From the World-Wide Resourses of the Western Australia Reserch Senter(*) OIL THE NEWS THAT FITS MY VIEWS #49 =============================== 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/ [Yes, packet filter still working!] Iraqi Body Count: http://www.iraqbodycount.net/ [4,849+ as at 23 May 2003]. ------------------------------------------------------------ Selecting latest news stories and other data for you... ------------------------------------------------------------ Mon, 26 May 2003. 75 dead in plane crash US soldier killed in Iraq blast Momentum gathers for regime change in Iran Pro-US troops disarmed in Iraq Brits disband Basra council Sacked media employees seek new jobs Smugglers create diesel shortage Amnesty accuses Indonesian army of abuses State poll a morale-booster for Schroeder Zhao is not dead Tibetan envoys in Beijing World's SARS death toll breaks 700 SARS sparks land sales Death sentence overturned because jury used Bible Aussie army chief off to China Security barrier may be erected around Parliament House Aussie children OD on OTC drugs Markets Ankara. 75 DEAD IN PLANE CRASH! A plane crash in Turkey has killed 62 members of a Spanish peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, along with all 12 of the aircraft's crew and a Belarusian flight mgr. Turkish media says there were no survivors when the Ukrainian plane hit a mtn slope en route to Zaragoza in Spain. The aircraft apparently went down on its 3rd attempt to land in thick fog at Trabzon airport in NW Turkey. US soldier killed in Iraq blast Baghdad. A US soldier was killed and another injured in an explosion at a facility containing Iraqi ammunition S of Baghdad, the US Central Command says. The statement says the explosion at Ad Diwaniyah, about 120 kilometres S of Baghdad, occurred on Sun morning local time while the soldiers were on guard duty. Centcom says an investigation is under way to determine the cause of the explosion, but it is not believed to be due to hostile action. The injured soldier was taken to a medical field hospital where he underwent surgery. Both soldiers' names are being withheld pending notification of next-of-kin. As of the end of Apr, 24 US troops had been killed and 66 injured in non-combat situations in Iraq since the US-led war began, according to figures announced by US, Brit and Iraqi authorities. Momentum gathers for regime change in Iran Washington (AP). Iran's hard-line govt, accused by the Bush Admin of harbouring top al-Qaeda members, poses a big problem for the United States and should be replaced, lawmakers said today. Democrats and Republicans urged extreme care in working toward that end, in order to avoid fomenting an anti-American reaction among Iranians who admire the US way of life. In Tehran, Iran's foreign minister insisted his country does not and would not shelter al-Qaeda terrorists, and even has jailed some members of Osama bin Laden's network and plans to prosecute them. "Iran has been the pioneer in fighting al-Qaeda terrorists, who have been posing threats to our nat'l interests," For Min Kamal Kharrazi told the govt's Tehran Television. "Iran was al-Qaeda's enemy before the US." The Washington Post reported today the Admin has cut off contacts with Iran and "appears ready to embrace an aggressive policy of trying to destabilise the Iranian govt." The White House offered no comment today. Worry about possible activities of snr al-Qaeda operatives thought to be in Iran was a factor in raising the domestic terror alert level in the US last wk, officials have said. Those operatives are suspected of being connected to the recent bombings in Saudi Arabia and Morocco. "There's no question but that there have been and are today snr al-Qaeda leaders in Iran, and they are busy," Def Sec Donald H Rumsfeld said last wk. Nonetheless, US officials are finding ways of communicating with Iranian officials "on subjects that are important to us," the State Dept said last wk. One issue is Iran's suspected development of nuclear weapons. Washington rejects Iran's contention that its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes. Rep Porter Goss, chairman of the House Intel Committee, said Iran has shown some cooperation on terrorism, but not enough. "The trick in Iran is this: The good guys are trying to bring some reform; the bad guys control the levers of power. Sorting the 2 apart and then isolating the bad guys and taking the levers of power away from them is what's got to happen," Goss said on CBS' Face the Nation. "It's got to happen in a way that does not shut down the reformists or cause repercussions to the reformists. This is hard." The US has labelled Iran as an exporter of terrorism since Washington began drawing up such a list in 1979 -- the y the Islamic republic was founded and then sponsored the seizure of the US embassy. 