From the World-Wide Resourses of the Western Australia Reserch Senter(*) OIL THE NEWS THAT FITS MY VIEWS #46 =============================== 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... ------------------------------------------------------------ Mon, 19 May 2003. Markets 60 dead in China floods 7 axed to death in Kashmir Suicide bomber wounds 3 in Gaza Israel closes borders to Palestinians Saudis arrest 4 terror suspects 4 Saudi blast suspects are arrested Security agencies say attacks show new level of planning and recruitment New threats from al-Qaeda Europe warns of dormant terror cells US Democrats blast Bush's campaign against terrorism Bremer denies allies staying on US administrator dismisses concerns about appointments AUS team to help recover stolen Iraq artefacts AFP credited with foiling terrorist operations Amrozi trial adjourned again Conscription proposed for terrorism fight Indonesia launches rocket attack in Aceh Indonesian police arrest officer for attempted bombing Military attack on Aceh underway Institute wins contract to develop Vietnam finance sector Swiss reject nuclear power freeze Politicians do lie: scientist Picketers brawl with scabs China to help Aussie climbers Doctors warn of indemnity crunch Fungus hunt Beattie clears land clearing Qld pulls money out of air Wool falls 20% since Apr Continuous war news Sydney. MARKETS! The ASX closed slightly lower today with weakness in some of the Banks and News Corp weighing on the indexes. The All Ords ended the session 2 points down at 2,923. The Nikkei again ended about even at 8,117. In HK, the Hang Seng closed down 33 pts at 9,093. Beijing. 60 DEAD IN CHINA FLOODS! More than 60 people are feared dead after torrential rains in S China. The Chian Daily says 25 people are confirmed dead and 13 are missing in S Hunan Prov, after rainfall triggered massive mountain floods. More than 1.2 mn people in 19 counties t'out Hunan have been affected by the flooding. Meanwhile, mns of farmers in N China are facing the opposite problem. Jammu. 7 AXED TO DEATH IN KASHMIR! Police in Kashmir say suspected Islamic militants have axed to death a shepherd and 6 family members in a remote mtn village in the Indian portion of the disputed region. A police officer says a man, 4 women and 2 children were killed in a midnight attack. No one has claimed responsibility for the killings in Kot Dhara, a village 189 km N of Jammu, the winter capital of the Indian state of Jammu-Kashmir. Suicide bomber wounds 3 in Gaza Gaza City. 3 Israeli soldiers were slightly injured when a Palestinian suicide bomber riding a bike detonated his explosives as they passed in a jeep in the Gaza Strip early today, an Israeli military source said The incident, in which the bomber died, took place nr the Kfar Darom Jewish settlement, the source said. Palestinian residents told AFP they heard a loud explosion in the area. Israel yesterday closed off the Gaza Strip and W Bank after suicide bombing left scores dead. Israel closes borders to Palestinians Tel Aviv. Israel has imposed a "general closure" on the W Bank after a suicide bomber killed 7 people. The move bans Palestinians from entering or leaving Israel, the Israeli army says. The army gave few details. It has restricted entry into Israel since the start of a Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in Sep 2000. Israel radio says the statement means Palestinians who have been able to continue to work in Israel will be barred from doing so. Yesterday, a Palestinian suicide bomber disguised as a religious Jew killed 7 people on a Jerusalem bus. The attack prompted Israeli PM Ariel Sharon to put off a White House trip to discuss a US-backed peace plan. Another suicide bomber struck soon afterwards at a nearby roadblock but killed only himself. That took the overall death toll to 9 in a new wave of bloodshed just hrs after the highest-level Israeli-Palestinian talks for more than 2 y. Mr Sharon had met his Palestinian counterpart, Abu Mazen, earlier in the day. The Islamic militant group Hamas said on its website that it carried out the attack in Jerusalem's French Hill district. Riyadh. SAUDIS ARREST 4 TERROR SUSPECTS! Saudi authorities have arrested 4 people in connection with the Riyadh suicide bombings. Saudi Int Min Prince Nayef told reporters 3 of the attackers who died had been sought by police during a previous al-Qaeda probe. Prince Nayef gave no details on the arrests. He says investigators have ID-ed 5 of the badly-mangled bodies of 9 Saudi men believed to have carried out the May 12 attacks on 3 compounds housing foreigners and a US business in Riyadh. 4 Saudi blast suspects are arrested Riyadh (AFP). 4 suspects with apparent ties to al-Qaeda were arrested in connection with the recent suicide attacks on 3 housing compounds in Riyadh that killed 25 bystanders, including eight Americans, officials said Sun. It was the strongest sign yet that Osama bin Laden's terrorists -- who have carried out deadly strikes from Nairobi to NY -- may have played a part in the bombings at complexes housing foreigners. Nine attackers died. Int Min Prince Nayef said the 4 suspects knew about the May 12 attacks but did not take part in them. A Saudi official said they were arrested in the past 3 days. Asked whether the 4 men in custody belonged to al-Qaeda, Nayef said, "All indications point to that." Nayef said investigators ID-ed 3 of 9 badly mangled bodies of the Saudi attackers in the Riyadh blasts. Prince Saud, the Saudi foreign minister, has said there were a total of 15 men who are believed to have taken part in the attacks. The 3 ID-ed attackers were among 19 suspects being sought in connection with the seizure of a weapons cache discovered May 6 near one of the compounds. The 19 were believed to be receiving orders directly from bin Laden and had planned to use the seized weapons to attack the Saudi royal family and American and Brit interests. US intel officials had worried that al-Qaeda was preparing a string of attacks on so-called "soft targets," including lightly defended buildings and civilians, though there has been no definitive evidence linking the Saudi-born bin Laden's terror group to the Riyadh blasts. More than 60 FBI and other US investigators are assisting Saudi authorities with the probe into Mon's attacks. US officials have said Americans would help -- not run -- the investigation into the attacks. 8 Americans were killed. Nayef said the Americans had come to examine "the sites and we welcomed them based on that, for examining only." Nayef could have been trying to counter domestic criticism that his govt is ceding control to the Americans. But the remarks contrasted with those by Adel al-Jubeir, a Saudi foreign policy adviser. Security agencies say attacks show new level of planning and recruitment London (The Guardian). Security and intel agencies believe al-Qaeda has managed to reorganise its network to become a more potent -- although more dispersed -- force. In the past wk, and for the 1st time since Sep 11, Osama bin Laden's network has used dozens of suicide bombers against soft targets of civilians in restaurants and resid'l areas. Even the bombings in the tourist resort of Bali, although they killed more than 200, used only one or maybe 2 suicide bombers. The extent of the planning and the recruitment that went into the Morocco and Saudi attacks, where a total of 23 people blew themselves up in coordinated attacks, as well as devastating explosions in Chechnya, indicate that al-Qaeda is again and a force to be reckoned with. While the Bush admin -- and Brit ministers -- trumpeted the collapse of al-Qaeda's base in Afghanistan and the arrest of some of the organisation's leaders, intel agencies have been far more sceptical. Defensive measures taken by some countries, notably in W Europe, meant that al-Qaeda-inspired and funded groups and individuals were deterred from attacking prestige targets such as American military bases and official buildings of W or pro-western govts. But that in turn encouraged a shift in tactics towards soft targets. Bali, Casablanca and Riyadh, the Saudi capital, are vivid examples of the tactic. Jonathan Stevenson, author of the Internat'l Institute for Strategic Studies' (IISS) annual strategic survey published last wk, described the Riyadh bombings as the 1st indication that the regime change in Iraq -- in the short term -- is going to cause a terrorist backlash and be an inspiration for terrorists. Although the audacity and sheer power of the American-led invasion could have a "suppressive effect" on terrorists, it was equally likely that the conflict had increased al-Qaeda's recruiting