-energy radiation to kill tumours, but a low-energy dose would not have the same harmful side effects. "The standard view in radiation biology is that most, although not all, effects of consequence for human health are produced by ionising radiation," making the finding particularly surprising, says health physicist Marco Zaider of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Zaider notes the radiation from cellphones and computer screens is much lower energy than the radiation described in the report. The next step is to work with the molecules in water solutions to better mimic behaviour in cells. Buddha's bones on display to public Patna. The bones of Buddha will go on public display in the NE Indian city of Patna from today, the anniversary of his birth 2,600 y ago. Museum director Madhuri Aggrawal says visitors to the Patna Museum will pay 100 rupees (about $3) for the privilege of being able to view the priceless Buddhist relic in a specially designed room. In the past, tourists could view the bones only after obtaining special permission, which involved a long and complicated procedure. The museum authorities have been reluctant to display the priceless bones, fearing theft or destruction. The Buddha bones were briefly opened for public view on Jan 12 this y on the occasion of the Tibetan Kalchakra Puja, which attracted hordes of visitors. The bones were found during the 1958-1962 excavation by noted archaeologist AS Altekar of a Buddhist monastery at Vaishaligarh, 35 km from Patna, capital of the Bihar state. "The bones of Lord Buddha were found in a casket made of a stone along with a gold plate, zinc coin and glass beads," Ms Aggrawal said. The bones have been authenticated by archaeologists. Various Buddhist organisations have objected to the keeping of the heritage in the museum and have instead proposed the creation of a special memorial in the Mahaboddhi Temple, at Bodhgaya -- also in Bihar - where the Buddha gained enlightenment. The Bihar govt has however ruled that the museum is the safest place to store the relic. "The state govt has taken a decision to keep the (bones) in the museum considering its historical and religious importance," said state Tourism Min Ashok Kumar Singh. ALP, Coalition both trying to save Medicare: PM Canberra. The PM says both the Govt and the Opp'n are trying to save Medicare. John Howard has criticised some aspects of Labor's $1.9 bn plan to turn around the decline in the number of GPs who bulk-bill their patients. He says it is ridiculous that Labor will not allow doctors to electronically claim the rebate from the Govt, so patients do not have to make their own trip to the Medicare office. But he has told S Cross radio both the Govt's and the Opp'n's Medicare plans are built on providing incentives to GPs. "Neither of us is trying to destroy Medicare," Mr Howard said. "We're putting more money into Medicare, we're providing more incentives for doctors to bulk-bill, we're going about it in a different way." Greens pay tribute to Crean's Murray stance Canberra. Greens Sen Bob Brown has paid tribute to Labor leader Simon Crean for his commitment to the Murray River. Mr Crean says if Labor is elected to govt, it will commit $150 million to restoring water flows to keep the mouth of the Murray open. Sen Brown says Mr Crean has managed to put the environment back on the agenda. "You've got to give it the marks because people will come in behind it," he said. "Millions of Aussies will have had a little feeling of relief from their exasperation from politicians." Melbourne shrugs off fog shroud Melbourne. Thick fog which shut down MEL airport this morning is lifting. But some domestic flight departures are still facing delays. The heavy blanket of fog which covered MEL caused several internat'l and domestic flights to divert to SYD or Adel. Airport management says planes can now land and take off and flight schedules are returning to normal. But Virgin Blue's David Huttner says there is still a bit of a backlog. "It is getting a lot better than it was, it was a tough morning. The fog came down on the airport and literally shut down operations for the entire airport for a bit of time this morning and it has had a bit of an impact," he said. "I know our staff are trying really hard to get everyone out as quickly as possible." The fog has also caused problems on roads. Ambulance paramedics are warning motorists to take extra care after being called out to numerous accidents this morning. Melbourne. PETROL LEAK AT SHELL REFINERY! Leaking petrol mixed with hydrofluoric acid caused emergency services to rush to a MEL fuel refinery this morning. The leak was noticed at Shell's Corio fuel refinery SW of the city at about 9.15 am. A Shell rep says the leak was in a pipeline carrying petrol mixed with a small amount of hydrofluoric acid used as a catalyst. She says only a small amount of liquid was lost and the leak has now been contained. Canberra. FED GOVT SAYS PUBLIC HOSPITALS NOT ITS JOB! PM Howard says revenue from the GST combined with fed govt funding gives the states enough money to properly fund public hospitals. He rejects state govt claims that hospitals are clogged with aged people because the fed govt doesn't properly fund aged care. He told Perth radio 6PR the states received "every last cent" if the GST but state Prem's never ack it's effectively a growth tax they're receiving. Adelaide. OBESITY EPIDEMIC! Increasing numbers of obese and overweight pre-schoolers has raised alarm that wight problems occur at a much younger age than previously thought. New research -- believed to be the first of its type in the world -- shows 19% of boys aged 4 and 5, and 22% of girls of the same age, are classified as overweight or obese. Researchers at SA's Child and Youth Help expected only about 9% of children would fit into those categories. Brisbane. QLD LAND CLEANING MORATORIUM! Qld has declared an immediate moratorium on all new land clearing applications -- as the state and fed govts move closer on a compensation deal for farmers. Qld has the highest land clearing rate in the country, but has hit an impasse with the fed govt over who should fund compensation. The package on the table is believed to be in the region of $100 mn, but Qld Prem Peter Beattie has refused to give details. {{ Continuous war news Midnight. Late Wed, a V Corps soldier was grazed by a gunshot after responding to gunfire at a Mosul bus station, the US military says. The gunman, who also wounded 2 Iraqi civilians, fled, military officials said. The soldier was able to return to duty. US forces on the Tigris River north of Tikrit fired a warning flare at a boat after it was seen being loaded early Thu with cases of unidentified materials. The Americans said they came under fire from the boat and fired back, killing everyone on the vessel. In Mosul, a group of looters fired on 101st Airborne Assault Division soldiers early Thu, US military officials said. Soldiers returned fire, in accordance with the rules of engagement, wounding one of the looters; 4 others escaped, it said. The soldiers sustained no casualties. Lt Gen David McKiernan, cmdr of US ground forces, says coalition forces would begin arresting people possessing or selling firearms. He said the new administrators of Iraq will soon decree a set of laws aimed at re-establishing law and order throughout the nation. 10s of 1000s of firearms, ranging from pistols and revolvers to Kalashnikov assault rifles, were distributed by Saddam's govt to close supporters in the run-up to the war. Many people purchased guns as the war approached, and 1000s more guns were looted from abandoned armouries in the aftermath of the regime's collapse. 5 pm NY went on alert today after a large low-flying aircraft over Manhattan had the natives fearing a repeat of 9/11. It turned out to be a military jet. The military has apologised for causing panic. 11 pm Terrorism threats have been expanded world-wide. Kenyan seaports have now been incl in the areas Westerners should avoid. In Saudi Arabia, officials are on alert in Riyadh just 3 days after a series of suicide bombings that killed dozens. It's believed terrorists there are planning further attacks against US and other Western interests. As a squabble between Kim Beazley and Simon Crean is renewed -- spoiling the launch of the Opp'n health plan -- bulk billing rates have fallen to a new low. Only 68% of doctors now participate in the scheme that sees patients visiting a doctor without out-of-pocket expenses. }} ---------------------------------------- Sat, 17 May 2003. Markets US report raises threat of deflation At least 20 dead in Casablanca bomb attacks 24 killed in Moroccan bombings 20 killed in bus crash: France Battle in Congo continues Ransom paid for tourist release Iran denies terror links Saudi Arabia defends anti-terror efforts, admits mistake More terror alerts FBI delegates gather for Gold Coast conference West on edge amid spike in Al Qaeda terror "chatter" Brit says clear terror threat in E Africa Kenya claims specific terror threat against Brit aircraft Bush starts re-election campaign Vietnam repatriates remains AI investigating torture claims US prisoners arrive in Cuba US forces capture Baath Party chairman US offers cash for Iraqis to identify Baath hard-liners PM welcomes more Aussie troops Iraqis refuse to return antiquities More conflict brewing at UN over Iraq Germany, US move to make up after Iraq war Germany undecided over Iraq draft resolution North Korea may be training hackers N Korea aide defects over drug-trafficking attempt: report Taiwan's Health Min offers resignation over SARS WHO considers taking Singapore off SARS list WHO finds reason for "super spreader" appts 4 more SARS deaths SARS blamed for low wool prices CSIRO urges vigilance after rust fungus escape Japan expects Aceh peace talks to go ahead Miami-bound stowaways take round-trip to Colombia Slovaks vote on joining enlarged EU Afghanistan's plight chills Cannes Top Palestinian Peace Negotiator Resigns Peace talks in Mideast Bali survivors still waiting for help Bali survivors gather in MEL Indonesian invasion Pak moves toward segregation in sport Land-clearing bill could be $bns Fed Govt challenges Murray restoration plan Bulk-billing falls to new low More flooding in NSW Continuous war news NY. MARKETS! The Dow closed down 34 pts to 8,689. With the USD declining against the euro, gold was up at $US354.50/oz. In London, the FTSE closed up 38 pts to 4,049. In Germany, the Dax ended almost unchanged despite more bad news there. Yesterday, the Nikkei closed almost even, with the Hang Seng down 33 pts to 9,093. US report raises threat of deflation Washington. In a US Govt report likely to fan fears of deflation, a sharp drop in energy costs has helped pull consumer prices down in Apr, but even without volatile energy costs, prices have remain unchanged. The Labour Dept says the Consumer Price Index, the most popular gauge of US inflation, fell 0.3% last month. However the so-called core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices is unchanged for the 2nd consecutive month. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the CPI to dip 0.1%, with the core index up 0.2%. It is the 1st time since 2 back-to-back declines in late 1982 the core CPI had not risen in any 2-m period. Core inflation has slowed sharply so far this y, advancing at just a 0.6% annual rate after increasing 1.9% last y. In the 12-months to Apr, the core CPI was up just 1.5%, its smallest 12-month advance since March 1966. The figures come after the US Fed Reserve warned in a meeting last week that the economy faces a small risk of an "unwelcome substantial fall in inflation." Analysts had said that any further sharp slowing would probably raise the odds of the central bank lowering interest rates again to ward off any chance of prices falling for a sustained period. Energy prices, which had risen sharply for 3 straight months, slid 4.6 per cent in Apr, the biggest decline since Nov 2001. The price of gasoline fell 8.3% and fuel oil costs plummeted 14.9 per cent, the sharpest drop since Feb 1990. The tumble in energy prices reflected the drop in the cost of oil since late-Feb highs as concerns eased over the possibility of a war-related disruption in supplies. At least 20 dead in Casablanca bomb attacks Casablanca. At least 20 people have been killed in 4 separate bomb attacks in the commercial capital of Casablanca, Morocco's state news agency says. Jewish, Spanish and, apparently, Belgian targets were also struck, the official agency MAP said. 3 of the blasts were car bombs. 2 policemen and a security guard at a Spanish cultural centre were among the dead. "There are body parts all over the place," a Moroccan journalist told the BBC, describing an eyewitness account from the Spanish cultural centre. The blasts follow attacks by suicide bombers using vehicles at expatriate housing compounds in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on Mon in which 34 people died and warnings that Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda group was poised to strike again. Al Qaeda, blamed by Washington for the Sep 11 attacks, is seen as making a speciality of coordinated assaults. Against the background of a worldwide terror alert, the car bombs hit the Belgian consulate, a Jewish community centre and the Hotel Safir, located in the old heart of the city centre. Moroccan journalists at the scene said the car bomb nr the Belgian consulate may actually have been aimed at a nearby Jewish restaurant. They said 8 people were believed dead at the hotel. A 4th bomb, which was apparently not in a car, exploded nr the Spanish cultural centre. Spain, a former colonial power in Morocco, has had fraught relations with the kingdom of late. 3 suspects were arrested, MAP said, giving no details. Casablanca lies on the Atlantic coast about 95 km SW of the capital Rabat. In May and June last y, Morocco arrested 3 Saudis and 7 Moroccans suspected of links to Al Qaeda for allegedly plotting to attack US and Brit warships crossing the Gibraltar Strait, and carry out "terrorist" attacks against tourist sites in Morocco. In Aug last y, the authorities, who keep tight control over Islamist activity in the kingdom, arrested 30 radical Islamists for allegedly killing of several Moroccans. London. 