52 Americans were held hostage for 444 days, and US-Iran relations have remained severed. Lawmakers in favour of a new govt in Iran did not advocate a military solution. Rep Jane Harman, the ranking Democrat on Goss' committee, said she considered Iran "more of a clear and present danger than Iraq last year" but wants a diplomatic focus. Sen Joe Lieberman, a Democratic pres'l hopeful who strongly backed the Iraq war, said "regime change" is the answer in Iran. He said he was not suggesting US military action because of the pro-American attitudes of many Iranians. The chairman of the Senate Intel Committee suggested without elaboration that Americans might expect "better cooperation from Iran once the strong signal has gone out" that the US will not accept WMD there. On CNN's Late Edition, Sen Jay Rockefeller, vice-chairman of that committee, said to expect good news soon from Iran, and that it would be "very foolhardy" to try to destabilise Tehran in expectation of a surge in pro-Americanism. "I think we have to be a little bit cautious about ... tossing out that term 'destabilise', 'take over'," Rockefeller said. "We're getting to think that way too much because of -- after Afghanistan and Iraq." Sen Joseph Biden, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, worried about taking on too much at once, citing the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan. "I'd like to see us finish one job at a time," Biden said. Iran's top diplomat in the US, Javad Zarif, said his govt was interested in easing tensions with the US. "At the same time, if the US only wants to speak through the language of pressure, then Iran will resist," said Zarif, Iran's ambassador to the UN. Pro-US troops disarmed in Iraq Baghdad. US troops have disarmed the pro-American Iraqi Free Forces as part of a drive to reduce the number of weapons in the country. The Free Forces had fought alongside US troops during the war but have had their guns taken away. The armed group was aligned with the pro-American politicians, Ahmed Chalabi and the Iraqi Nat'l Congress. A rep for the congress said he had hoped the 700 strong militia would have been expanded under US command, not stripped of its weapons. The civilian administrator, Paul Bremer, has ordered a 3-wk amnesty on handing in automatic and heavy weapons. After mid-June, anyone found with a gun will be arrested and charged. The new campaign will probably also target armed members of the supreme council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. Its leader, Ayatollah Hakim, has questioned the presence of Americans, asking why Iraqis are not running their own country. Brits disband Basra council Basra. The 1st tentative steps toward democracy in Iraq have been set back, with Brit forces announcing they will disband the newly established council in the S city of Basra. The council had been hailed as an example of post war cooperation. There has been an angry reaction from the 30-member council, which is headed by a local tribal chief and has worked hard to re-establish services in the city. It will be replaced by a committee of technocrats chaired by a Brit military commander. There also problems with the recently established council in the N city of Kirkuk. The local US commander has angered many on the council by appointing what they see as too many Kurds on the 30 member body. Sacked media employees seek new jobs Baghdad. 100s of sacked Iraqi media employees yesterday gathered outside a US-established media outlet demanding jobs, a day after the US dissolved Saddam Hussein's info ministry. A US official in charge of the Iraqi Media Network (IMN), set up soon after US troops toppled Saddam last m, came out to see some of the 2,000 employees who had come to inquire about termination of services payments and the possibility of being re-hired. The employees dispersed peacefully after they registered their names. IMN officials told them to return after 2 days to be paid. The US civil administrator for Iraq, Paul Bremer, on Fri sacked more than 5,000 staff who used to run Iraqi media organisations, including state television and radio, when he abolished the info ministry. "How come I am sacked from my job which I have been doing for the last 20 years?" asked an engineer from the former Iraqi television. "I'm not a Baathist or a snr official. I'm just a small engineer that used to operate the television's equipment," he said. A snr US Admin official, who asked not to be identified, said the IMN would hire some of the sacked employees, but most would never return to their jobs. "Certain individuals will be hired back by the IMN. We already hired some 150 people," he said. "Senior officials and Baath Party members employed by the ministry will not be eligible for hire." The IMN, under a contract from a US company Science, Application Internat'l Cor-poration (SAIC), had set up a local television station, radio and a newspaper. The network, seen in the Baghdad area only, will be expanded to reach all Iraqi governorates in coming wks, the US official said. The info ministry building in central Baghdad was the target of US bombing during the assault on Baghdad that ousted Saddam on Apr 9. Later it was looted and set on fire. The ministry used to house foreign news agencies and television networks, which had to work under its close watch. Smugglers create diesel shortage Basra. As caravans continue to truck gasoline into Iraq from Kuwait to relieve critical shortages, a flotilla of tankers is daily carrying 100s of 1000s of gallons of diesel fuel in the opposite