power, he said. A fresh warning by Germany's BND, the equivalent of Brit's MI5, emphasised the point. According to German newspaper reports over the weekend, the agency says the al-Qaeda network's support and potential for recruitment remains intact in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. The network's morale had been boosted by the suicide bombings in Riyadh and by America's decision to withdraw most US troops from Saudi Arabia and send home non-essential embassy staff and dependants. The theory of intensifying al-Qaeda activity is also reinforced by senior American counterterrorism officials who were reported this weekend as saying that leaders of the terror group had reorganised bases of operations in at least a half-dozen locations, including Kenya, Sudan, Pakistan and Chechnya. The leaders had begun to recruit new members, train them and plan new attacks on W targets in earnest, the NY Times reported. It cited as evidence secret arrests in the US in the last 2 m of 2 Arab men suspected of having been sent by the al-Qaeda leadership to scout targets for terror attacks. The newspaper said US officials would not identify the 2 men, who were described as conducting "presurveillance" activities. They were part of a larger group of about 6 al-Qaeda followers arrested in recent m whose presence in the US had led the authorities to conclude that the terrorist network remained determined to carry out attacks on US soil. Reflecting this concern the Foreign Office warned last wk of a clear terrorist threat not only in Kenya, but also Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda. The decision to suspend BA flights to Kenya was linked to intel that Fazul Abdulah Mohammed, suspected of being behind the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998, had returned to Kenya. The US counterterrorism officials also said al-Qaeda was trying to develop explosives which were harder to detect, to be placed in shoes or luggage, and would be used to blow up a passenger aircraft. It is unlikely, the officials said, that a terrorist team would follow the example of the Sep 11 hijackers, spending m in the US before a new attack. More probably, they would remain abroad until they chose the time to strike. Meanwhile signals to al-Qaeda supporters seem to be appearing at a steady rate. Messages may be sent to al-Qaeda net works or sympathisers in different ways. In a tape issued 3 m ago, at a time when the US was concentrating on Iraq, a voice widely agreed to be that of Osama bin Laden described Morocco and Saudi Arabia, as well as Pakistan, Nigeria, Jordan, and Yemen, as targets for "martyrdom operations". New threats from al-Qaeda London. Last m, Mohammed al-Ablaj, who described himself as a commander of a "mojahedin training centre" for al-Qaeda, announced that it was preparing "an intensive strategic course to make America pay for its invasion of Iraq" and hit "other targets soon and often". It was reported yesterday that al-Ablaj has sent an email to al-Majalla, a Saudi-owned London-based magazine, warning of "new and more severe strikes which will surprise the Americans and Israelis alike". In another email, Thabet ibn Qais has described himself as a new rep for al-Qaeda and said the network had "carried out changes in its leadership". Whatever the significance of these developments, European security and intel sources say it would be a mistake to regard al-Qaeda as a centralised, disciplined organisation along the lines of groups such as the IRA. The sources describe, rather, a network of "local Islamist groups affiliated to the aims of al-Qaeda". Thus the Bali bombing was carried out by JI. In Morocco, extremist groups with links to al-Qaeda include Salafia Jihadia and Attakfir wal Hijra. There are hosts of other groups with links to what is seen as a burgeoning al-Qaida movement, ranging from Morocco to Malaysia and the Philippines. The IISS describes al-Qaida as a "potent transnat'l terrorist organisation that could take a generation to dismantle", adding that "thanks to technology and the multinat'l allure of jihadism, the Afghanistan camps were [now] unnecessary". The only infrastructure al-Qaida required was safe houses to assemble bombs and weapons caches. "Otherwise, notebook computers, encryption, the internet, multiple passports and the ease of global transportation enabled al-Qaida to function as a 'virtual' entity that leveraged local assets -- hence local knowledge -- to full advantage in coordinating attacks in many 'fields of jihad'," says the IISS. Al-Qaida has no state to defend, allowing it to maintain "a flat, transnat'l, and clandestine organisational scheme". Its leadership -- and the term itself may be a misnomer -- thus leaves actual terrorist attacks to "local foot-soldiers", as happened in the Bali bombings and others since, including those in Casablanca. The "multinat'l allure of jihadism" meant that any bombers who were lost could easily be replaced. London. EUROPE WARNS OF DORMANT TERROR CELLS! European officials warn that dormant Islamic [?] terrorist cells may strike at any moment, heightening worldwide alerts against al-Qaeda after suicide bombings in Saudi and Morocco. Saudi Arabia says it's looking at al-Q links to last Mon's bombings in Riyadh. Italian Int Min Giuseppe Pisanu says there are dormant Islamic terrorist cells which may wake up and commit attacks. Germany has urged its citizens not to travel to E Africa and Morocco. In recent days Brit has banned flights by BA to and from Kenya. US Democrats blast Bush's campaign against terrorism Washington. Democrats are accusing the Bush admin in the US of not doing enough to rein in Al Qaeda. The comments follow the bombings in Saudi Arabia and Morocco this wk. Democratic presid'l candidates are challenging Pres George W Bush on how he is running the campaign against terrorism. Sen Bob Graham says Al Qaeda has been let off the hook, while Sen John Kerry says the White House is overplaying its progress. "The triumphalism of this administration has really exceeded reality," he said. In Saudi Arabia, 4 people are in custody in relation to the Riyadh attack and another 3 suspects have been ID-ed. Authorities in Morocco have rounded up around 30 people suspected of involvement in the Casablanca bombings. Meanwhile, the US has condemned the suicide bombings in Jerusalem saying it would work with Israeli PM Ariel Sharon to reschedule his visit. Secretary of State Colin Powell called on the Palestinians to begin to take immediate and decisive action to eradicate the infrastructure of terrorism, which he said has undermined Palestinian aspirations. Bremer denies allies staying on Iraq (NY Times). The US admin for Iraq, Paul Bremer, said yesterday that Washington had no plans to suspend the transition to an Iraqi interim authority planned for the next few wk. "I've read a report in the American press about a delay [in the transitional govt]. "I don't know where these stories are coming from because we haven't delayed anything," Mr Bremer said during a visit to the N city of Mosul. The NY Times reported that Mr Bremer and Brit officials told Iraqi political leaders at a meeting on Fri they had delayed indefinitely a plan to allow Iraqis to form a nat'l assembly and interim govt. Iraqi politicians, mainly from the former exiled opposition, plan to hold a nat'l conference by the m to form an interim authority to run the country after the US-led war that toppled Saddam Hussein on Apr 9. Mr Bremer said he had a "productive meeting" with Iraqi leaders on Fri. "We have committed to meet within the next 2 wk again with those Iraqi leaders and others as we move, I think, rather quickly in this transitional phase," he said. But John Sawers, a Brit diplomat who attended the Fri meeting, told Iraqi political figures the allies preferred to revert to the concept of creating an "interim authority" -- not a provisional govt -- so that Iraqis could assist them by writing a constitution for the country, revamping the educational system and devising a plan for democratic elections. In a move calculated to combat any resurgence of Baath party influence, Mr Bremer issued an order banning up to 30,000 senior members "from future employment in the public sector". Meanwhile, the US and Brit worked assiduously at the UN to win broad internat'l consensus for a resolution to lift economic sanctions on Iraq, in order to begin selling oil to finance reconstruction. In seeking support, the allies are facing demands for a greater UN role in shaping postwar Iraq. UNSC members were polite but cautious on Fri in their reactions to the latest draft of a resolution circulated by the US. . The most positive public reaction came from Germany. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, after meeting the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, on Fri, said he thought sanctions "should be lifted as soon as possible", but he did not endorse the resolution's current wording. Analysts called it a significant gesture towards repairing a relationship that was badly torn by Berlin's opposition to the war. US administrator dismisses concerns about appointments Baghdad. The top US admin in Iraq has denied reports of a delay in the appointment of an Iraqi interim admin. As US forces continue to struggle with violence and looting in Baghdad, Paul Bremer met with Iraqi leaders in the N city of Mosul. He says concerns that the coalition is not moving fast enough are not justified. AUS team to help recover stolen Iraq artefacts Canberra. The Fed Govt has announced a group of AUS specialists will help in the restoration of Iraq's heritage and the recovery of stolen artefacts. Mass looting took place in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein with many items stolen from the nat'l museum. Fed Environment Min David Kemp says the AUS team will assist in the recovery of those items. "An important part of this will be to make a list of the items which have actually been stolen because such a list is the essential prerequisite so that we can identify any of these objects should they appear in AUS, that we can seize them and return them to Iraq promptly," he said. AFP credited with foiling terrorist operations Canberra. AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty has revealed work done in recent wk has stopped terrorist operations in SE Asia. Commissioner Keelty says the AFP is now working to ensure an indefinite presence in the region. He would not reveal details but says work behind the scenes has already foiled meetings of terrorist suspects. "If you look back in history at what the Singapore police were able to do, the Royal Malaysian Police were able to do, in foiling the planned attacks on US and AUS interests in those countries, I mean there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes to pro-actively prevent events from occurring," he said. Amrozi trial adjourned again Bali. The trial of Bali bombing suspect Amrozi has once again been adjourned. Amrozi, a village mechanic, is accused of attending several planning sessions for the bombings, buying a tonne of explosive material and a van to be used in the blast, and taking them to Bali. Judges adjourned the hearing after 45 minutes and will rule on Thu on whether the trial should go ahead. Amrozi is the 1st of more than 30 suspects to face trial. Conscription proposed for terrorism fight Canberra. Conscription will be needed to provide enough personnel for the Govt's proposed anti-terrorism 'home guard', the Nat'l Servicemens Association of AUS says. The Fed Govt has announced Army Reserve soldiers will be trained to bolster domestic security. Association rep Allen Callaghan says the Army Reserve and the AUS Defence Force are already about one-third understrength. "If they rely on voluntary recruitment, they simply don't have the personnel," Mr Callaghan said. "Our regular forces are already stretched and many of the reserve units exist only on paper." AUS's Vietnam veterans have supported the call for the re-introduction of conscription. The head of the Qld branch of the Vietnam Veterans Association, Barry Johnson, says with the shortage of personnel within the regular defence force and the reserves, there is a need for compulsory nat'l service. Indonesia launches rocket attack in Aceh Jakarta. The Indonesian army says it has launched a rocket attack on rebels in Aceh and will begin a big offensive later today. The attack comes just hrs after Pres Megawati Sukarnoputri put the province under martial law. The main assault will include the parachuting in of rapid reaction troops. Last-ditch peace talks between rebels and govt negotiators collapsed at the weekend in Japan. Indonesian police arrest officer for attempted bombing Jakarta. Indonesia's Nat'l Police has confirmed a member of the organisation's elite unit is being held in connection with an apparent attempt to bomb its own HQ. One Indonesian newspaper reporting the arrest of the officer of the elite Brimob unit reports a source in Indonesia's Nat'l Police as saying police were investigating whether the unit had been infiltrated by the Jemaah Islamiyah group, the organisation named by investigators as behind the Bali bomb attack. After a series of recent pipe bomb attacks in the Jakarta, including one at the capital's airport, police last wk arrested a woman carrying a pipe bomb in the nat'l police headquarters, and have now revealed that the woman's husband is the arrested Brimob officer. AUS Fed Police have been involved in investigating the Jakarta blasts and an AFP source said AUS would be watching investigations of the arrested officer, particularly as Brimob officers are in charge of security at the Bali bomb trials. Military attack on Aceh underway Banda Aceh. The Indon military has begun an attack on separatist rebels in the prov of Aceh after peace talks in Japan collapsed at the weekend. Indon troops have parachuted into Aceh at the start of what the military high command says will be a large scale assault against separatist guerrillas. Choppers have landed 100s of other troops from a quick reaction strike force a few kilometres outside the provincial capital, Banda Aceh. Earlier, the military launched a rocket attack against a rebel base. The outbreak of hostilities follows the declaration of martial law by Indonesian Pres Megawati Sukarnoputri. Last-ditch peace talks held in Tokyo over the weekend collapsed after rebel leaders refused to renounce their calls for independence. One of SE Asia's longest running separatist wars, over the last 27 y the conflict in Aceh has killed an estimated 10,000 people. Institute wins contract to develop Vietnam finance sector Sydney. An AUS consultancy will help Vietnam establish a stock exchange in Hanoi. The SYD-based Securities Institute won the contract ahead of companies from the US, Brit and S Korea. A group of consultants from the company will leave AUS next m to help open a trading board for the Hanoi Securities Trading Centre and establish procedures such as market surveillance. The internat'l manager of the company, Mark Howland says the Vietnamese govt wants to emulate the evolution of the AUS securities market. "Now it's time for AUS to actually show what it can do, Vietnam is changing fairly dramatically, it's economy is becoming more robust than it has previously been and it's giving them another dimension to the financial requirements for Vietnam," he said. Swiss reject nuclear power freeze Geneva. Swiss voters have rejected environmental groups' proposals to eliminate or freeze nuclear power in a weekend referendum. Officials results show the 2 proposals were defeated after they were rejected by a majority of voters in 14 of Switzerland's 26 regions. That result meant they failed to meet a constitutional requirement for their approval. [From the "Did they get really get research money for this?" file:] Politicians do lie: scientist London (Reuters). After intensive research, a Brit scientist has concluded that lying is an important part of politics. The study, conducted by Glen Newey, a political scientist at Brit's University of Strathclyde, was described in Brit's Observer newspaper. "Politicians need to be more honest about lying," he told the newspaper. According to Mr Newey, whose findings were published by the govt-funded Economic and Social Research Council, voters expect to be lied to in certain circumstances, and sometimes even require it. "Politics should be regarded as less like an exercise in producing truthful statements and more like a poker game," he said. "And there is an expectation by a poker player that you try to deceive them as part of the game." Mr Newey said lying by politicians can occasionally be entirely justified, such as when nat'l security is at risk, and the public even has a "right to be lied to" in cases where they do not expect to be told the whole truth, such as during a war. But the main cause of lying is increased probing by the public into areas that the govt would rather not discuss candidly. If voters only asked fewer questions, politicians would tell them fewer lies. Bill Clinton famously lied about his affair with Monica Lewinsky, while earlier philandering US presidents never had to lie about their affairs, because nobody ever asked. "When journalists or parliamentary colleagues start to probe at that area which the govt wants to keep secret, you are more likely to be pushed further and further toward the territory of lying," Mr Newey said. Sydney. PICKETERS BRAWL WITH SCABS! Drum and pail makers picketing for a 10th wk outside a SYD factory have clashed with strike-breakers in a tense 2-hr standoff. [Things'll be different when we get out Ready Reaction Forces!] Police were called to Morris McMahon's factory in inner-S Arncliffs to help a busload of workers get past about 100 rowdy demonstrators. A police rep says police worked for 2 hrs to clear the gate, finally ushering through the bus soon after 7 am. There have been no arrests so far. Beijing. CHINA TO HELP AUSSIE CLIMBERS! China has pledged to do what it can to assist in the rescue of 3 Aussie climbers trapped after an accident on one of the world's highest peaks in Tibet. Chinese For Min Li Zhaoxing has called AUS's acting foreign minister Mark Vaile saying the military's preparing to provide emergency assistance. 