24 KILLED IN MOROCCAN BOMBINGS! Morocco's Int Min Al Mustapha Sahel says 24 people -- most of them Morrocan -- have been killed and 60 others wounded in 5 bomb blasts in the commercial capital, Casablanca. Moroccan TV "2M" quoted the minister as saying it's believed last night's attacks were carried out by people affiliated with internat'l terrorist groups. [10 suicide bombers died in the co-ordinated attacks on the restaurant distract, Jewish targets and the Belgian consulate. 3 of the blasts happened within 30 mins around 9.30 pm local time. The Moroccan govt says it's arrested 3 other suspects in connection with the attacks. The King had warned before GWII that conflict in Iraq could stir up Islamic fundamentalists in his country]. Lyon. 20 KILLED IN BUS CRASH: FRANCE! At least 20 people have been killed in France after a German tour bus overturned on a highway. Officials say another 40 passengers were injured. The accident N of the city of Lyon happened early today when the bus ran off the highway and turned over on the side of the road. Bunia. BATTLE IN CONGO CONTINUES! Sporadic gunfire echoes through the hills around a troubled NE Congo town, hrs after rival factions agreed to stop fighting. The ceased-fire deal between the rival Hema and Lendu tribes went into effect late yesterday, but it's unclear how long it will [not?] last. 1000s of frightened residents are still seeking refuge at a UN compound in Bunia and at a UN-controlled airport on its outskirts. The UNSC yesterday demanded an end to the killings in Congo. Paris. RANSOM PAID FOR TOURIST RELEASE! French radio says the release of 17 European tourists held in Algeria's Sahara desert for up to 3 m was not the result of attacks by the army -- but linked to a ransom payment of $several mn. Radio France Internat'le quotes authorised Algerian and Swiss sources as saying there was no assault, and fewer victims that reported earlier when the 10 Austrians, 6 Germans and 1 Swiss nat'l were freed on Tue. On Wed, the Algerian army said it had launched a raid on a hideout near Tamanrasset where 17 European trekkers where being held. Tehran. IRAN DENIES TERROR LINKS! Iran has denied it's backing terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda or is developing nuclear weapons. Whitehouse Nat'l Security Adv Connie Rice says the US has raised alarm of Iran's WMD program over a "long period of time". US Sec of Def Don Rumsfeld says there are still countries harbouring terrorists and there are snr al-Qaeda members in Iran. Saudi Arabia defends anti-terror efforts, admits mistake Riyadh. Saudi Arabia has defended its efforts to combat terrorism in the face of US criticism over the Riyadh suicide attacks. Saudi Arabia's foreign policy rep, Adel Al-Jubeir, called the bombings a "massive jolt" to Saudi Arabia and the US. Mr Jubeir said there was unprecedented level of cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the US in counter-terrorism activities. However he also admitted responsibility for failure to prevent the attacks. "Have we failed? Yes," Mr Jubeir said. "On Mon we failed, and we will learn from this mistake. "We will ensure that it doesn't happen again." Nairobi. MORE TERROR ALERTS! Terrorist alerts have spread around the world amid suspicion of new al-Qaeda operations. But countries with touristy hot-spots have accused Brit of over-reacting and the US of being afraid of its own shadow. The terrorist alerts, incl a Brit ban on air travel in and out of Kenya, follow suicide bombings in Saudi Arabia on Mon that killed 34, incl 8 Americans. OBL's al-Qaeda has been blamed, despite a current lack of evidence. FBI delegates gather for Gold Coast conference Brisbane. Concerns about increased terrorist activity in SE Asia are not expected to deter delegates from an FBI conference, which opens on Qld's Gold Coast this weekend. 400 delegates from throughout AUS, SE Asia, the US and the UK are expected to attend the 5-day conference to discuss the latest strategies in dealing with terrorism and internat'l crime. The Dept of Foreign Affairs has has issued reviewed travel advice for Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, East Timor and Indonesia. However, Supt Paul Stewart of the conference organising committee says that is not expected to impact on delegate numbers. West on edge amid spike in Al Qaeda terror "chatter" Washington. Alarmed by a huge increase in intercepted communications indicating that Al Qaeda-related terrorist attacks may be imminent, W countries have put their citizens on alert in the Middle East, East Africa and SE Asia. AUS, the US, and Brit, which have stepped up their intelligence cooperation since the Sep 11, 2001 attacks in NY and Washington, have issued a flurry of terrorism warnings in recent days. Other nations, such as Germany and Denmark, have followed suit. The fears have been made all the more real by Mon's triple suicide bombings in Saudi Arabia, blamed on Al Qaeda, which killed 34 people at compounds housing W nat'ls, officials say. "There has been a definite increase in chatter over the past couple of weeks," said one US official, referring to intercepted telephone and email conversations and interrogations of terror suspects by intelligence agencies. "We are very concerned about possible attacks," a 2nd US official said. "I don't know if I could characterise them as 'imminent' in the sense of the next hour or day, but there are a lot of signs that something or some things are being planned and are coming, coming soon." The officials said the intercepts were coming not only from suspected Al Qaeda operatives but also from people believed to be affiliated with the network who either operate on their own or as part of a group that shares Osama bin Laden's anti-West agenda. Since the beginning of this month, the US State Dept has released reg'l terrorism alerts covering the Middle East, N Africa, the Gulf and E Africa to supplement an Apr 21 global warning. Over the same time, the dept has issued country-specific alerts for Saudi Arabia, where it has ordered all non-essential diplomats and the families of all embassy and consulate personnel to leave, as well as for Kenya and Malaysia. And the US embassies in Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia have put out so-called "warden notices" alerting Americans to the danger. On May 9, the embassy in Dar es Salaam said extremist Muslim groups might mark this week's anniversary of the birth of the prophet Mohammed with terrorist attacks. The latest warden notice, issued by the US consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, warned of an unverified but specific threat against the al-Hamra neighbourhood in the Red Sea port city. The Brit Foreign Office also said there was a "clear terrorist threat" in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda, a day after it suspended all commercial flights to Kenya. The flight suspension after the State Dept warned of terrorist attacks in East Africa generally and Kenya specifically. Kenyan authorities called the move "extreme" but said they had info that a man indicted for the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam that killed 235 is at large and plotting an attack. AUS also boosted its travel warnings for countries throughout SE Asia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, E Timor, Singapore and Brunei, saying the perpetrators of last y's bombing on the Indonesian resort island of Bali retained the ability to stage further attacks. CBR's move came after Washington on Wed issued a new terror alert for Malaysia, particularly the state of Sabah, where it said members of the banned Al Qaeda-linked group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) were still active. JI is believed to have been behind the Bali attack, which killed 202 people, including 88 Aussies. The 1st suspect in the bombing went on trial in Bali this wk as AUS issued an updated alert for Indonesia. Brit says clear terror threat in E Africa London. Brit, which has banned flights by its airlines to and from Kenya, has warned its citizens of a "clear terrorist threat" in 6 neighbouring E African countries. An FO statement said new advice covering Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda would warn that each is "one of a number of countries in E Africa where there is a clear terrorist threat. The bomb attack in Riyadh on 12 May shows that the terrorist threat remains real." On Thu the Foreign Office warned citizens against non-essential travel to Kenya and the Dept of Transport told Brit airlines not to fly there. Kenya claims specific terror threat against Brit aircraft Kenya. The Kenyan Govt says it has received specific info about a potential terrorist attack against BA aircraft. Govt officials say Al Qaeda terrorists are planning a strike against Brit interests in Kenya. Kenyan Security Min Chris Murungaru says he has received intel reports of a possible attack against Brit Airways flights to Nairobi. Mr Murungaru says security has been increased at the capital's Jomo Kenyatta Internat'l Airport. The announcement came only a day after Kenyan officials criticised Brit for banning flights to and from Kenya. But Tourism Min Raphael Tuju says the Kenyan Govt received specific warnings about a potential attack on Thu. Terrorists have carried out 3 large operations in Kenya in the past 5 y. In 1998 more than 200 people were killed when explosives were detonated at the US Embassy in Nairobi. Washington. BUSH STARTS RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN! With little fanfare, US Pres Bush Jr has made the first moves in his race for a record-breaking 2nd term in the world's top job. Bush has filed legal documents that will allow him to raise campaign money and organise his re-election bid. Bush is being hailed by Americans for leading the war on terrorism. But, like his father before him, Bush Jr is facing questions about the management of the US economy. Bush hopes to use the remainder of his term to portray himself as above the political fray, while a group of 9 Democrats begin to duke it out for their party's nomination. Hanoi. VIETNAM REPATRIATES REMAINS! The remains of 282 Vietnamese soldiers killed in neighbouring Cambodia have been repatriated and buried in a cemetery in S Vietnam. An official of the An Giang prov'l military command says the latest remains were buried yesterday in the border district of Tinh Bien. He says Vietnamese teams uncovered the remains in the Cambodian prov's of Kandal, Takeo and Kongpong Chnang over the past 2 m. Vietnam sent its soldiers to help the Cambodian fight the French in the early 1950s and again to battle the US during the Vietnam conflict. London. AI INVESTIGATING TORTURE CLAIMS! Amnesty Internat'l says it's investigating claims that Brit and US troops in Iraq tortured POW's. The human rights organisation says it's gathered statements from 20 former detainees who say they were kicked and beaten by soldiers while being interrogated. Amnesty says some were civilians detained on suspicion of being Iraqi militias. One Saudi nat'l claimed he was tortured with electric shocks. San Juan. US PRISONERS ARRIVE IN CUBA! About 30 people accused by America of terrorism have been transferred to its detention camp in Cuba. A US military rep said the latest arrivals bring the number of people being held outside the US legal system in Guantanamo Bay, the US naval base at Cuba's E tip, to "about 680". None of the detainees have been charged with any crime, and many have been detained for more than 12 m. Since the detention began in Jan 2002, there have been 25 suicide attempts by 17 detainees at the camp. The US military are reportedly using "stress" techniques in an attempt to extract intel from the prisoners, which the US insists are outside the rules of the Geneva Conventions as well as the US Constitution. US forces capture Baath Party chairman Baghdad. American forces in Iraq have captured another member of Iraq's most wanted, a former Baath Party Chairman from central Iraq. Adil Abdallah Mahdi al-Duri al-Tikriti was taken into custody in a military operation nr Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. He is the 22nd of 55 wanted senior officials from Saddam Hussein's govt to be captured by American forces. US offers cash for Iraqis to identify Baath hard-liners Baghdad. US officials in Iraq will be offering cash rewards to Iraqis who identify hard-line members of the former ruling Baath Party. The new civil administrator in Iraq, Paul Bremer, says the coalition is determined to rid the country of Saddam Hussein's power base. He has already announced a ban from today on senior party members joining any future govt. It is thought up to 30,000 Saddam loyalists will be excluded from govt jobs. Perth. PM WELCOMES MORE AUSSIE TROOPS! 2,000 people have braved rainy weather in Fremantle to join PM Hoard in welcoming home seamen returning home from the Gulf. HMAS Anzac and HMAS Darwin braved fierce storms o'night to sail into Freo so their crews could meet their loved ones for the first time since they were deployed in Oct 2002. Greeting the Darwin's capt as he disembarked, Mr Howard said he's glad to see the crew return unscathed. Iraqis refuse to return antiquities Baghdad (AP). 