direction -- out of Iraq, using the same smuggling routes that long enriched the regime of Saddam Hussein, according to state oil industry officials and workers involved in the stealth trade. The smuggling is crimping the supply of diesel in Iraq, enraging truck drivers now unable to buy fuel except at black-market prices. Managers at Iraq's state oil companies, struggling to provide sufficient stocks to a nation bitter about daylong waits at gas stations, are equally livid. State oil company officials say they have repeatedly complained to the Brit military authorities in control of this S city -- a hub for the country's most significant petroleum operations. But while the Brit have stepped up patrols around pipelines and storage tanks, the smuggling continues. "Smuggling is the major reason for the shortage of gas," said Abdul Ridha Hussain, director of the S Iraq operations of the state Oil Products Distribution Co. "We're not satisfied with the Brit response. No one has been punished, no one is afraid. They simply are not stopping this smuggling." A rep for the Brit army said his forces were doing the best they could with limited manpower and the press of other responsibilities. Basra's refinery, one of 3 large refineries in Iraq, is producing about 500,000 gallons of diesel per day, roughly half of its prewar capacity. The smugglers are making off with much of it and are supplementing their loads by stealing diesel stored in tanks before the war. Some smugglers are drilling into pipes between the refinery and shipping terminals at ports on the nearby Khawr Al Zubair waterway, according to Hussain and other oil industry officials, in an account confirmed by a pilot engaged in the trade. They have already exhausted the large tanks at the port of Faw, according to the pilot. In many instances, gas station owners with the rights to shipments of diesel from the distribution companies are paying off drivers to divert them to tanker ships waiting to ferry the fuel, the sources said. Gas stations typically pay the distribution company $200 for a truck carrying 9,000 gallons of diesel, according to Mohammed Jawad, a company account manager. The stations are supposed to sell the fuel at state-controlled retail rates that allow for a reasonable profit. But the same load can fetch 15 times as much once it enters the gulf. One recent afternoon, 4 tanker trucks could be seen parked on the promenade that runs along the Shatt Al Arab waterway in Basra, a popular place for residents to enjoy the sunset. Hoses extended from the trucks over the sidewalk and into the bellies of fishing boats floating at a long pier. Men tended the valves at the back of the trucks, 3 of which lacked licence plates. The 4th showed plates from Iraq's Ministry of Trade. The men tending the trucks said they were delivering fuel to the fishing boats. But the pilot said each boat contained fuel tanks where the air compressors and freezer cabinets had once been. They would float into the gulf, then rendezvous with larger ships that would buy their cargo and carry it to another destination, where it would be sold for local use or pumped into super-tankers and carried off to global markets, the pilot said. Amnesty accuses Indonesian army of abuses Canberra. Human rights group Amnesty Internat'l says the Indonesian military is committing grave human rights abuses in Aceh, including the killing of children and adult civilians. Amnesty says 1000s of people have been forced to flee their homes, and Indonesian soldiers have carried out summary executions. The group expressed particular concern that a snr officer on trial in Jakarta for crimes against humanity in East Timor in 1999, has had a direct role in the military operations in Aceh. A major military offensive aimed at crushing the Free Aceh Movement has entered its 2nd wk. State poll a morale-booster for Schroeder Bremen. Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's governing Social Democrats have won a morale-boosting election victory in the N German city-state of Bremen, according to provisional official results. The margin of victory was much bigger than expected, giving Mr Schroeder a powerful fillip as he tries to steer through a controversial package of social and economic reforms. His Social Democratic Party (SPD) received 42.3%, according to official provisional results released by the electoral commission. This put it far ahead of the opp'n conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) which received 29.9%. The poll in Bremen and the nearby port of Bremerhaven was seen as a litmus test of Mr Schroeder's Govt as he fends off deep dissent within his party and opp'n from the unions over his reform package, designed to revive the stagnating economy and cut chronically high unemployment. The SPD result was only a fraction of a point less than in elections 4 y ago, but the CDU experienced a big drop of 7.5% from the 37.1% of 1999. The environmentalist Greens made a 3 point gain to 12.8%, while the liberal Free Democrats (FDP) scored only 4.2%, an improvement on their previous performance. While they did not clear the 5% barrier that would normally qualify them to sit in parliament in Bremen, they received