3 Aussie police officers remain on the peak after a climbing partner died while training to tacked Mt Everest next. Melbourne. DOCTORS WARN OF INDEMNITY CRUNCH! Doctors say the govt must act to avert what may be the biggest medical workforce crisis in the state's history. The AMA's Vic Pres, Dr Mukesh Haikerwal, says the state govt must address the medical indemnity crisis before doctors are forces to make a decision about their future in a few wks time. Dr H says from Jul 1, doctors will be forced to continue to take out insurance, even if they're retired, in order to protect themselves against lawsuits. He says they may also be sued up to 24 ys after a child is born. [Elsewhere, critics of the move to cap indemnity payments have taken out TV ads urging people who want to retain the right to sue for medical malpractice to ring the Prem, Steve Bracks, personally]. Canberra. FUNGUS HUNT! Scientists are conducting a survey of inner city CBR (aka "Civic") in a search for a potentially devastating fungus that's escaped from a CSIRO lab. The rust fungus was accidentally brought into the country with broom gall mites as part of a CSIRO research project to control the noxious Scotch Broom weed. The fungus can destroy legume crops such as lupins. CSIRO scientists believed the fungus was confined to a glasshouse in which the gall mites were housed. But it's been confirmed the fungus has escaped to the inner city suburb of Turner. Brisbane. BEATTIE CLEARS LAND CLEARING! Qld Prem Beattie says the problem of land-clearing should be fixed by the end of Jun. The Qld govt put an immediate stop on land clearing applications on Fri. That followed what Mr Beattie says is significant progress in talks with the fed govt on compensation for farmers. Qld lags behind other states [!] in addressing the issue following an impasse with the fed govt over who should fund compensation. Brisbane. QLD PULLS MONEY OUT OF AIR! Qld has pulled money out of the air. Cabinet has agreed to sell airspace over Bris's S Bank rail corridor for $200,000 to SYD-based property developer Mirvac Group. Mirvac will use the airspace to expand its S Bank office complex. Transp Min Steve Bredhauer says Mirvac is the first company to comply with the govt's new policy on such sales and other deals are in the pipeline. Canberra. WOOL FALLS 20% SINCE APR! AUS is slipping off the sheep's back, with wool dropping 20% in the past 6 wks. The strengthening of the AUD and the SARS outbreak in China are being linked with the slide. From a high of almost $11/kg, prices have slipped to $8.73/kg. In the past 7 days prices have fallen by almost 10%. Nat'l wool marketing mgr for Wesfarmers Landmark, Ross Bawden, says the fall in prices has caught many by surprise. {{ Continuous war news 9 pm Four Corners. Damning allegations have been made against the managers of the Woomera detention centre. The Centre was closed earlier this y after 3 y of operation. Former staff said manning levels were fudged by the company to increase profits. Four Corners said the company earned $1 mn in excess of its projected profit levels. Staff showed pix of many incidents they'd videoed. Staff said the sex abuse of children was covered up. They said the facilities were sub-standard. [Later, a reply from Imm Min Ruddock said he was looking into any violation of the contact of the supplier of services at the former desert concentration camp]. Shiites and Sunnis in Baghdad have marched in the biggest demo since fall of Saddam 6 wks ago. Iraqis are demanding a govt elected by the people and not a puppet regime appointed by the US. US plans to ban Baath party members from the civil service and other jobs has been greeted with mixed feelings. Not everyone in the party was sympathetic with its aims, say critics. In Taiwan, 100s of medical workers have resigned en masse after 120 workers became infected with SARS. The workers are complaining the govt hasn't provided masks and other equipment to protect them from contracting the disease as they work with infected patients. The resignation puts further strain on the health system. Yesterday, a record high number of infections was announced. There were 6 SARS deaths over the weekend. Officials have opened a checking stn outside Taipei's main hosp. Staff there will see if incoming patients have the disease before they can give it to other patients or medical staff. Singapore made 20 days without a new SARS case, one day short of the all-clear limit. Then a new case was declared. Sing business was looking for a return of the tourists. In HK virtually all schools opened today. About 1 mn students went back to school. They've been closed since Mar 29. 82 students have come down with the disease. There is no evidence SARS has spread in HK schools. The AUD was trading today around 66.2 US cents, sparking profit warnings from local companies with O/S exposure. Treas Costello says a higher AUD marks a return to "normal". Remarks from US Treas John Snow have further weakened the greenback over the weekend. Snow said the US "strong dollar policy" hadn't changed. He said the govt wanted the USD to be attractive to investors. But observers think the US wants a weaker dollar to boost its exports. A strong AUD will undermine a free trade deal with the US because it forces up price of goods to be sold into US. The Nikkei closed down 78 pts (1%) after the govt bailed out another troubled company. The FTSE is down 60 pts at 9 pm. Gold is at 3-m highs at $US359/oz. Oil is $US29.26/bbl. The AUD is 65.65 US c. }} ---------------------------------------- Tue, 20 May 2003. Markets dive 4 SARS deaths in Taiwan Another suicide bombing UN finds 2 dead workers Envoy warns aid work may halt UNSC renews Timor force US and AUS call for Aceh peace Mag 5 quake hits S Mexico 5 soldiers die in chopper crash Iraqi demonstration US promotes Philippines Welcome home parade Jun 18 Bali bombing investigation Mars probe countdown Brazil space agency to launch 2nd sat Humans and chimps linked Visitor numbers plunge Telstra to axe more jobs Wages keep peace with inflation French trade unions strike Aussie student debt predicted to hit $13 bn Personal injury changes Fewer paroles in NSW Polls not sure of Crean's future Anti-spam campaign Markets Continuous war news NY. MARKETS DIVE! The Dow declined sharply following comments from US Treas John Snow and data showing an economic slow-down. The DJIA closed down 187 pts (2.2%) to 8,492. Gold rocketed up $US11.85 to $US366.65. In London, the FTSE also fell sharply -- losing 108 pts (2.7%) to end the session at 3,941. The Dax lost 138 pts (4.8%!) to close at 2,851. The USD hovered around 4-y lows against the euro and 2-y lows against the J Yen. Taipei. 