1000s of antiquities missing from Iraq's Nat'l Museum have been found but not returned because Iraqi citizens won't hand them over to either their American occupiers or remnants of the hated former govt, US investigators say. The investigators are trying to recover an unknown number of artefacts looted from the museum after the fall of Baghdad. Museum staff have refused to reveal where they hid treasures for safekeeping before the war, chief investigator Col Matthew Bogdanos said. He said early estimates that 170,000 artefacts were looted were exaggerated. Bogdanos' 3-week-old investigation has so far recovered 951 stolen items. Some were brought in under a no-questions-asked amnesty, while others were found in raids, he said. More than 47,000 other items have been located but remain with Iraqis, including museum staff working with the Bogdanos investigation, who refuse to hand them over. "The investigation ... uncovered the existence of a secret storage location that has been used by the staff since 1990," Bogdanos said. "They won't divulge the place until the US leaves and there is a new govt." But they have promised investigators an inventory of the items stored there. Elsewhere, a "neighbourhood watch" is guarding 300 boxes containing 1000s of precious manuscripts and books museum staff moved into a bunker before the war, Bogdanos said. US forces agreed to that arrangement after community leaders said they didn't want to return them to museum staff they associated with former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's fallen govt. Iraq's prized collection held ancient artworks from the Assyrian, Sumerian and Babylonian cultures. The 951 recovered items include one of the oldest known bronze relief bowls, one of the earliest known Sumerian statues and an Assyrian statue from the 9th century BC. Perhaps the most valuable item missing is a white limestone votive bowl from Sumerian times, commonly called the Sacred Vase of Warka, Bogdanos said. Some of the stolen items have already started appearing on the internat'l art market and at least one piece thought to have come from the museum was seized at an American airport, FBI officials have said. Investigators have reported that over the past 13 y, museum staff removed 15 to 20 boxes of gold and jewellery -- including the famed treasure of Nimrod -- and put them in 2 underground central bank vaults. Museum staff have given partial inventories, but the vaults remain sealed and the Americans don't have authority to open them. More conflict brewing at UN over Iraq Baghdad (AFP). Fresh conflict was brewing between UNSC members over Washington's resolution to lift sanctions against Baghdad, as Iraq's US administrator banned all top Baath party officials from holding govt jobs. Russia and China, both with veto power in the Council, want "serious changes" to the resolution over the timing of a hand-over of power to an Iraqi govt and control of Baghdad's oil, a top Russian official said. But US Sec of State Colin Powell expressed confidence on a visit to Berlin that the Sec Council would reach a deal within the next few days or weeks on the resolution, which demands the immediate lifting of sanctions against Baghdad. Powell won backing for a swift end to the 12-y sanctions regime from Germany, a temporary UN Sec Council member which fiercely opposed the invasion of Iraq. However the resolution was still facing a rocky ride through the 15-member Sec Council over the sections that effectively give the US and Brit control over Baghdad's oil revenues and relegate the UN to a secondary role in postwar Iraq. Washington modified the text to the resolution slightly, in a bid to mollify concerns from Moscow about the future of Iraq's massive debt repayment obligations, but still left the most controversial areas unchanged. "In its current form, the draft resolution presents serious problems for our countries," Russian Deputy For Min Yury Fedotov was quoted as saying after talks with Chinese counterpart Yang Wenchang. In the view of both China and Russia, the US-proposed draft resolution "requires serious changes," he added. "Above all we are talking about the date when power in Iraq will be handed over to a legally elected govt as well as under what conditions the transition will take place from the 'oil-for-food program' to the lifting of sanctions," Fedotov added. In Washington, the White house said Pres Bush Jr and Russian Pres Putin had played up their hopes of working together to rebuild Iraq during a telephone conversation. The 2 leaders, wide apart in the run-up to the war to oust Saddam Hussein, "underscored their commitment to building a strong US-Russia partnership," said Bush rep Ari Fleischer. Moscow's position on the Sec Council resolution is backed by France, another veto-wielding Sec Council member which ferociously opposed the US-led war that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime on Apr 9. French For Min Dominique de Villepin echoed the comments from Moscow, saying that the text of the resolution still needed "to be appreciably improved." As Powell ended a tour of Middle E and European capitals, the new US administrator for Iraq, Paul Bremer, moved to grapple with the task of reconstructing the country. Bremer issued a sweeping decree barring top members from the Baath party of deposed president Saddam Hussein from holding govt jobs. "The risk of doing this is a lot less than the risk of not doing it," said a senior official in Bremer's office, adding the ban on the party's top 4 ranks could affect between 15,000 and 30,000 people. Bremer's decree comes amid growing fears among Iraqis that the regime could claw its way back to power as state-run facilities re-open. Bremer was also preparing to take harsh criticism at a meeting with Iraqi factions later Fri over Washington's demand for Iraq's oil revenue to be brought under US control. The proposal has revived charges from Iraqis that Washington launched the war in order to grab control of Iraq's vast oil reserves, the 2nd largest in the world after those of Saudi Arabia. In a bid to stop the lawlessness that has plagued Iraq since the fall of Saddam's regime on Apr 9, US troops launched a major crackdown on looting, arresting dozens of suspected pillagers, some as young as 10. A leading Shiite cleric warned of grave consequences for "sinful women", alcohol sellers and cinemas that show "indecent" films. "We warn women and the go-betweens who take them to the Americans. If in a wk from now they do not change their attitude, the murder of these women is sanctioned (by Islam)," Mohammed al-Fartussi told several 1000 Shiite worshippers. "This warning also goes out to sellers of alcohol, radios and televisions," he added. "The torching of cinemas would be permitted" by Islam unless they changed their behaviour, Fartussi warned. The human rights watchdog Amnesty Internat'l said it had found 20 Iraqi prisoners of war who alleged they had been tortured by US and Brit troops in the country. Amnesty said that the torture methods described by the 20 people -- half of whom were civilians -- included beatings, electric shocks and the breaking of teeth. The US military also announced the capture of another official on its list of the 55 most wanted former Iraqi officials, Adel Abdullah Mahdi al-Du, who was Baath party chairman in Dhi Qar governorate. The head of the UN children's relief agency UNICEF Carol Bellamy was set to arrive in Iraq Sat to draw the world's attention to the plight of Iraqi children. A statement said the UNICEF director-general was concerned at the number of child victims of ammunition explosions and at reports of children disappearing. 1/2 mn Iraqi refugees are poised to return to their country at a time when the problem of people thrown out of their homes by internally displaced Iraqis worsens, the UN said from Geneva. "We are preparing for the return of up to 500,000 Iraqi refugees, mainly from Iran and Jordan, but also from elsewhere in the region and abroad," said a rep for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Germany, US move to make up after Iraq war Berlin. Germany and the US have moved to heal the diplomatic rift caused by the war in Iraq. Germany is supporting US moves to lift UN sanctions against Iraq. Germany was one of the most vocal opponents of the military conflict in Iraq. Personal relations between the German and American leaders are said to be still so bad that Bush Jr is refusing to even take phone calls from Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. But his Sec of State Colin Powell is doing what he can to rebuild the diplomatic bridges. On a visit to Germany Mr Powell said both countries were now looking to the future. Speaking after their meeting Mr Schroeder agreed that it was now time to work together at the UN and to find a common solution. Germany undecided over Iraq draft resolution Berlin. US Sec of State Colin Powell has failed to win outright German support for a new draft resolution to lift sanctions against Iraq, at talks in Berlin aimed at patching up ties badly damaged by the war. Mr Powell described the talks with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and For Min Joschka Fischer as "candid", diplomatic language for a heated exchange. He says they had discussed their rift over the Iraq war, but also tried to look to the future. While Chancellor Schroeder says he is in favour of lifting the UN sanctions on Iraq soon, he has given no indication that Germany will back a new draft resolution which gives wide-ranging powers to the US and its allies to control Iraq and its oil. Germany, one of the non-permanent members on the UN Sec Council, has called for a stronger UN role than the US draft resolution envisages. Lifting the sanctions imposed on Iraq over its 1990 invasion of Kuwait enables the country to resume oil exports without UN monitoring. Like Russia, Germany has sought the return of UN arms inspectors to search for Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction, the key US justification for the war. Mr Fischer says Germany wants the UN to oversee post-war reconstruction in Iraq. He says he is hopeful for a deal on a resolution, but whether one can be reached depends on other UN Sec Council members. North Korea may be training hackers Seoul (AP). N Korea, an impoverished communist country suspected of building nuclear weapons, has developed another weapon: cyber terrorism, a senior S Korean military officer said Fri. Maj Gen Song Young-geun, head of the S Korean military's Defence Security Command, said N Korea is churning out more than 100 computer hackers a y, and urged the S to boost its ability to fight "cyber threats from the outside." Computers are a rarity among N Korea's hunger-stricken 22 mn population. Visitors say the Internet is available only at a few hotels in the capital, Pyongyang. Yet, "North Korea is reinforcing its cyber terror capabilities," Song said at a seminar on info protection in Seoul. Song did not produce evidence to back his claim. S Korea is one of the world's most wired countries, with nearly 70% of all households having high-speed broadband access to the Internet. Concern over cyber terror spiked after S Korea's Internet service came to a nr standstill early this y because of a virus-like computer infection. North Korea informed an American envoy last m that it already possesses nuclear weapons, according to US officials. N Korea aide defects over drug-trafficking attempt: report Canberra. A close aide to N Korea's leader Kim Jong-Il has reportedly defected to the US, fearing punishment for a failed drug trafficking attempt. S Korea's Yonhap News Agency says Kil Jae-Gyong, the vice director of Kim Jong-Il's secretariat, in a safe place under US protection. Yonhap says Kil was directly involved in a drug trafficking case uncovered in AUS last month. A N Korean cargo ship and its 26 crew are being held here on charges stemming from an alleged narcotics deal involving $75 mn worth of pure heroin. For Min Alexander Downer has said an official of the N Korean regime had been aboard the state-owned ship, which is accused of bringing the heroin to AUS. Taiwan's Health Min offers resignation over SARS Taipei. Taiwan's Health Min Twu Shing-jer, has tendered his resignation as anger grows over the Govt's handling of the SARS crisis. The main criticism against the Dept of Health has been its slow response in dealing with the outbreak. The WHO's rep for the W Pacific, Peter Cordingley, says the current crisis is due to Taipei's failure to follow the correct procedures. "Taiwan's problem, as I see it, is not that it's not getting info... it's not following info it already has about infection control," he said. "The outbreaks in Taiwan are being caused, many of them anyhow, by the simple fact that procedures which are widely available on the Internet published by the WHO are not being followed." WHO considers taking Singapore off SARS list Geneva. The WHO says it is prepared to take Singapore off its list of SARS-affected areas by Sun if tests on the latest cluster of potential infections prove negative. The WHO has also confirmed that the SARS virus is not airborne but spread instead by droplets of liquid. Meanwhile HK has reported its lowest number of new cases since the outbreak began 8 weeks ago. HK. WHO FINDS REASON FOR "SUPER SPREADER" APPTS! The WHO says leaky sewage pipes and bathroom ventilation fans carried contaminated droplets through parts of a HK appt complex, causing one of the world's largest SARS outbreaks. More than 300 people came down with the virus at the Amoy Gardens appt complex in late Mar, and 35 residents have died so far. The speed of the infection amazed health experts, who at the time believed the disease was spread mainly through person-to-person contact. HK. 4 MORE SARS DEATHS! HK says the deadly SARS virus has claimed 4 more lives in the territory, and infected another 3, in the lowest 1-day infection numbers since the start of the outbreak. It moves HK closer to the potential lifting of a WHO travel warning. The new figures take the total of current cases in HK to 1,706 and the death toll to 238. 11 patients were discharged today, brining that total to 1,171. SARS blamed for low wool prices Perth. The price of wool has dropped to the lowest it has been for months, and traders are blaming SARS. Clean average fleece wool has dropped to about $8.70 a kg, the lowest price seen since its historic peak in Jan when it reached $12.90. Des Sheedy, MD of WA wool broker Primaries, says while the rising AUD is not good for the price, the biggest impact has been the drop in sales to China because of SARS. He says China uses AUS wool for their products but those products are not selling. "The Chinese, who are our major user of wool, they export a lot of these semi-processed or finished products into Europe, America, the rest of SE Asia, Japan etcetera," Mr Sheedy said. "There's been concerns as to, you know, 'can I catch SARS by taking products out of China?'". CSIRO urges vigilance after rust fungus escape Canberra. Residents in a 2-km radius of the CSIRO's Black Mountain research facility in CBR are being urged to check broom plants for signs of a rust fungus which escaped from the labs. The red-coloured fungus has been found on a least one plant in Turner. More tests are planned on plants in the area and the Nat'l Botanic Gardens has been warned to be on alert. Researchers believe the damage caused by the fungus is confined to broom species, and it will not spread to native species. Japan expects Aceh peace talks to go ahead Tokyo. Crucial peace talks between the Indonesian govt and separatist rebels from Aceh province are expected to go ahead in Japan on Sat, an official said, after the rebels threatened to boycott the meeting. The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) said it would not attend the meeting because of the arrest on Fri of 5 separatist delegates in Indonesia as they set off to Japan. The talks have been described as the last chance to save a fragile 5-mo peace pact to end a 27-y separatist war in Indonesia's Aceh. Indonesian govt representatives are already in Tokyo. A delegation from GAM's exiled leadership left Sweden for Tokyo on Fri but said there would be no talks without the release of their colleagues in Aceh. Police detained the 5 provincial GAM delegates on their way to the airport in the provincial capital Banda Aceh and said they had not obtained the required permission to leave the city. Indonesian officials have described the Tokyo meeting as the last chance to save the peace pact and avert a major "security operation" in the province. There were further preparations on Fri for a possible military assault on Aceh, with aircraft, warships and 1000s of troops being readied. The peace deal, mediated by the Swiss-based Henry Dunant Centre and signed on Dec 9 last y, initially saw a dramatic drop in killings in the energy-rich province on Sumatra island. But the govt complained that GAM was using it to recruit more fighters and campaign for independence. The rebels accused the military of organising mobs which forced ceasefire monitors to withdraw from the field. An estimated 10,000 people have died since GAM began fighting for independence in 1976. Miami-bound stowaways take round-trip to Colombia Cartagena. Yelling "Hey, Colombian people!" 5 Colombian stowaways emerged jubilantly from a ship they thought had docked in Miami only to discover they were still in their homeland after 5 days at sea, according to police. The Dutch-flagged cargo ship carrying the unfortunate 5, which sailed from Buenaventura on Sun, had mechanical problems, which meant that its 5-day journey only took it as far as another Colombian port, Cartagena, by Thu. The stowaways' rudimentary English yells of joy were interrupted when they were arrested by Colombian police. "They wanted the American dream, but they only made it to Cartagena," said Jorge Araujo, director of the local branch of the DAS detective force, adding that 2 of the men had previous records as stowaways. Looking sheepish and giggling, the 5 were paraded in front of local reporters before being freed and put on a bus back to Buenaventura. Police said the stowaways performed an impromptu rap dramatising their tragi-comic story. Slovaks vote on joining enlarged EU Slovakia. Slovaks have gone to the polls to decide whether their former Communist state should join the European Union in May 2004, in a move which would place them at the heart of the enlarged bloc. Voters began casting their ballots in Bratislava as 5,100 venues around Slovakia opened their doors to a 4.2 million-strong electorate expected to deliver a resounding "Yes" vote. Surveys have shown 80% are in favour of accession to the EU, hoping it will create wealth and catapult Slovakia out of the obscurity which still lingers 10-y after it declared independence from Czechoslovakia. There are fears however a lacklustre referendum campaign has failed to reach the rest of the country and that turnout on Fri and Sat could be below 50%, rendering the result invalid. PM Mikulas Dzurinda is likely to lead the country into the EU anyway, as Parliament can still ratify the accession treaty he signed on Apr 16, but his centre-right govt fears this outcome will send a negative sign to Brussels. The landlocked country of 5.4 mn people was by far the poorest part of the former Czechoslovakia and was a surprise candidate for the EU's first wave of expansion eastwards. For the 1st 5-y after independence it was ruled by hardline nat'list, Vladimir Meciar, who showed scant regard for democracy and transparency, with the result that both Europe and NATO kept the country at arm's length. But since 1998, rapid political and economic reform has transformed it into one of the region's most vibrant economies. Slovakia last y registered growth of 4.4%, well above the EU average. But unemployment stands at 18%, wages are low, and painful health and tax reforms are in the pipeline. The Govt plans to scrap free health care next m and embark on an ambitious reform of its tax system on Jan 1, 2004, which will see income, corporate and value added tax all fixed at 20%. The English-language weekly Slovak Spectator says voters could stay away from the referendum to punish Mr Dzurinda for measures which threaten to affect the poorest among the population. Recent surveys have reassuringly indicated that 65 to 70% of the electorate will vote. But similar predictions turned out to be wrong in neighbouring Hungary, where only 46% of the electorate cast their ballots in an Apr vote on EU accession and political analysts say they expect a turnout of only 50 to 55%. Mr Dzurinda has said he would appeal to the 4.2 mn registered voters midway through the referendum if they fail to come out in strong numbers across Slovakia. Slovakia is the fifth EU candidate to vote on EU accession so far this y. Of the 10 central and eastern European states slated to join the bloc next May, Malta, Lithuania and Slovenia have all held referenda and approved membership. Afghanistan's plight chills Cannes Cannes (AFP). The continuing plight of Afghanistan, with its legions of homeless returnees and lingering memories of the Taliban, sent a sudden chill across Cannes's movie extravaganza with the premiere of a film by young Iranian director Samira Makhmalbaf. By far the youngest of the 20 directors competing for Cannes' coveted Palme d'Or, Makhmalbaf's documentary-like film was shot in the last m of 2002 as a mn refugees poured into the devastated land, to find their homes in ruins and little to eat or drink. "I wanted to show reality, not the cliches on television saying that the US went to Afghanistan and rescued the people from the Taliban, that the US did a Rambo," she said at a news conference. "When I went there it just wasn't like that." Shot with residents of Kabul playing the lead and minor roles, Makhmalbaf's At Five in the Afternoon is the 1st feature made after the fall of the Taliban and won a rare round of applause from critics at its Cannes debut. It centres on the plight of women, but the failure of the W to alleviate the country's misery stands out like a sore. As the occasional helicopter or fighter plane passes overhead, the film follows the footsteps of Nogreh, a young independent-minded woman of 23 -- the same age as the director -- and her fundamentalist father, who cannot bear to see a woman's face unveiled. "Though the Taliban have gone, their ideas are anchored in peoples' minds, in their traditions and culture," said the Iranian director, who won a special prize at Cannes in 2000 for "Blackboards" and is the daughter of top Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. As Nogreh, wrapped in an all-covering blue burqa veil, slips off to school in secret wearing high-heeled shoes and begins to nurture a dream of one day becoming president, her father finds the irreligious "blasphemy" of Kabul too much to bear. With his son reported dead in a landmine blast and his daughter-in-law struggling to keep a newborn alive, the old man orders the women to exit the city. Off they go, finding it more difficult by the day to exist as their trail leads further and further into the wilderness. "There is still a big difference between men and women in Afghanistan," said Makhmalbaf, who based her dialogues on real speech overheard in the street and took inspiration from chance encounters. "The idea of the Taliban is still alive," she said. "But women are fighting. In their schools they want to change." Asked whether it was harder for a woman to be president of Iran, or a film-maker, she said "Harder to be president." And would she like to be president of Iran? "No! Too many problems. I'd feel too much responsibility and I wouldn't be able to do anything," she said. Afghanistan will make movie history here with a debut feature at the Cannes film festival's Director's Fortnight -- Sedigh Barmak's Osama, which is also about women, but this time under the Taliban. Top Palestinian Peace Negotiator Resigns Jerusalem (AP). A top Palestinian negotiator resigned after being excluded from the 1st Israeli-Palestinian summit in 3 y this weekend in a move that could also signal growing tensions between Yasser Arafat and his new prime minister. Saeb Erekat, who is close to Arafat, declined Fri to discuss his reasons for submitting a letter of resignation to Palestinian Prime Min Mahmoud Abbas. Last m, Erekat was only reluctantly included in Abbas' new Cabinet, as minister in charge of negotiations with Israel. In a clear slight, Abbas has chosen not to take Erekat along to his meeting with Israeli PM Ariel Sharon on Sat evening, the 1st top-level talks since Israeli-Palestinian violence broke out in Sep 2000. Instead, Abbas will be accompanied by Palestinian Parliament Speaker Ahmed Qureia and his security chief, Mohammed Dahlan. The Palestinian Cabinet will meet Sat, ahead of the summit, and there was some expectation that Erekat would be persuaded to withdraw his resignation. Erekat, who has played a prominent role in peace talks in the past decade, has threatened before to step down over disagreements but ended up not following through. The resignation appeared linked both to the perceived personal slight and to tensions between Abbas, who is known as Abu Mazen, and Arafat, who for decades resisted sharing power and only reluctantly agreed to naming a prime minister under internat'l pressure. Israel and the US are boycotting Arafat, saying he is linked to terrorism, and an Israeli travel ban has confined Arafat to the West Bank town of Ramallah for more than a y. Israel and the US consider Abbas, who has sharply denounced violence, as their negotiating partner. Erekat, who speaks English fluently, came to prominence during the first Israeli-Palestinian peace talks that led to the now-tattered 1993 Oslo peace accord and is one of the most visible Palestinian negotiators. He frequently appears on television to promote the Palestinian cause and has held several cabinet posts within the Palestinian Authority. Sharon, meanwhile, met with key advisers Fri to prepare for the summit. The Palestinians said they would demand that Israel accept the "road map," an internat'lly backed plan for ending more than 30 m of violence and setting up a Palestinian state. The Palestinians have accepted the plan, formally unveiled by internat'l mediators just 2 weeks ago, but Israel has posed 15 objections, mainly insisting that Palestinians crack down on violent groups before Israel makes a move. Israeli Justice Min Tommy Lapid, who is to join Sat's talks, laid out tough starting points. Israeli troops continued Fri to patrol the Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, which they had seized a day earlier to try to stop Palestinian rocket fire at Israeli border communities. Despite the military push, a rocket fired from Gaza landed in an open area of Israel's Negev Desert overnight. Later Fri, another rocket landed in the border town of Sderot and militants set off a roadside bomb in Beit Hanoun. No one was injured in either incident, the army said. Jerusalem. PEACE TALKS IN MIDEAST! Israel and Palestinian leaders hold their highest-level summit in 2 y today, divided over a new US-backed internat'l "Road Map". PM Ariel Sharon's first talks with his new reformist counterpart, Abu Mazen, could provide an early indication of whether the 3-phase plan has any real chance of success. The key question is who will take the first step under the proposal that the US hails as a "new opportunity" for peace in the Middle E following GWII. Sydney. BALI SURVIVORS STILL WAITING FOR HELP! Survivors of the Bali bombings in need of urgent financial help, are reportedly still waiting for promised $mns raised through public donations. The SMH says almost $14.5 mn was raised by the Bali appeal in AUS. But the money has gone MIA. It says Aussie victims have received only $10,000 ea, and are asking where the rest has gone. The AUS Red Cross says almost $4 mn has been spent in AUS on victims and victim programs and $322,000 was spent in Bali. [A Red Cross rep told Ch 7 News some of the problem is with prosthetic limbs. With one woman's hand costing $65,000, the rep said the Commonwealth govt had said from day one it would be responsible for funding prosthetics. So far, no funding has been forthcoming. The woman said she'd received "only" $10,000 from the Red Cross]. Melbourne. BALI SURVIVORS GATHER IN MEL! More than 200 Bali survivors and families from around AUS are expected to meet in MEL today. Dave "Spike" Stewart, who lost his 29 yo son Anthony to the Oct 12 blasts, has organised a BBQ at Werribee, SW of MEL. Mr Stewart says he organised the do several m ago, but its timing -- coinciding with the trial of alleged bombers in Indonesia -- could enable some families and survivors to express their anger and frustration. Canberra. INDONESIAN INVASION! Local TV is reporting an "invasion" of Indon fishing