4 SARS DEATHS IN TAIWAN! Taiwan has announced 4 new SARS deaths, and a top health official warns the island hasn't yet seen the worst of the outbreak. The new deaths bring Taiwan's toll to 44. Officials also say there are 39 new cases of the deadly flu-like virus, bringing the current number of infections to 383. They say the jump in deaths is partly because they didn't release figures yesterday, which came after a holiday on Sun. Afula. ANOTHER SUICIDE BOMBING! In the 5th suicide bombing in less than 48 hrs, a 19 yo woman [some reports say a man] has killed herself and at least 3 others at a crowded shopping mall in a working class town in N Israel. Police say 47 people were wounded and at least 13 are in serious condition. The militant Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade have both claimed responsibility for the attack at the Shaarei Amakim mall in Afula. The prev 4 attacks were carried out by the armed wing of Arafat's Hamas group. [In a rare press conf, Arafat has condemned the wave of attacks. He says under the circumstances of occupation and travel restrictions, the Palestinian govt is doing the best it can to prevent the attacks. He told reporters his govt has stopped "7 or 8" attacks. Elsewhere, the Israeli govt has scoffed at the effort, saying they have stopped at least 5 times as many attacks]. Bunia. UN FINDS 2 DEAD WORKERS! UN officials have found the bodies of 2 colleagues killed while working as military observers in E Congo. Hamadoun Toure, rep for the UN mission in the DRC says they were killed "savagely". Toure says they have begun an investigation into who is responsible. Militias linked to the rival Hema and Lendu tribes have been battling for supremacy in the region. NY. ENVOY WARNS AID WORK MAY HALT! The UN special envoy for the Middle E peace process says the UN may be forced to halt humanitarian work in Gaza unless Israel eases its grip on key border crossings. Terje Roed-Larsen told the UNSC it has already become impossible to carry out may humanitarian operations satisfactorily. He says he plans to meet For Min'y officials in Israel to discuss recent closure of the Erez crossing between Gaza and Israel to all except those holding diplomatic passports. NY. UNSC RENEWS TIMOR FORCE! The UNSC has renewed the 3,800-strong UN peacekeeping force in E Timor for a final 12-m period ending in May next y. In will be the 2nd anniversary of the indep of the world's newest country. Adopted unanimously by the 15-member council, the resolution will see forces deployed along the Indon-held W Timor border to meet new threats from anti-independence militia. Banda Aceh. US AND AUS CALL FOR ACEH PEACE! The US and AUS are urging the Indon govt and GAM separatists to get back to negotiations as Indon troops pour into the prov to crush the rebels. The military has begun one of its biggest operations yet after Pres Megawati declared martial law in the province following the breakdown of peace talks in Tokyo. Leaders of the Free Aceh Movement say they're determined to fight on for independence. The Indon military says the assault could last up to 6 m. Observers say members of the GAM believe Indon is on the brink of break-up, like the former SU, and believe all they need to do for indep is hold on until the collapse. The Indon govt wants to avoid losing a 2nd oil-rich province after the indep of E Timor. But the 2 provinces are quite different cases. Timor was invaded by Indon in the 70s after being a Portuguese possession. Aceh has always been part of Indon since its indep from Dutch rule. Almost no country recognised the Indon annexation of E Timor; but no country recognises the indep of Aceh. Mexico City. MAG 5 QUAKE HITS S MEXICO! A strong earthquake has shaken the Pacific coast of S Mexico, with no reports of victims or damage. The Nat'l Seismological Service says the quake, measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale, was felt off the coast of the state of Michoacan. On Jan 21 a 7.6 mag quake hit the town of Colima, in the W state of Jalisco, killing more than 20 and injuring 100s. Washington. 5 SOLDIERS DIE IN CHOPPER CRASH! Pentagon officials say a USMC transport chopper has crashed nr Karbalah in C Iraq, killing at lest 4 people on board. They say there is no sign of survivors. A Pentagon official says another member of the US forces was drowned while trying to rescue the crew of the downed helicopter. The Marine CH-46 Sea Knight helicopter crashed into a canal SE of Karbalah. Baghdad. IRAQI DEMONSTRATION! In the largest demo in 6 wks, 1000s of Muslims have protested plans for a US-installed regime. The rally of up to 10,000 people comes a day after Iraq's top American L Paul Bremer vowed to press ahead with the creation of an interim national govt, Meanwhile, coalition forces in Iraq say they have captured the brother-in-law of toppled Pres Saddam Hussein. Centcom says Luay Khayrallaha was taken into custody on Fri. Washington. US PROMOTES PHILIPPINES! Pres Bush Jr has promoted the Philippines to the status of a full US military ally, with military aid to follow. Phil Pres Gloria Arroyo, a key leader in Bush's global campaign against terrorism, has enjoyed a 21-gun salute and warm praise on her arrival in Washington. Bush agreed to pay a return visit to Manila later this y. Terrorism dominates the US agenda following attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco. Canberra. WELCOME HOME PARADE JUN 18! The NSW govt has announced a Jun 18 parade in SYD to welcome home returned Aussie soldiers from Iraq. The Vic govt has offered to pay for another parade in MEL, but those arrangements have not been finalised. Gold Coast. BALI BOMBING INVESTIGATION! The AFP will release details of the Bali bombing investigation today. The info will be disclosed to more than 400 terrorist experts attending a conf on the Gold Coast. The FBI Nat'l Academy retraining conf has attracted participant from 13 countries. AFP Commissioner Mick Keelty dismissed warnings of more attacks on Australians issued by Bali bombing suspect Amrozi and Imam Samudra as "irrational behaviour". London. MARS PROBE COUNTDOWN! Brit is on track to launch its first major space exploration, with the countdown for the blastoff of its Mars mission at 2 wks and counting. Beagle 2 is an under-funded eccentric project. Designer Prof Colin Pillinger is happy the probe fits in a shopping cart. Compared with the usual NASA effort, the only thing in common between Houston and the control centre at the Open University is the ambition involved. Brasilia. BRAZIL SPACE AGENCY TO LAUNCH 2ND SAT! Brazil and China are due to launch a 2nd satellite in Sep as part of their joint space program to monitor climate and environmental changes. The Brazilian Space Agency says the CBERS 2 satellite will be launched from China and continue monitoring carried out by CBERS 1 which was launched in 1999. The first sat has monitored deforestation in the Amazon, weather patterns and agricultural crops. Washington. HUMANS AND CHIMPS LINKED! Researchers say humans and chimpanzees descended from a common ancestor and deserve to be categorised together. Researchers at Wayne State U School of Med studies the genes of people, chimps, gorillas, orang utans, monkeys and mice. The scientists say, according to a DNA study released today, chimps and humans share 99.4% of their genes. They've concluded chimps should be moved from their current category alongside apes into the genus homo. Canberra. VISITOR NUMBERS PLUNGE! New figures show visitor numbers have slumped to their lowest level in 5 y in Apr as the spread of SARS and the impact of the war on Iraq took their toll on tourism. [What until the stronger AUD kicks in!] The ABS says preliminary numbers for Apr show arrivals were down 11% to 327,000, allowing for seasonal factors -- the lowest since Mar 1998. The drop of 40,600 arrivals is the largest m fall since reporting began 33 ya. Sydney. TELSTRA TO AXE MORE JOBS! Telstra plans to axe another 4,000 jobs as well as cut $600 mn in spending to improve its ability to compete on the world stage. The AUS Fin Rev reports the plans were revealed during a Senate committee hearing in SYD yesterday and welcomed by institutional investors. Snr exec Bill Scales told his interrogators during the hearing that the depth of the telecom's planned cuts will exceed investor expectations. So much for services in the bush or the city! Sydney. WAGES KEEP PEACE WITH INFLATION! A survey of big employers finds that Aussie workers got an average pay rise of 4.2% over the past 12 m. However the people who did the survey say it takes more than a pay-rise to win employee loyalty. The AUS Inst of Mgt survey of more than 500 big employers also found wages are expected to rise another 4.1% next FY. However, the Inst says better pay hasn't prevented staff turnover from leaping to 14.6% in the past 12 m, up from 11.4% the y before. Paris. FRENCH TRADE UNIONS STRIKE! French trade unions have launched new strikes over govt plans to revise the state pension system, this time targeting electricity output, schools and hospitals. Police say around 335,000 people joined marches across the country to protest reforms that will push back the retirement age of many French workers from 60. The education ministry says 1/2 the primary and nursery school teachers and around 40% of other teachers walked out of their jobs today. Sydney. AUSSIE STUDENT DEBT PREDICTED TO HIT $13 BN! The combined fee-related debt of uni students will hit $13 bn by the end of the first full y of the fed govt's new schedule of increased fees. The SMH says analysis of the impact of the fee hike by the Dept of Ed shows that student debt will soar. The paper says by the 2006/7 FY, the dept estimates students will owe a combined $13.2 bn to govt coffers. The Herald reports the figure represents an increase of $9 bn in just 10 y. Melbourne. PERSONAL INJURY CHANGES! Personal injury claims will be subject to impairment thresholds in Vic under new insurance reforms. Prem Steve Bracks has also announced a reduction in the Statutes of Limitations from 6 m down to 3 y to address the medical indemnity insurance crisis threatening obstetricians and other specialist services. Under the new reforms being intro'd into parliament today, people will be able to sue for lost wages or medical expenses in all personal injury claims. Sydney. FEWER PAROLES IN NSW! The NSW govt will intro leg'n today making it tougher for criminals to get parole -- and making those who grant it more accountable [?]