boats into Aussie waters. As disputes over the management of disappearing fisheries flares again in Europe, 19 Indonesian fishing boats are being towed to Darwin after they were allegedly caught fishing sea cucumber and shark fin in Aussie waters. The fed govt says the boats had been intercepted in AUS waters from areas off Ashmore Reef, NW of AUS, to the Gulf of Carpentaria over 3 days. Peshawar. PAK MOVES TOWARD SEGREGATION IN SPORT! Male athletics coaches have been banned today from training female athletes or sports teams in Pakistan's deeply-conservative NW Frontier prov. The govt also says male spectators and journalists will be barred from attending sports events where female athletes compete. The province's Info Min says the new measures have been decided at a provincial [more than one meaning] Cabinet meeting on Fri. They mark the latest attempt by the 6-party religious alliance that rules the prov to impose a strict version of Islam. Brisbane. LAND-CLEARING BILL COULD BE $BNS! Qld farmers say the bill for the total ban of land-clearing in the state could run into the billions. The farmer's lobby Agforce says the moratorium on land clearing in the state announced yesterday will lock up large areas to future development if it becomes permanent. It says a future compensation bill could be "enormous". It says if there's a total ban on tree felling, the coast could be in the $bns. Prem Beattie has halted all new land clearing applications. The practice is seen by scientists and conservation groups as one of the root causes of salinity and other land and river degradation in AUS. Canberra. FED GOVT CHALLENGES MURRAY RESTORATION PLAN! The fed govt has labelled an Opp'n promise it would restore the ailing Murray R a "direct attack on farmers". Dep PM Anderson says Simon Crean has failed to recognise the key to securing a sustainable future for AUS's only large river system is to provide water property rights for multinat'l corporations. Mr Crean says Labor would save the Murray by redirecting enough water down it to keep its mouth nr Adel open. The R mouth periodically silts over, and is presently clogged. Mr Anderson says Mr Crean has failed to assure rice and cotton agribusinesses they won't face major cuts to their water entitlements. Canberra. BULK-BILLING FALLS TO NEW LOW! Bulk-bulling rates have fallen to a 13-y low as govt and opp'n argue about how to save Medicard. Figures released yesterday show the rate of bulk-billing for GP visits was around 68% in the 03Q1. In 1996 the number was well over 80%. The fall comes as Labor hits the airwaves to sell the party's alleged plan to get bulk-billing rates back to original levels. Sydney. MORE FLOODING IN NSW! Residents along the NSW coast have been warned of safety hazards and more flooding after the 4th consecutive day of rain. The SES has added a flood watch for the Georges R to those already issued for the Woronora and Cooks R's in SYD's S, where more rain is expected. SES volunteers on the C coast are on standby and in the Illawarra, residents nr creeks have been warned to stay alert for rapid rises. The SES has advised people to avoid walking, riding or driving through floodwater and to keep away from creeks. [In other reports, the rain is apparently not falling in catchment areas, and compulsory water restrictions still threaten SYD as levels hover just above critical levels]. {{ Continuous war news 1 am NBC. 50 Texas Democrats are back in TX today, claiming victory. They had been hiding out north of the border to deny the state House a quorum so it couldn't vote on a controversial redistricting. 1.15 am The leading negotiator for the Palestinians has offered his resignation just ahead of key talks between Abu Mazen and Ariel Sharon. The Palestinian PM had pointedly left Saeb Erekat out of a delegation to Jerusalem. Abu Mazen had apparently suspected him of being an Arafat listening post. And the fortunes of Arafat will fall on the success of peace talks. The decision is not final, and will go to the Cabinet tomorrow. Baghdad. The US has given details of how it will eradicate the Baath party in Iraq. Former officials will be banned from working in the Iraqi public sector. 15-30,000 Iraqi are in the top levels of the Party, and will be targeted. A large number are working in govt ministries. A snr US official said a process of elimination would begin over the weekend, with American interviewers determining who will stay and who will go. BBC World News. Colin Powell is in Germany, meeting PM Schroeder. Germany and the US are attempting to patch up their differences following GWII. At a press conf, Powell was keen to stress how much the 2 countries have in common. "We also know what draws us together", said Powell. Schroeder told reporters he was in favour of lifting UN sanctions against Iraq. For Min Joschka Fischer also said the UN draft res proposed by the US was "a basis for discussions". The UN process was "on course for a consensus", Fischer said. Bush and Schroeder haven't spoken for 6 m. Russia. Pres Putin has given his annual state of the nation address. He made a grim assessment of the economic situation in Russia. Putin warned Russians that the economic stability of the country could not be guaranteed. There were "serious threats", he said. The Pres said the Russian political system is not developed, most sectors of the economy were not competitive, and he bemoaned the decline in the Russian population. There are fewer Russians today than in 1989. Putin said it would not be enough for Russia to put its own house in order. The int'l sit'n remains "difficult", he said. Developed countries are pushing Russia aside, the Pres complained. The economic dominance of certain countries had given them certain "ambitions", said Putin. 1.50 am The US Senate has passed a Bill authorising a $US350 bn tax cut. It passed just before midnight local time. The cut is just 1/2 of what Pres Bush had called for. The Senate Bill must now be reconciled with the House version. NBC says there are reports that OBL himself ordered the attacks on the housing compound in Riyadh. 2.30 am DW radio. Both China and Russia have "serious problems" with a US-sponsored draft UNSC res that will lift sanctions on Iraq. Officials from both countries say they will require changes to the proposals that will place Iraqi oil under control of an "administrator" -- the US. They also have reservations about the mechanism for creating an Iraqi govt and the hand-over of power from the interim authority to that govt. Brussels. The European Convection is discussing the future shape of the EU, what it's name will be, whether it will have a President, and how the position might be elected. Officials say it might take 50 y before the EU President is elected by the population. Until them, it will just be an appointment. They defy most Europeans to name who the current head of the EU is. Another point of much debate is the name of the EU. Some want a return to the European Community. Other names incl the United States of Europe, or United Europe. The French apparently favour the latter. Not many appear to want European Union as the name of the EU. Also attending the EU Convention are officials from Turkey, incl For Min Gul. They've been listening to the discussions, and trying to avoid the questions about Cyprus -- officially set to become an EU member next y. Turkey already is under a cloud with respect to its EU aspirations, with complaints about human rights abuses. If Turkish forces remain in Cyprus they will technically be an occupying force of European territory. CD sales across Europe and Brit are down. Particularly worrying to the music industry is Germany. Sales for the last few y have declined annually into double digits. There are several reasons, according to analysts. Germany doesn't have music shops. CD's are sold in dept stores. Analysts say dept stores also seem to stock blank CDR's near the cash registers. Then there's the Internet. Germany has widespread broadband services. It's been shown that the more broadband services are available, the fewer music CD's are sold. 3 am The FTSE has closed up 0.9%. The Dax is down 0.4%. The French bourse is unchanged. In NY, the Dow is down 0.4%. The euro is up against the USD. }} ---------------------------------------- Sun, 18 May 2003. Casablanca death toll rises to 41 Bus crash toll rises to 28: France 7 die in flooding: China Indon soldiers kill 7 flag-wavers 7 killed in Jerusalem suicide bombing Newly-appointed Palestinian PM Abu Mazen and Israeli PM Palestinian PM accepts Erekat resignation G8 countries to rally against economic weakness Hill says terror networks still a threat Half Al Qaeda's leaders captured, killed but hunt goes on: Bush Al-Qaeda threatens "stunning blows" against US, Israel Annan calls for sustained campaign against terrorism Chemical weapon ingredients intercepted FBI conducts terror teach-in in Qld Tourism conf bemoans terrorism, called off on bomb threat War criminal handed to World Court Iraqis lodge war crimes lawsuit against US UN official warns of need for law and order in Iraq Taiwanese traveller to Japan tests positive for SARS WHO says SARS nearly under control Beijing doctors under-report SARS cases China sentences 6 SARS protesters Aussie doctors says officials complacent Achenese rebels released as negotiations begin 5 Cubans receive life sentences for attempted hijacking Slovakia votes to join EU France, US take joint stand against piracy Illegal immigrants transported in refrigerated truck Indonesia gives Aceh rebels one-day deadline Health effects of passive smoking questioned US cracks down on Internet crime Reserves given anti-terrorism role AUS considering missile defence system: Hill 3 burned in engine-room explosion Aussie arrive home from the Gulf New travel warning for Aussies Kissers gets jail term in Dubai Govt not at fault over bali money says Govt Min Fridge magnet diverted domestic violence funding: Oppn Brawl at ALP meeting Casablanca. CASABLANCA DEATH TOLL RISES TO 41! The death toll from the suicide bombing attacks in Morocco is now 41. The blasts heavily damaged a Jewish community centre, a major hotel, and 2 W targets in the heart of Morocco's commercial capital, Casablanca. Int Min Mostapha Sahel says about 10 terrorists were among those killed in the attacks. The official MAP news agency says 3 suspects, all Morrocan, have been apprehended. Doctors say at least 6 Europeans -- 2 Spaniards, 2 Italians and 2 French -- were killed. Lyon. BUS CRASH TOLL RISES TO 28: FRANCE! The death toll from a bus crash in SE France has risen to at least 28. A double-decker bus from Germany overturned on a highway in Dardilly, N of Lyon, in heavy rain. Officials say the crash injured 46 others. Nearly all of those aboard are believed to be German tourists from Cologne and Hanover. Witnesses and officials say the bus hit a guardrail, barrelled down a grassy embankment, and hit an electrical pole before flipping onto its roof. Beijing. 7 DIE IN FLOODING: CHINA! 7 people have been killed in violent rainstorms in the S Chinese city of Meizhou and 2 are missing. The official Xinhua news agency says the storms have hit 89 other towns in the Guangzhou prov, destroying more than 2,000 houses, damaging 26,00 ha of crops, disrupting power and telecom, and damaging roads and bridges. It says more than 18,000 people have been evacuated from flooded areas. Banda Aceh. INDON SOLDIERS KILL 7 FLAG-WAVERS! Indon troops have killed 7 rebels in Aceh in a clash over the hoisting of the separatist flag, as negotiators from both sides hold last-ditch peace talks in Tokyo. A military official in the prov'l capital, Banda Aceh, says the fight took place in a village in S Aceh this morning when rebels from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) tried to raise their flag. The clash is another blow to a crumbling peace pact signed last Dec. Jakarta has started sending troops into the prov, with about 5,000 arriving in the last 2 wks. Pres Megawati says up to 50,000 could be sent in future. The GAM has an estimated 2,000 fighters, but has been unbowed by the threat of overwhelming military force. 7 killed in Jerusalem suicide bombing Jerusalem. 7 people are reported to have been killed and 20 injured in a suicide attack on a bus in Jerusalem. The explosion comes only hours after a landmark meeting between the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers. The talks between Israeli leader Ariel Sharon and his Palestinian counterpart, Abu Mazen, are the 1st such high-level meeting in almost three years. Earlier, a suicide bomber killed 2 Jewish settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron. In Gaza, a Palestinian was killed by Israeli soldiers during fighting in Beit Hanoun. Jerusalem. Newly-appointed Palestinian PM Abu Mazen and Israeli PM Sharon have met in a bid to revive the dormant peace process barely 1 hr after a suicide bomber killed a pair of settlers in the W Bank city of Hebron. Palestinian For Min Nabil Shaath says Mazen will press Sharon to accept a US-backed Middle E peace plan, which aims to grant the Palestinians an indep state by 2005, before Sharon leaves Jerusalem tomorrow for talks in Washington with US Pres Bush Jr. Palestinian PM accepts Erekat resignation Gaza City. The Palestinian PM, Abu Mazen, has accepted the resignation of one of the leading figures in Palestinian politics, Saeb Erekat. The resignation was accepted during a Palestinian Cabinet meeting in Gaza City. Dr Erekat tendered his resignation on Thu after being excluded from today's planned meeting between Abu Mazen and Israeli PM, Ariel Sharon. It is to be the 1st such high-level meeting since Sep 2000 between Israel and the Palestinians. Earlier reports say the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat had called on Dr Erekat to withdraw his resignation. G8 countries to rally against economic weakness Paris. The finance ministers of the Group of Eight (G8) richest nations, have planned a show of confidence in their potential to stimulate economic recovery, despite deepening signs of weakness. The ministers, preparing for a G8 leaders' summit next month, are to discuss measures to boost economic growth, which has limped along in the US, and stagnated in Japan and Europe. The draft text reaffirmed the commitment of the G8, Brit, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the US, to work together to promote stronger growth and structural reforms. The text says that among the individual steps pledged to be taken, the US will act to create jobs and encourage savings and investment in the private sector. Japan will continue its structural reforms, including in its financial and corporate sectors, "and intensify its efforts to combat deflation". It continues, saying Europe will speed up labour, product and capital market reforms aimed at achieving a more flexible economy. Canada will invest in productivity, while Russia would pursue structural reforms, particularly in the financial sector. As signalled earlier by G8 officials, the draft text does not mention the situation on currency markets, where the USD has sharply weakened. But the issue of depreciation of the dollar, which sank to 4-year lows against the euro this week, is to be broached as part of the general discussion of economic conditions, the European Union's economic chief, Pedro Solbes said. The finance ministers, who opened their meeting with a working dinner, met for the 1st time since the Iraq war under tight security in a preparatory session for a G8 leaders' summit on June 1-3 in Evian, France. Although other issues were on the day's agenda, such as markets and the fight against terrorism and money laundering, firing up the world's growth engine promises to dominate the session. The post-war rebuilding of Iraq and its estimated foreign debt of $US127 billion is also expected to be explored. A US Treasury official says a US proposal that G8 finance ministers ask the IMF to tally Iraq's foreign debt was well received in bilateral meetings. French Finance Min Francis Mer, host of the meeting, reminded the ministers that their task was to "reflect on the ways to achieve a better global cohesion". Canberra. HILL SAYS TERROR NETWORKS STILL A THREAT! Contradicting statements earlier this wk from US officials, Def Min Robert Hill says the al-Qaeda terrorist network remains a "serious threat" despite its losses in the war against terrorism. Sen Hill says they've demonstrated by the recent bomb attacks in Saudi and Morocco. He told the Seven Network the coal'n forces defeated al-Qaeda, but it's reduced the chances of WMD falling into terrorist hands. Some analysts say the US action in Afghanistan has made the terror network more impenetrable to outsiders, forcing it further underground in many countries around the world and removing any obvious command targets that might be attacked in anti-terrorism actions. Half Al Qaeda's leaders captured, killed but hunt goes on: Bush Washington. US Pres George W Bush says the hunt for Al Qaeda leadership goes on, with nearly half of the group's senior operatives captured or killed. In his weekly radio address to the American people, recorded before the Moroccan attacks, Mr Bush said the bombings in Saudi Arabia were a stark reminder that the war on terror was continuing. He added the hunt for other operatives would go on until they are all brought to justice. Al-Qaeda threatens "stunning blows" against US, Israel London. Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda terror network has threatened to deliver devastating blows to the US and Israel, a Saudi-owned weekly reports. "The next strikes will stun the Americans and Israelis," Abu Mohammad al-Ablaj, "coordinator of the al Qaeda-affiliated Mujahedeen Training Centre," said in an email published by London-based Al-Majallah on Fri. "The upcoming strikes will throw the enemy off balance. They will target the rear of the snake (the US), which Abu Abdullah (bin Laden) said should be hit," he wrote. "These strikes will hearten the faithful and disconcert the infidels," he said, applauding Mon's triple suicide bombings in Riyadh which killed at least 34 people, including 9 bombers. Annan calls for sustained campaign against terrorism NY. UN Sec Gen Kofi Annan has called for a sustained internat'l campaign against terrorism, following a series of bomb blasts in Casablanca, Morocco, that have left at least 41 people dead. UN rep Fred Eckhard said in a statement that Mr Annan "utterly condemns" the attacks and sends his "heartfelt condolences" to the govt and people of Morocco and to the families of all the dead and injured. The Casablanca blasts targeted a private Spanish club, a Jewish cultural centre, an internat'l hotel and the area around the Belgian consulate. A suicide bomb attack on a W residential compound in the Saudi capital of Riyadh last Mon killed at least 34 people. Berlin. CHEMICAL WEAPON INGREDIENTS INTERCEPTED! Germany has intercepted a shipment of 30 tonnes of sodium cyanide at the request of Washington, which it believes the chemical was bound for N Korea. The German weekly Der Spiegel says the substance, commonly used in the treatment of metals, can also be used to make a deadly nerve gas. The cargo was officially being shipped by a German company to a warehouse in Singapore. German media say the govt also intercepted a shipment of German-made aluminium tubes, probably destined for the NK nuclear program. Brisbane. FBI CONDUCTS TERROR TEACH-IN IN QLD! An anti-terrorism course run by the FBI gets underway on the Gold Coast today. More than 400 defence and police delegates from AUS, the US, Europe the SE Asia/Pacific regin are attending the 5-day event. They'll be addressed by FBI experts who dealt with the Sep 11 attacks on NYc and Washington, the Bali bombing, attacks in Africa, America's anthrax threat, the Washington sniper shootings, and the attack on US naval vessels in Yemen. The re-training sessions are usually restricted to FBI graduates. Lisbon. TOURISM CONF BEMOANS TERRORISM, CALLED OFF ON BOMB THREAT! Tourism officials meeting in Portugal to discuss the impact of terrorism on their industry have had the issue brought home to them with a bomb alert. The alarm, which came in an anonymous call on the final day of the World Tourism and Travel Council summit at Vilamoura, forces the cancellation of the closing gala. Luse news agency says police mine clearance experts carried out a search but found no explosive devices. It was the Council's first forum since GWII, the outbreak of SARS, and the bomb attacks Saudi Arabia and Morocco. Amsterdam. WAR CRIMINAL HANDED TO WORLD COURT! A former Yugoslav army officer wanted for the mass killing of 200 people nr the Croatian town of Vukovar has been transferred to the UN war crimes tribunal in Den Hague. A rep says Miroslav Radic has arrived in the Netherlands from Belgrade and has been taken to a detention unit to await trial. Serbian authorities have said Radic surrendered to them last m and agreed to be handed over to the court. Iraqis lodge war crimes lawsuit against US Belgium. Belgian PM Guy Verhofstadt says he will refer back to the US a war crimes lawsuit that has been filed in Belgium against the commander of coalition forces in Iraq . The lawsuit was filed by a group of Iraqis under Belgium's controversial law that allows its courts to try foreigners for war crimes and human rights violations. The Iraqis have charged Gen Tommy Franks and a US Marine col over civilian deaths and the use of cluster bombs during the war in Iraq. Referring the case back to the US means it can be dealt with by US authorities as they choose. Mr Verhofstadt said he would legislate to stop people abusing the law, which has seen Belgium's courts become clogged with human rights suits against figures such as Israeli PM Ariel Sharon, George Bush senior and US Secretary of State Colin Powell. UN official warns of need for law and order in Iraq Basra. The head of the UN emergency relief has warned of a major humanitarian disaster if coalition forces do not quickly establish law and order in Iraq. Speaking in the S Iraqi city of Basra, Kenzo Ashima said the occupying forces have an obligation under internat'l law to provide that security. Mr Ashima said the UN's efforts to provide humanitarian aid was being hampered by poor security. Every night in Basra and Baghdad there are gun battles, looting is still common and there are murders and rapes too. He said if conditions do not improve there is the risk of a major humanitarian crisis. US troops have responded in Baghdad by increasing patrols and putting an extra 9,000 soldiers on the streets. There are 25,000 troops now stationed there. But with just 2 police stations up and running, there are still serious security gaps. Taiwanese traveller to Japan tests positive for SARS Tokyo. Fears that the deadly SARS virus has entered Japan has increased after a Taiwanese man who returned home following a tour of Japan tested positive for the killer disease, a Japanese official says. "We were just informed by Taiwanese authorities that the Taiwanese man who visited Japan and showed SARS-like symptoms has tested positive," an official with the Japanese Health Ministry said. The 26-year-old physician came to Japan on May 8, toured the country's western regions, and returned to Taiwan on May 13. The Ministry says the doctor had a fever a day after he arrived in Osaka. On Fri, the Japanese Health Ministry said the doctor had once cared for at least one SARS patient in Taiwan, but his hospital later claimed that the doctor did not have direct contact with a SARS patient. Japan is yet to record a confirmed case of SARS. London. WHO SAYS SARS NEARLY UNDER CONTROL! The WHO says the majority of SARS outbreaks in the world are coming under control. Mike Ryan, who's coordinating the WHO's global effort to stop the spread of the disease, says difficult struggles remain in mainland China. However he says the epidemic there is no more complex than it is in other countries, and the govt is making great strides. Scientists from 16 SARS-affected locations have ended a conference at the WHO's Geneva HQ. Beijing doctors under-report SARS cases Geneva. The WHO says doctors in the Chinese capital Beijing are continuing to under-report cases of SARS infections because they misunderstand the symptoms. The WHO says, as a result, it is still too early to say if China, the country worst-hit by SARS, is past its peak of cases. In China 282 people have died of the virus and 5,200 have been infected. WHO officials visiting Beijing hospitals say some SARS patients are being mis-diagnosed because they had only mild symptoms, and were being sent out of isolation wards, where they could infect others. Beijing. CHINA SENTENCES 6 SARS PROTESTERS! State press reports 6 people in China have been sentenced to up to 5 y jail for inciting a riot at a quarantine facility for SARS. The Beijing Youth Daily reports 1 man has been sentenced to 5 y prison for "gathering to disturb social order" during the riot on Apr 24 at a proposed quarantine site. 2 others have been sentenced to 3 y jail for the same crime, and for harming public and private property, and for arson. Sydney. AUSSIE DOCTORS SAYS OFFICIALS COMPLACENT! An Aussie doctor has warned that so-called SARS fatigue among health officials, the media and the public could pose more of a health risk than the virus itself. Dr Dale Fisher, who worked at Sing's Nat'l U Hosp during the worst outbreak there, says AUS risks becoming a victim of its own complacency. He says hospital CEO's in all states should be accountable to a C authority to ensure monitoring of patients and infections control guidelines are being observed. Achenese rebels released as negotiations begin Jakarta. 5 Acehnese rebel delegates who had been detained by Indonesian police, have been released just as negotiators begin talks in Tokyo to salvage a peace accord for the province, an internat'l mediator says. "They called me and told me they are in the hotel," David Gorman, of the Swiss-based Henry Dunant Centre said. He says the 5 members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) were freed at almost exactly the same time other GAM representatives arrived in Tokyo for last-minute talks with Indonesian delegates. The negotiations aim to salvage a shaky peace accord in Aceh, and avert a major military offensive. It is not immediately clear if the 5 delegates will still attempt to travel to Japan to join the talks. All the participants who arrived at the Japanese Institute for Internat'l Cooperation for the talks declined to make any comment to reporters on the way in. They included Thai major general, Tanongsuk Tuvinun, the chairman of the Joint Sec Council peace monitors, and Greece's ambassador to Jakarta, Alexios Christopoulos, representing the European Union. Greece currently holds the EU's rotating presidency. There is no immediate indication at to how long the opening session of the talks will last. 5 Cubans receive life sentences for attempted hijacking Havana. 