. Justice Min John Hatzistergos says the new laws will increase the number of judicial members on the state's Parole Board and ensure parolees are more closely monitored. The board will also have to give explicit reasons why its granting parole to each inmate. Board positions will be reconsidered when current members' terms expire. Sydney. POLLS NOT SURE OF CREAN'S FUTURE! 2 polls published in today's papers offer conflicting results on the likely future of Labor leader Simon Crean. The SMH reports an ACNeilsen poll showing voter disillusion with the govt's tax cuts -- unveiled in last wk's Budget -- have proved a boon to the embattled Opp'n leader. However the Australian newspaper, relying on the latest Newspoll, concludes that Mr Crean is living on borrowed time as fed ALP leader. Canberra. ANTI-SPAM CAMPAIGN! Aussie consumer groups and other world agencies have appealed to ISP's to stop allowing spam, or unsolicited email, to be sent. The ACCC says it has sent letters to telecoms worldwide which can be used to send bulk email. It has joined forces with world enforcement agencies to try to put a stranglehold on the sources of the unwanted material. Spammers use open communication ports to send huge volumes of unsolicited, often distasteful, perverse material. Sydney. MARKETS! The ASX closed down today but managed to recover from a sharp declined earlier in the day. Major blue-chips led the market lower following a sharp decline on Wall St o'night. The All Ords ended down 14 pts to 2,909. The AUD was trading around 65.7 US cents. {{ Continuous war news 6 am In Israel 3 separate bombing incidents have left the road-map to peace in pieces. At least 4 people were killed in a shopping mall blast in the latest incident. The toll would have been higher, but security guards ensured the bomber had to detonate the device outside. The guards were killed in the attack. Earlier, at leat 3 soldiers were injured when another bomber on a push-bike detonated his bomb at a checkpoint. Indon has launched more attacks on GAM rebels on Aceh. 500 Indon paratroops landed at an air-base in the prov, apparently in a show for the cameras. GAM rebels say they are prepared for war. Indon has 30,000 troops in the area and 15 warships are stationed off the coast. Estimates of GAM forces range from 2,000 to 10,000. Despite the mis-match, observers say the Achenese managed to hold off the Dutch for 50 y and are still standing after 25 y of fighting Jakarta. The fed govt says it will investigate serious claims of mis-management at the Woomera detention centre. The Centre saw numerous suicide attempts, riots and several mass break outs. Former staff told Four Corners a major break-out was a result of mis-management. The Refugee Council of AUS is calling for a RC. Telstra is to axe 4,000 jobs in an attempt to become more profitable. It will also cut back $600 mn in spending. The news emerged in a Senate committee hearing in SYD yesterday. The govt says it won't be selling its majority share-holding in the company for at least 2 y. AUS is to push for a greater role in fighting internat'l terrorism. A team of AFP is headed to Saudi Arabia to help investigate the suicide attacks there. 3 experts will leave for Riyadh during the wk. Keelty said the AFP had exposed links between JI and al-Qaeda. Crean said the govt knows AUS is at greater risk of terrorism after GWII and is not admitting it. The US ambassador says things would be worse if the US hadn't gone into Afghanistan and Iraq. Whitehouse mouth Ari Fleischer has resigned. A veteran of 9/11 and 2 minor US wars, Mr F said he was moving to the private sector to "rassle alligators" and take things easy. The weakening USD has sparked a major sell-off on Wall St. It's not a great start to the wk. Wall St is "snowed under" following comments from US Treas Snow. Comments he made over the weekend seemed to support a weak USD policy. There's been a broad based sell off on the street. The DJIA is 185 down. The Nasdaq is down 3%. The comments appear to be an excuse to take profits. Bush and Snow said a lower USD would help exporters, but Wall St is worried foreign investors will pull money out of the US. The gold price has zoomed. Gold is up $US9.50 to $US364.40 in NY trading. Share price falls are across the board, but drug-makers have been hit badly after a Supreme Court ruling OK-ed lower prices on prescription drugs in the state of Maine. Merk is down 4%. Oil is down at $28.80. The AUD is also down against the USD at 65.40 US c. New opinion polls indicate mixed fortunes for opp'n leader Simon Crean. One poll shows Howard is favoured as PM by 64% of the Aussie population, while those preferring Crean as PM number about 17%. Another poll shows 61% vs 23% in favour of Howard. Performance approval numbers were 61% to 24%. Both were up marginally following the Budget. In Newspoll, the fed Coal'n leads the ALP 47 37 on primary vote, and 54% to 46% on TPP. The Nielsen poll shows the govt leading by only 2 pts on TPP. PM Howard has inadvertently indicated he won't be stepping down as PM as previously indicated. During an interview about his trip to the US, Mr Howard he'd arrange something suitable for Bush Jr when he visits AUS, which Mr Howard said could be at the end of 2004. New copyright laws have been intro'd by the fed govt to protect aboriginal artwork. Up to 90 people connected with the HIH collapse may be barred from holding positions in Aussie business. 6.30 am Baghdad. US interrogators in Baghdad are using the Sesame St theme tune and heavy metal music to break prisoners. Military interrogators are using long session of what were described as "culturally offensive music" to get prisoners to talk. "These people haven't heard heavy metal before", said one Marine sgt. A selection of music from "Barney" the purple dinosaur are also used to break down resistance. Ch 7 Morning News is calling for a list of further suggestions on what would break Iraqis. [Perhaps those with 1 KW sound systems could give demo to the news-readers from midnight to dawn outside their homes]. 900,000 Aussies watched the new Matrix movie in its first 3 days of release. 6.40 am The FTSE is down 108 pts. The German Dax is down 138. Yesterday, the Nikkei closed down 78 and the Hand Seng was down 5. Gold is trading around $US366/oz. E Timor indep was decl 1 y ago today. CCTV 4 -- Chnia TV -- news is showing lists of SARS statistics. At length. The news is showing detailed counts of victims in each province. It's part of the govt mobilisation program against the virus. A body found in the sea off Tel Aviv has been ID-ed as a missing British bombing suspect. Outbreaks of several diseases in Iraq are worsening. Hospitals, stripped of equipment by looters, are struggling to cope. SA has announced water restrictions for the first time in 50 y. Restrictions on watering and washing cars will start Jul 1. 