5 Cubans received heavy sentences for attempting to hijack a passenger airplane, according to an official statement. The men boarded the plane on Cuba's Isle of Youth last m with a rifle taken from a soldier Five of the men received life sentences while the others received sentences of 20 to 30 years. The men were tried on Tue. On Apr 11, the men snatched an AK-47 rifle from a soldier on the island. Two hours later, 4 of them were arrested in the local airport's parking lot. In their possession were the rifle, 2 knives and exercise weights. The Govt said the hijacking plot consisted of waiting for a flight to arrive from Havana and using the weights to break a glass wall, allowing the assailants access to the runway. Bratislava. SLOVAKIA VOTES TO JOIN EU! Slovaks have voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the EU. PM Mikulas Dzrurinda says a large majority of citizens in the former communist state have said "Yes" to Europe. A turnout of more than 50% was needed to make the referendum result valid. France, US take joint stand against piracy Paris. France's Culture Min Jean-Jacques Aillagon, and Jack Valenti, chairman and chief executive officer of the Motion Picture Association, are agreed on the need for joint action against digital piracy. A statement Sat titled the "Cannes Declaration" said the 2 had agreed in talks on the sidelines of the Cannes film festival last Thu "on the need for French and US industries to work together to ensure effective action against that common enemy", digital piracy. During their talks, Valenti had also asserted that the MPA objective "is not to challenge the current support regimes in the European Union," though many US film professionals are critical of the support. The 2 sides say Govts must show political will to facilitate the tracking, prosecution and punishment of digital thievery. They must also develop technological tools to challenge pirates. A meeting will be held at Cannes next y to assess progress in the field on the initiative of the Association Against Audiovisual Piracy (ALPA). Illegal immigrants transported in refrigerated truck Mexico. Police in Mexico have discovered 92 immigrants being smuggled in a refrigerated container, some of them suffering from hypothermia. Just 3 days after 18 illegal immigrants were found dead in a truck in Texas, there has been another major haul of human cargo. Mexican police today found 92 people in a refrigerated container on a truck heading north. It had just crossed the Guatemalan border. The container was searched after the driver said he was carrying nothing more than wooden flooring. But when the doors were opened inside were 90 shivering people from 3 central American countries. Indonesia gives Aceh rebels one-day deadline Tokyo. Indonesia has warned separatist rebels in the oil-rich province of Aceh that they have one day to give up their fight for independence, or face a military attack. Indonesia's ultimatum to the Free Aceh Movement comes just after representatives of the 2 sides ended a 1st session of last-ditch negotiations with peace mediators in Tokyo. Listing demands the rebels are unlikely to accept, Chief Security Min Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said they had to also lay down 60% of their weapons. Mr Yudhoyono said if the Free Aceh Movement refused to heed the Govt's demands, then a military offensive will be authorised by tomorrow at the latest, with the possibility of martial law being decreed in the province. More than 10,000 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in decades of simmering conflict in mostly-Muslim Aceh, with separatists accusing the Indonesian Govt of taking all the profits from the resource-rich area and leaving the locals in poverty. Health effects of passive smoking questioned London (Reuters). Researchers reporting in a Brit medical journal said Fri that passive smoking may not be as harmful as previously thought -- leading critics to question the study's method and ties to the tobacco industry. Inhaling second-hand cigarette smoke has been linked to an increased risk of lung cancer and heart disease, but scientists in NY and California said in a report in the Brit Medical Journal that the effects may have been overstated. They based their conclusion on analysing data from a study funded by the tobacco industry. Some other scientists and the American Cancer Society disputed the findings, saying the research is flawed and inadequate to measure the impact of passive smoking. The American Cancer Society's rebuttal was even stronger. "We are appalled that the tobacco industry has succeeded in giving visibility to a study with so many problems it literally failed to get a govt grant," said Dr. Michael Thun, the society's nat'l vice president of epidemiology. The US cancer group said Enstrom's study is based on a small subset of data 1st collected in 1959, when second-hand smoke was everywhere, and does not distinguish between people who were exposed to smoking and those who were not. Enstrom said his detractors were applying a double standard because several major studies routinely quoted as proving the risks of second-hand smoke also relied on a comparison between smoking and non-smoking spouses. [Of course, proving a positive and a negative are not symmetric logical cases]. Enstrom and Geoffrey Kabat, of the SUNY in Stony Brook, analysed data from a cancer prevention study of 118,094 California adults from 1959 to 1998 which was funded by the tobacco industry. They focused on more than 35,500 people who had never smoked but who had spouses who did. The researchers found that exposure to passive smoking was not associated with deaths from heart disease or lung cancer. Enstrom said tobacco industry funding was used toward the end of the study. Through the 1970s, secondhand smoke was so pervasive that virtually everyone was exposed, whether or not they were married to a smoker, says the American Cancer Society. Enstrom counters that his study was even more rigorous in keeping track of smoke exposure than major studies routinely quoted as demonstrating the risk of second-hand smoke. US cracks down on Internet crime Washington (AP). More than 130 people and $17 mn have been seized nationwide in operations by the FBI and other agencies to stop cyber-crime. The Justice Dept dubbed the effort "Operation E-con," a collection of separate investigations over the past 5 m targeting investment scams, sales of stolen software, online banking fraud -- even a purported Russian marriage service. A-G John Ashcroft called the program "a decisive, nat'lly coordinated effort to root out and take action against some of the leading online, economic crime." He was joined at a news conference Fri by FBI Director Robert Mueller and other top Justice Dept officials. Officials estimated the collective losses across more than 90 investigations at $176 million, affecting 89,000 victims. The cases involved the FBI, Secret Service, Customs Service, IRS, Postal Inspection Service, Fed Trade Commission and state and local police agencies. In one case, suspects used a Web site to sell more than $2 mn worth of pharmaceutical drugs without prescriptions or the involvement of any doctors. In another case, approximately 400 victims lost about $3,000 each in a scheme that promised lonely men the hope of marrying a Russian woman. Mueller repeatedly has stressed that cybercrime is among his priorities. Such cases can be difficult to solve because they frequently involve overseas connections and digital evidence that are easy for perpetrators to erase or falsify. "The Internet enables criminals to cloak themselves in anonymity," Ashcroft said. [Well, unless the FBI use the right software ;-)]. Fri's effort also was designed to demonstrate that the FBI retains considerable cybercrime expertise, despite the transfer earlier this y of its flagship Nat'l Infrastructure Protection Center to the new Dept of Homeland Security. Despite the loss of its NIPC computer specialists, Mueller has pledged a robust cybercrime division at FBI headquarters under Assistant FBI Director Jana Monroe. The FBI also has created what Mueller described as 60 specialised cyber-squads around the country and is working to put investigators in other countries. At the news conference, Mueller called the problem of cybercrime "large and growing," noting that complaints increased 300% last y to 48,000. Reserves given anti-terrorism role Canberra. The Fed Govt has confirmed it is establishing a special unit of army reserves to help police respond in the event of a terrorist attack in AUS. PM John Howard foreshadowed the move in Dec last year. Defence Min Robert Hill and the minister assisting, Danna Vale, have announced the establishment of the Reserve Response Force. The move is aimed to bolster AUS's fast response domestic security capabilities. The 1st group of army reserves will be trained and ready to respond by the middle of this year. AUS considering missile defence system: Hill Canberra. Defence Min Robert Hill says the Govt is continuing to talk to the US about AUS developing a missile defence system. Earlier this year, the Govt revealed it was considering whether a "shield" could be put in place to protect AUS against possible missile attacks from countries such as N Korea. Sen Hill has told Channel 7 there have been ongoing discussions with Washington. But he says a missile defence shield could not protect the entire nation. "And in terms of our forces working offshore and in a particular theatre there are ways now that they can be protected from incoming missiles even long-range ballistic missiles," Sen Hill said. "It's more money, it's an upgraded capability but we'll be looking at that not just in this review but in the y ahead." Melbourne. 3 BURNED IN ENGINE-ROOM EXPLOSION! 3 sailors have been burned in an engine-room fire late yesterday on board their ship docked off Geelong. The cargo vessel's boiler exploded while the ship was docked at Geelong's Lascelles Wharf in SW Vic. The rural ambulance service says all 3 crew were taken to hospital suffering burns to face, neck and chest. The worst of those injured -- a 36 yo man -- has been transferred to the Alfred Hospital's burns unit. Perth. AUSSIE ARRIVE HOME FROM THE GULF! Another contingent of AUS's forces in the Iraq war cones home today. SAS troops are due to return to Perth. Their arrival follows the return of group of seamen yesterday who were welcomed in Fremantle by PM Howard and Opp'n leader Crean. Canberra. NEW TRAVEL WARNING FOR AUSSIES! Following the Morrocan bomb attacks, AUS has updated its travel warning for Africa and the Middle E. At least 40 people have been killed and 100 wounded in coordinated suicide bombings on tourist and commercial targets in Casablanca. Last wk, 34 people were killed in suicide bombings on expat housing compounds in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Dubai. KISSERS GETS JAIL TERM IN DUBAI! An Aussie and a German caught French-kissing in the emirate of Dubai have been given 6-m jail terms. The sentences were suspended for 3 y on condition the lovers not re-offend. The pair have also been fined $A500 ea for being under the influence of alcohol. A local newspaper reports a Dubai Court found a 26 yo Aussie man and a 26 yo German woman guilty of kissing in public. Sydney. GOVT NOT AT FAULT OVER BALI MONEY SAYS GOVT MIN! Fed Health Min Kay Patterson has weighed into the row over cash for Bali bombing victims. She says the govt has intro'd special health benefits to cover any out-of-pocket health expenses they have. The AUS Red Cross was yesterday forced to defend its admin of $14.5 mn in public donations made for victims of last y's bomb attacks in Bali. The SMH said the victims had so far received only a fraction of the money, and were asking where the rest had gone. Melbourne. FRIDGE MAGNET DIVERTED DOMESTIC VIOLENCE FUNDING: OPPN! The fed Opp'n says the govt's anti-terrorism fridge magnet was partly funded by money allocated to domestic violence. Opp'n women's affairs rep Nicole Roxon says a close reading of the Budget papers reveals unspent funds for women's programs contributed $10 mn to the National Security Public Information Campaign. Ms Roxon says $10 mn is more than 1 y funding for the domestic violence program, and the diversion of the money shows the govt is not serious about tackling the issue. Melbourne. BRAWL AT ALP MEETING! Following a near-brawl at the ALP's state conference yesterday, Vic ALP Senator Stephen Conroy says violence has no place in the party. Punches were thrown after factional tensions sparked a melee over voting procedures -- with up to 40 delegates involved. Witnesses say it began as a scuffle between members of the Left and Right factions, and descended into mayhem with other delegates, incl several women, running to join in. [Later reports indicated the 2nd day of the conf was "tense", but not blows landed. The original argument apparently kicked off when allegations were made that certain factions didn't have the membership they were claiming]. {{ Continuous war news 3 am Morrocan authorities have rounded up 30 suspects in connection with the suicides attacks on restaurants and Jewish targets in Casablanca. 8 am Army reservists in AUS will be used to guard possible terrorist targets around the country. Sydney. The war on illegal drugs continues, with 100 kg of "ice" seized by police. A woman has been taken into custody. Dubai. A leader of Saddam Hussein's Republican Guard has surrender in Iraq. Gen Kamal Mustafa Abdullah Sultan al-Tikrit is the former Sec Gen of the Guard and was a member of Saddam's inner circle. US forces say he figured highly on the US list of 55 most-wanted Iraqi leaders. In Casablanca, police detonated another bomb that failed to explode during co-ordinated attacks yesterday evening. The US has offered to help Moroccan authorities track down the terrorist responsible. There are 60 American law officials in Saudi Arabia looking into the attacks there. 6 pm Canberra. The Opp'n and minor parties say the announcement that a special force of reservists would protect Aussie landmarks contradicts the govt's position that AUS is a safer place after GWII. The govt has announced that Army reserves would be used to guard landmarks from terrorist attack. Hill says there will be 7 companies of anti-terrorist soldiers, each with about 150 personnel. SYD would be assigned 2 of the companies. Def Min Hill also said the soldiers would be used at "events" that may be the targets of terrorism. Mr Crean says the govt has announced 12 new warning advisories in the past 6 days, each advising of increased risks for Aussies and their businesses. Together with the new anti-terrorism force, it showed the PM was wrong when he said the war in Iraq would not make Aussies a bigger target for terrorism. Sen Hill said the new protection force had nothing to do with Iraq. 6.30 pm Ariel Sharon has postponed his trip to Washington, following 3 suicides bombings in Israel in the past 24 hrs. The ILO says terrorism could result in the loss of 5 mn jobs in internat'l tourism this y. In AUS, Access Economics estimates world and Aussie growth could be cut back by 3/4% because of terrorism fears. Baghdad. US soldiers are still patrolling the streets of Baghdad. In an effort to restore law and order, Bremer announced they would operate 24/7 until further notice. While the US authorities would prefer to have Iraqi police doing the job, there are only 2 functioning police stations in the city of 5 mn. Unis re-opened for the first time since the war. But there were no classes. Most classrooms have been looted and destroyed during the fall of Baghdad. Last wk a Dean was shot and killed on the main Baghdad Uni campus. Today, US troops were guarding the campus. }} ---------------------------------------- Mon, 19 May 2003. Markets 90 die in Sri Lanka floods Morocco vows to track down attackers Road map to nowhere Indon launches military ops Missionary beheaded in Solomons Mixed news on SARS Dull news on world economy US to back anti-tobacco treaty Rural Vic battered by storm NSW Prem backs "disciplining" Trade talks resume Belgian govt claims election victory NY. MARKETS! The Dow closed down 34 pts (0.4%) at 8,679 on renewed terrorism fears. But in London, the FTSE was up 38 pts (0.9%) at 4,049. The Dax was unchanged at 2,989. Gold is trading higher at $354.50/oz. Colombo. 