9 pm There's been fierce fighting in Aceh. It's the 2nd day of the Indon offence against separatist rebels. The Indon military chief has order the "extermination" of rebels who refuse to surrender. He said his men must fight the rebels to their last drop of blood. Indonesia says they killed 5 rebels today, but GAM says only civilians have been killed as they fled their homes. GAM has accused Indon soldiers of setting ablaze 2 villages and scores of schools. And Indon blames GAM for the arson. Pix show heavily-armed Indon soldiers on patrol in the prov. In Washington, US officials have blamed Indon for the breakdown in negotiations, saying the govt has laid down conditions at the last minute, killing any chance of successful outcome of recent talks in Tokyo. Indon had also arrested key GAM negotiators at the last minutes, trying to prevent them reaching Tokyo. E Timor is 1 yo today. The pace of development is muted. But people are celebration their hard-won indep. Pres Gusmao says the country must learn from the mistakes of the past and rebuild their nation. It's suffering from huge unemployment and crushing poverty. E Timor is the newest and officially the poorest nation on the planet. The border with Indon also remains a flash-point. The E Timor Amb to AUS, Teme, spent the day hard at work. Bali police have upgraded security at power plants and the airport. A police rep said addition precautions were being taken related to the declaration of martial law in Aceh. He said recent bombings in Jakarta were linked to GAM. Security was also being tightened because of the Bali bombing trials. The case against Imam Samudra will be put to the court tomorrow. He may find himself in county as soon as next wk. He's a key prosecution witness against Amrozi. The trial of Amrozi's brother Muklas is also due to start next wk. 8 have been killed and 25 wounded in the battle for a Palestinian refugee in S Lebanon. Secular Hamas has been fighting with an extremist Islamic group -- Osbat al-Ansa. Trouble has been brewing for weeks, but culminated in Fatah shooting 2 leaders of the extremist group last Sun. When fighting eased today the Islamic group had taken control of part of the main street and were patrolling it. Hospital sources in the nearby city say 4 Fatah fighters, 2 Islamists and 2 others were killed in the fighting. 9.45 pm A new UN draft res makes concessions to critics of US policy in Iraq. The draft proposes a function for the UN in post-war Iraq, and even mentions UN weapons inspections. But it makes no mention of when they would return to Iraq. The returned Shi'ite Ayatollah Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim is growing in support in Iraq. The longer the US stays in control, the greater the support for the Ayatollah. While he's not anti-Western, he's growing more impatient about the Iraqi govt returning to Iraqi control. A bomb has exploded in a cafe in Istanbul. Turkish police say the bomb went off shortly after a young women entered the cafe. The blast killed 1 and wounded another person. In S Af a group of white extremists has gone on trial. The 22 men are charged with murder, sabotage and the attempted murder of Nelson Mandella. They had planned to start a race war as part of a plan to overthrow S Af govt. The case was delayed after the group dismissed their court-appointed lawyers. 11.30 pm Baghdad. US troops raided a Baghdad suburb looking for 1 of their most wanted. Up to 40 people were detained for questioning. Even women and children were searched for weapons. }} ---------------------------------------- Wed, 21 May 2003. Markets Arizona baby eaten by ants Terror alert AUS embassy to stay open Condition orange Schools burn across Aceh Peacekeeping costs $A1/2 bn pa New Iraq res Downer calls for Mugabe to go Mary Jane to go on medical trial Campaign to buy Bradman's cap The only way is up: economy Exports down Peris to go into fed politics Continuous war news NY (9 am). MARKETS! After significant losses during the trading day, Wall St fight back to close almost unchanged. The DJIA ended just 1 pt down at 8,492. Gold improved 1.73 to $US368.38/oz. Oil stayed above $US29/bbl. The FTSE closed up 30 pts to 3,972 and the German Dax ended down 12 pts at 2,839. Sydney (noon). MARKETS! The ASX was firmer to noon as blue-chips led the way higher. At noon the All Ords was up 7 pts to 2,915. Washington. ARIZONA BABY EATEN BY ANTS! A 3 mo baby has been killed by ants while sleeping in a crib in suburban Phoenix. A baby-sitter told the Arizona Republic newspaper that she left the infant alone for just 1/2 hr and then found her covered in black ants that had bitten her 100s of times. It's believed the baby died of respiratory failure from an allergic reaction to the bites. Riyadh. TERROR ALERT! The US, Brit and Germany are closing their embassies in Saudi Arabia, citing security concerns in the wake of suicide bombings in Riyadh last wk. The move comes a day after the Saudi ambassador to Washington said he believed the suicide bombers who struck in Riyadh are planning a much bigger operation. The US embassy says that in response to info some strikes may be imminent, the Riyadh embassy and consulates general in Jeddah and Dhahran will be closed. [In other reports, 2 emails have reportedly been intercepted by the FBI. One warns Muslims in Boston, NY and other coastal areas of the US E coast to leave immediately]. Canberra. AUS EMBASSY TO STAY OPEN! AUS will keep its Saudi embassy open for the time being, despite the decision by the US, Germany and Brit ti close their embassies amid growing security fears. For Min Downer, who is heading into the Middle E, says security at the AUS embassy appears to be sufficient. He says there's a substantial security presence at the AUS embassy in Riyadh and the ambassador thinks the security is sufficient. Washington. CONDITION ORANGE! The Bush Admin has raised the US domestic terror level to "orange" amid fears a wave of terrorist attacks O/S will spread to the US. Officials initially provided few specific reasons for the alert, which will set in motion a series of security measures around the US govt. It also advises cities, states and businesses to take extra security measures. Bireun. SCHOOLS BURN ACROSS ACEH! More than 100 schools [ABC TV reports 200] have been burned to the ground in the Indon prov of Aceh as the country's military cmdr ordered his troops to hunt down GAM rebels. Aceh military authorities blame the school torchings on the separatist Free Aceh Movement, also accusing rebels of putting up obstacles and damaging the region's roads. A total of 126 school buildings have been burned to the ground by groups of unidentified men across Aceh. The govt launched its biggest military offensive in 30 y on Mon after peace talks with rebels collapsed in Tokyo over the weekend. Canberra. PEACEKEEPING COSTS $A1/2 BN PA! Treas Peter Costello says AUS's military operation in E Timor is still costing about $500 to $600 mn pa. He told ABC radio in Adel AUS still has 1,000 people in E Timor. He says it's been a pretty significant defence cost for AUS and it's been on-going for some time. NY. NEW IRAQ RES! The UN is to discuss a new US-backed draft resolution on ending sanctions against Iraq, as Russia says a deal on scrapping the embargo could be clinched this wk. The UNSC meeting comes a day after Washington and Brit made a final effort to find a consensus at the Council on abolishing sanctions and allowing the US to assume control of oil sales. They revised their draft text to placate countries demanding a greater UN tole in Iraq. Oil prices are currently on the rise, and over $US29/bbl in NY today. London. DOWNER CALLS FOR MUGABE TO GO! For Min Alex Downer has called for Zimbabwean Pres Robert Mugabe to stand down, saying it would send a message that his regime is serious about moving to democracy. Downer made the call after the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group again failed to agree on any new action against Mugabe's dictatorship. Zimbabwe is presently suspended from Councils of the Commonwealth. Downer, who presented a "dossier of evidence" [hopefully not Googled from student web pages] on the abuse and repression under the Mugabe regime to fellow ministers, says he's been struck by the depth of the problems in the Af nation. He also said that the country was in such an economic shamble that it was probably too late for external sanctions to have any effect. Sydney. MARY JANE TO GO ON MEDICAL TRIAL! NSW Prem Bob Carr's plan for AUS's first marijuana trial has been greeted with bipartisan support but some strong criticism as well. The proposed 4-y trial will allow sufferers of chronic pain to get marijuana from the Health Dept. The Prem says it's a compassionate scheme, aimed at helping people, incl those who suffer wasting diseases from cancer or HIV/AIDS. Mr Carr told ABC's Lateline that the trial is in no way a step toward decriminalisation of the drug. Melbourne. CAMPAIGN TO BUY BRADMAN'S CAP! A public appeal has been launched to have Sir Don's most important baggy green cap returned to AUS hands ahead of its proposed auction in London. MEL-based auction company Ludgrove's Internat'l is offering Sir Donald's 1948 Invincibles series cap for sale in Jul. The ACB has launched the campaign with a donation of $10,000. Sir Donald wore the cap on tour whilst scoring 2,428 runs at an average 89.92 and with 11 centuries. Sydney. THE ONLY WAY IS UP: ECONOMY! Westpac says AUS's rate of economic