90 DIE IN SRI LANKA FLOODS! At least 90 people have been killed in Sri Lanka after the worst rains in more than 50 y battered the S of the island. District Sec Malini Premaratna says 81 were killed in the worst-affected region of Ratnapura, 100 km SE of Colombo. A police official says about 10 people were killed in Matara district on the S coast. Officials say the navy has been called in to help with rescue operations and search for the missing. Rabat. MOROCCO VOWS TO TRACK DOWN ATTACKERS! PM Driss Jettou has vowed Morocco won't bow to terrorism and will hunt down and punish whomever is responsible for the suicide attacks that left 41 victims dead in Casablanca. Jettou told state TV the attacks -- which killed 6 foreign nationals -- were aimed at Morocco's political stability and values of tolerance and openness. The 13 suicide bombers were among those who died in Fri's attacks in Morocco's business hub Casablanca. Although secular Morocco is an ally of the US, it was against GWII, with mass demonstrations in the lead-up and during the war. Jerusalem. ROAD MAP TO NOWHERE! Peace in the Middle E seems as remote as ever after a double suicide bombing killed 7 people in Jerusalem. The attack has prompted PM Sharon to put off a key trip to Washington to discuss the "road map" with Pres Bush and Colin Powell. Israel blame Yasser Arafat for abetting hard-liners in a bid to scuttle peace efforts led by his rival, PM Abu Mazen. Other Israelis also accuse the PM of supporting terrorism. Jakarta. INDON LAUNCHES MILITARY OPS! Indonesia has announced it will launch new military operations against rebels in Aceh after peace talks broke down in Tokyo. A rep says the decree from Pres Megawati Sukarnoputri puts the province under martial law and gives the go-ahead for a major military assault effective for up to 6 m. Megawati made the decision after the rebel delegation at the Tokyo peace talks rejected the conditions laid down by the Indon govt. Sydney. MISSIONARY BEHEADED IN SOLOMONS! A 60 yo AUS man has reportedly been beheaded in the strife-torn Solomon islands. A DFAT rep says diplomats have received advice that an Aussie man was killed over the weekend. However the rep declined to reveal how the man died or whether it was in unlawful circumstances. He says Solomon Islands officials are now investigating the report. [Other reports say the 7th Day Adventist may have been killed because of a land dispute over a church building project]. HK. MIXED NEWS ON SARS! The WHO says it won't remove Singapore from its list of SARS-affected regions as the city-state had been hoping. Meanwhile, Taiwan reported a record number of cases for the 2nd successive day. In China, courts have announced prison sentences for demonstrators opposed to local quarantine facilities for the virus. HK has announced positive news, with only 3 new infections reported there in the past 24 hrs. Washington. DULL NEWS ON WORLD ECONOMY! The IMF has warned Germany is at "high risk" of deflation, and Japan, HK and Taiwan are vulnerable to an accelerating pace of price declines. It says there's a low chance of deflation in the US, but adds there are considerable uncertainties in that outlook. The IMF says low post-GWII inflation rates, the bursting of an equity bubble, rising banking sector stresses in some economies, and declining credit growth are to blame. The study, put together by a special IMF task force [thank you Mr Phelps!], comes at a time of increased worries about deflation around the world. The IMF warns deflation -- a sustained decline in aggregate price measures -- is seldom benign and is difficult to anticipate. Geneva. US TO BACK ANTI-TOBACCO TREATY! In a major shift of position, the US has now indicated it will back a global anti-tobacco treaty due to be adopted at the annual assembly of the WHO. US Health and Human Services Sec Tommy Thompson says in a decision that will surprise many around the world, the US is going to support the treaty. However, Thomson stressed a decision about when the treaty would be signed by the US would be made by Pres Bush. Melbourne. RURAL VIC BATTERED BY STORM! Much of C W Vic was blacked out and 10s of homes damaged by a severe storm last night. The storm -- described as a "mini-tornado" -- has caused its most damage at Eaglehawk, about 140 km NW of MEL. A CFA rep says several houses were unroofed, trees were uprooted and power-lines brought down when the winds struck. He says the storm also blacked out the surrounding towns of Castlemaine, Bendigo and Maldon. Sydney. NSW PREM BACKS "DISCIPLINING"! NSW Prem Bob Carr is backing teachers who "discipline" children in the face of new guidelines that give children the right to complain about non-physical abuse. Mr Carr says the guidelines are already the subject of a govt review and he may ask Cabinet to look at them. The Prem told radio 2GB he doesn't want to see the authority of teachers undermined. [Hah!] The Daily Telegraph says teachers fear that the vagueness of the language used in the guidelines will undermine their ability to discipline pupils. Sydney. TRADE TALKS RESUME! Free trade talks between the US and AUS resume today, with news the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme may be at risk to secure the deal. The 2nd round of talks get under way in Hawaii, with the AUS govt refusing to remove the PBS from the negotiating table. A report by the Australia Institute found prices for medicines are likely to double if US drug companies get the concessions they are lobbying for. [Other reports indicate Pres Bush wants the FTA in place by Xmas]. Brussels. BELGIAN GOVT CLAIMS ELECTION VICTORY! Belgian PM Guy Verhofstadt is claiming victory after the ruling Liberals and Socialists won a parliamentary majority in the country's general elections. With sluggish economic growth and unemployment high, the PM vowed the new C-L govt will keep cutting taxes and reform state bureaucracy and an overburdened judiciary. The anti-immigration Vlaams Blok party won the largest vote in its 25-y history, 5 m after race riots rocketed the port city of Antwerp. {{ Continuous war news 1.30 am Israel. PM Sharon is in an emergency Cabinet meeting after cancelling a trip to Washington to discuss the Road Map with Powell and Bush Jr. The meeting comes after a 19 yo suicide bomber disguised as an orthodox jew blew himself up on a bus, killing 7 and injuring 20 others. Mins later, another man blew himself up, but killed only himself. [Later reports said the Cabinet meeting decided on a total closure of borders with Palestinian regions. Sharon and US Pres Bush Jr also announced they would no longer meet with world leaders who met with Yasser Arafat]. Ski Lanka. 40 people have lost their lives in the worst floods in the country for 50 y. 1000s have been forced from their homes, particularly in S areas. Philippines. The govt says 50 members of the MILF have been killed in fighting on the S island of Mindanao. But the Islamic separatist group has said it has not lost any men. Tokyo. 2 days of talks between officials from Aceh and Indon have ended with no new agreement on peace in the rebel province. An Indo rep said the govt would keep open the possibility of further talks with GAN. Meanwhile, Indon troops have begun massing in Aceh. Their commanders were shown giving them orders on how to deal with rebels. 2.30 am NBC. Meet the Press. Tim Russert showed the guests newspaper headlines today "Iraq sliding into lawlessness". He quoted the head of the group trying to restore electric power to Baghdad and other cities as saying he can't do his work until security is restored to the country. In the past 10 y the US had attempted "nation building". It's succeeded in 2 cases. 6 am Baghdad. 1 soldier was killed in the Iraqi capital when he tried to destroy an un-exploded munition. Moroccan authorities have linked a local Islamic group with terrorist attacks in Casablanca that killed more than 40 people. The bodies of 18 Egyptians have been found in a mass grave in S Iraq. Iraqis have marched in a mass demonstrated against Saddam's Baath party. US officials have outlawed the organisation, and plan to bar up to 30,000 members from positions in the new Iraqi govt and civil service. 20 people were injured after a gas canister exploded in Tel Aviv. Police say the canister fell off a truck as it was being unloaded outside a noodle bar. Tel Aviv remains on high alert after 3 suicide bombings in the past 24 hrs. O'night, 2 gunmen that tried to break into a Jewish settlement on the W Bank were shot by the army. The death toll from floods in Sri Lanka has reached 90. Bahrein and Qatar say hey have intel that al-Qaeda may be planning new attacks on W targets in those countries. 8 am An Aussie missionary in the Solomons has reportedly been beheaded. What's described as a "mini tornado" has hit a town in C Victoria o'night, destroying up to 50 homes. Following failed peace talks in Tokyo, Indon has launched fresh military operations in Aceh. Jakarta had given the Free Aceh Movement 24 hrs to reach an agreement with the govt or face the consequences. 1000s of govt troops have poured into the prov over the past wk. 7 people were killed yesterday as they attempted to hoist a flag symbolising Acehenese independence. In another move to combat international terrorism, there are calls for AFP to be permanently posted around Asia, incl Indonesia. The idea will be broached at a police conf in Indon later this m. The govt has backed plans to keep agents in offices around the region permanently. Taiwan has officially apologised after a SARS-infected doctor visited Japan. The hotel where the man stayed has been disinfected, incl the check-in counter. Meanwhile, in China, the death total from the virus has risen to 40. The AUD is bolting away. It's presently up near the 66 US c mark. News in the US indicates deflation is the next threat. Over the weekend Fin Mins endorsed moves in currency markets, incl the fall of the USD against the euro. Whales and dolphins are the latest victims of terrorism. Dozens of stranded whales and dolphins are apparently the victims of the US Navy's experimental sonar systems. While the Navy has previously ack'ed it was at least party responsible for some whale beachings, it denies sonar can kill them. But Navy had to call off testing of a sonar system in one area after complaints from fishermen who couldn't tolerate the noise miles away from the test. Researchers have reported they can see the effects of the intense sound waves on dead animals, incl bleeding around the eyes, ears and brains. Some say it's like death from an intense migraine. Whale watchers also report strange behaviour of whales and dolphins in areas where the sonar is operating, incl interruption of migration patterns. Some liken the reaction they've seen to hikers if someone threw a concussion grenade into the Grand Canyon. But with Pres Bush Jr seeking to exempt the US military from environmental laws as part of the US's War On Terrorism, the inhabitants of the world's oceans are likely to see an increase in the noise level. 40 people have been killed in flooding in C and S China. 2,000 homes have been destroyed. Indon has launched a rocket attack on rebel positions in Ache this morning. It's expected to be followed by paratroops dropping in elsewhere in the region. 1000s had fled their homes ahead of expected further Indon military attacks. Jakarta has demanded the GAM drop their call for independence for the oil-rich province. Midday. The Moroccan govt says it known most of the ID's of the 13 terrorist bombers that attacked restaurants and other targets in Casablanca. Officials say they belonged to shadowy local Islamic groups, and several had recently returned from O/S. They were mostly Morrocan citizens. But they hadn't done their homework. One of the sites attacked was a Jewish community centre. On the Sabbath it was largely deserted. "We broke the beehive... and we didn't kill the bees... especially the queen bee". Democrats vying for their party's Presid'l nomination partly blame the Whitehouse for the recent spate of terrorist bombings on American interests. Mosul. Governor Bremer did a tour of Mosul, showcasing some of the successes of the US Administration. There are 14 police stns open in Mosul, compared with 2 in Baghdad. But outside one venue, Iraqis were calling for the restoration of services, pay and food & water. "At least Saddam paid us", said a member of the Iraqi military. But Bremer didn't have time for the complaints. His minders whisked him back to Baghdad after the photo ops. In Baghdad, US forces made 4 tables for a primary school in one of the poorest neighbourhoods. But CNN says it will be a tight squeeze for the 1,000 students. The school principal thanked the soldiers for the picnic tables. But other onlookers were not as easily impressed. The US is also making a show of cleaning up the city. Kind of [pix show piles of rubbish and rubble still in the street]. Just 80 more to go. }} ======================================== (*) 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. *** Is that a firearm in your pants? ***