growth is starting to recover after reaching the lowest point in its cycle. Westpac says 2 key Westpac/Melb Inst surveys suggest the slowing in AUS economic growth will be relatively modest in extent and duration. Westpac snr economist Justin McCarthy says they expect the RBA to keep int rates steady for the foreseeable future. Canberra. EXPORTS DOWN! New figures show AUS exported fewer primary and manufactured goods last y. The DFAT says manufactured exports dipped $1.7 bn last y, while exports of primary goods fell $3.1 bn last y. Primary products continue to account for the lion's share of Aussie exports. Japan remains AUS's biggest export market, followed by Korea, China and NZ. The US is the biggest supplier of imports to AUS. Canberra. PERIS TO GO INTO FED POLITICS! Olympic gold medallist Nova Peris-Kneebone says she plans to announce her bid for a place in fed parliament next m. Peris, the first Aboriginal to win an Oly gold medal, says it's always been a long-term goal to enter fed politics. She says she's been approached by political parties and hopes to make an announcement within a m. She says she hasn't yet decided which party she'll commit to -- btu knows it won't be the Liberal Party [for some reason]. {{ Continuous war news Midnight. NBC. The Saudi ambassador speaking in Saudi has warned "something big is about to happen". And anxiety in the US is on the rise. The FBI has warned state authorities to be on the lookout for a new al-Qaeda attack, perhaps on the US mainland. There's a high level of "chatter" and it seems to be concerning W targets outside the Middle E and Arabia. The colour attack level has not be changed. It's yellow at present, and the Dept of Homeland Security says it will review the level daily. Israel has loosened its grip on Gaza, following complaints from the Palestinians, the US and the internat'l community. Pres Bush had held his first talks with Palestinian PM Abu Mazen. 6 am The US has raised its threat level to orange or "high". The US, Brit and Germany have closed their embassies in Saudi Arabia after warnings from Saudi officials that an attack is imminent, possibly on US soil. The orange alert comes after 2 emails were intercepted. One urged all Muslims to leave American cities, esp Boston, and NY, and any coastal areas. US For Min Alex Downer has ruled out direct involvement by AUS or the internat'l community in the Jakarta/Aceh conflict. He told reporters it was an internal matter for Indonesia to solve. Meanwhile, Indon continues to pour troops into the province, leaving a trail of destruction as troops hunt down separatist rebels of the Free Aceh Movement. About 100 schools have been set alight. GAM says 17 civilians have been killed. Mr Downer has also called on Zimbabwe's Pres Robert Mugabe to stand down as the "way forward". The Af country is said to be so poor as a result of Mugabe's policies that it can not afford to import paper to print its own money. The NSW govt is set to trial medicinal marijuana. Canada has reported its first Mad Cow Disease in more than a decade. A cow in Alberta has been diagnosed with the disease. The animal was slaughtered 8 m ago with a suspected case of pneumonia, but testing in Brit has just revealed it had the disease. The US has moved to ban all beef imports from their neighbour. Where will Americans get their beef from? You guess! The DJIA is down 60 pts, and the Nasdaq is down 10 pts at 6 am. Gold is up $US1. Oil is also up 1/2 USD. Yesterday it was fears about the USD, today it's fear of terrorism and Mad Cow Disease that's got Wall St in a tizz. The AUD is trading higher at 65.8 US cents. The lines at the Iraqi fuel pumps are getting longer. Reporters visiting a major oil refinery in Baghdad say it's getting only 2/3 of the supply it was allowed under the oil-for-food program. Iraqis increasingly blame their "liberators" for the country's inability to capitalise on their vast resources. The WHO says the Iraqi health system is "on the brink of disaster". Security, contaminated water supplies, increasing piles of garbage in the streets, and intermittent power supplies are among the many problems. Dot.Coms are on the rise again. In a retro revival that many said was impossible after the bust, analysts say the 20 stocks that are now in the "hot" list are the cream that has risen to the top. They operate on traditional lines -- generating profits. 6.30 am George Soros has been buying the AUD. He told CNBC o'night he's taken up a position consistent with perceptions the US Treas is supporting a weak dollar plan. The AFP will investigate claims of mis-management and fraud at the Woomera detention centre following a Four Corners program. Pressure for a full Royal Commission into the operation of immigration centres is growing. The Red Cross appeal for Bali victims have been hit with $400,000 in bank costs. The Red Cross said it had to pay $56,000 on bank fees related to the appeal. It said it has only been charged fees by one bank, which is refuses to name. It says it's negotiating to have the fees refunded. Fed Treas Peter Costello has called on the bank to return the money. Solomon Islands police say they have ID-ed a suspect in the murder of an Aussie missionary. AUS has dropped Singapore from its list of countries not safe to visit because of SARS. The country remains on the WHO's list of infected countries. In Singapore, a new TV channel has been launched, dedicated to fighting the disease 24/7. Programs incl lists of infected persons and soap operas indicating symptoms and the treatment of the virus. More than 300 people have been killed in flooding in Sri Lanka. The official toll stands at 237. 6.40 am Wall St has closed almost even after a late rally. The DJIA closed down 2 pts and the Nasdaq was down 1 pt. Gold is trading around $US366/oz and oil is just over $US29/bbl. Bali bomber Amrozi says he wants his son raised to be like Osama bin Laden. [Nice to have a billionaire in the family!] Aussie businesses are starting to worry about the level of the AUD. Some analysts say countries with mostly USD profits have priced the AUD at around 62 US c, and the present levels of 65/66 c will impact on profits. Farmers in C Vic are celebrating heavy rainfalls. Vic councils, doctors and tourism operators have welcomed the state govt's insurance reforms, announced yesterday. Left-leaning law firm Slater and Gordon announced it was breaking its connections with the state Labor govt, saying the ALP had betrayed its constituency by limiting the ability of people to claim damages. Under the changes, a compensation claim can only proceed if at least 5% disability is suffered as a result of an injury. There are also caps on claims. 14 new mass graves have been found in Iraq. Frank Lowy -- AUS's 2nd-richest man -- and his Westfield group have made a friendly bid for AMP's shopping centre group. Another, less friendly, bid is already on the cards, but it seeks to strip management rights for the centres from AMP. Midday. The Indon govt is blaming GAM for the destruction of about 200 schools across the prov of Aceh. It says it has killed 5 rebels and captured 9 others. The military says it's conducted 30 major operations on the first day of operations alone. In Banda Aceh posters promoting the failed peace treaty remind the population of what might have been. Baghdad. Contractors are scrambling for the USD to collect garbage. They're paid by weight, so the bigger the better. Low-loaders carry bombed-out trucks and Iraqi tanks to the tip and then rush back to the countryside for more. It's a dangerous job, with un-exploded ammunition littering battlefields or stored in old vehicles. In many neighbourhoods of the capital residents have given up waiting for garbage trucks to show up. They've started burning rubbish or burying it in deep holes left by American bombs, trying to protect the health of their children. Others say the Americans have their priorities all wrong. While "Doctor garbage" -- a member of the American admin team -- stresses the public health aspects of collecting the increasing piles of rotting garbage, the citizens want law and order restored. They say the on-going looting, killings and kidnappings must be stopped first. Bunia. 100s of people slashed by machetes are recovering in hospitals in N Congo. The victims are calling for foreign troops to come in and stop the killing. Meanwhile, the UN is powerless to act. It's local reps are holed up in 2 compounds, barley able to defend themselves. Reinforcements are not yet on the way. }} ======================================== (*) 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. *** CONDITION ORANGE! ***