one seat due to a peculiarity in the region's election rules. The Schill party, a right-wing populist group standing for the 1st time, scored 4.3%, and the extreme right-wing fringe party called the German People's Union (DVU) 2.3%, a drop on the 3% it scored in 1999. The DVU kept its seat but the Schill party did not win one. Turnout was 61.4%, slightly higher the 1999 poll. Henning Scherf, the SPD's leader in Bremen and the city's mayor, hailed the result as "an unusual and surprisingly positive result". Casting his ballot, he had said he would quit if his party finished behind the CDU for the 1st time since 1947. Economic growth in Germany is well below the EU average and set to remain so for the rest of the y, unemployment last m stood at 10.7%, and the mounting public deficit has earned Berlin a ticking-off from Brussels. Such issues are key in Bremen, which has debts of around 9.4 bn euros ($US11 billion) and an unemployment rate of 13.5%, the highest in western Germany and nearly 3% above the nat'l average. Mr Schroeder's reforms would reduce benefits to the long-term unemployed, cut public spending on health care and pensions, make it easier for companies to cut staff, raise the retirement age and inject low-interest state funds into local govt. But unions and the SPD's left wing believe they are too harsh at a time of economic hardship, and in a strident show of their discontent, around 90,000 people demonstrated Sat across Germany in protest. Beijing. ZHAO IS NOT DEAD! China is denying Japanese media reports that purged Communist Party chief Zhao Ziyang is dead. Asked about the Apr 27 reports, a cabinet rep said there's no such thing and declined further comment. 83 yo Zhao pioneered capitalist-style economic reforms and wielded power 2nd only yo Deng Xiaoping. He was purged in 1989 for opposing the army crackdown on students demonstrating for democracy, centred in Tiananmen Square. He's been under house arrest ever since. Tibetan envoys in Beijing Beijing. Two envoys of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama have arrived in Beijing seeking to build on contacts made during a similar visit in Sep. Tibetan rights groups say special envoy Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari and envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen, as well as 2 snr assistants, will also visit Shanghai during what is expected to be a 2 to 3-wk trip. "This 2nd visit represents an extremely important opportunity to build upon the relationships and contacts established on the last visit," Thubten Samphel, head of the Tibetan govt in exile's Dept of Info and Internat'l Relations, was quoted as saying by Tibetan rights groups. The envoys 1st visited Beijing last y to reopen links between China and the Dalai Lama, which had been estranged since 1993. The Dalai Lama, who is seeking Tibetan autonomy within China rather than independence, wants to see dialogue opened with Beijing. Last wk he declined an invitation to visit Taiwan to avoid damaging relations with China. Mr Samphel says the itinerary of the visit will be decided with Chinese leaders over the next few days, the AUS Tibet Council reported on its website. The Dalai Lama and his followers fled Tibet in 1959 after a failed uprising against Chinese rule and set up base in Dharamsala, a hill station in the N Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. China, which has occupied Tibet since 1951, has been accused of trying to wipe out its Buddhist-based culture through political and religious repression and a flood of ethnic Chinese immigration. World's SARS death toll breaks 700 Taipei (AP). The worldwide death toll from the SARS virus surpassed 700 on Sun after Taiwan reported 12 new deaths and China reported 7. Still, Taiwan angrily refused rival China's offers of help and scolded Beijing for blocking the island's efforts to join the WHO. Taiwan reported 15 new SARS cases but no deaths Mon, and the health chief in the island's capital resigned over a major outbreak of the virus at a city-run hospital. Chiu Shu-ti had offered to quit soon after the hospital was sealed off Apr 24 to contain a large number of infections. Taipei's mayor asked her to stay on, but Chiu was later accused of failing to detect problems at the hospital. She stepped down Sun night. China stepped up its own public health campaign, handing out "spit bags" to people in Beijing who can't resist the habit of spitting in streets and on sidewalks. Lottery ticket vendors and volunteers were distributing more than 20,000 of the plastic-lined bags, the Beijing Evening News reported. Authorities also handed out tissue packets to discourage people from another common practice, blowing their noses into the air. The 12 new deaths in Taiwan, along with 7 in China and 4 in HK, brought the worldwide death toll to at least 715. More than 8,100 people have been infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome. The largest outbreak outside of Asia was in Canada, which officials thought had eradicated SARS. On Sun, officials said that of 34 suspected cases that emerged last wk, 8 were probably SARS. Dr Colin D'Cunha, chief medical officer of health for Ontario province, said 2 of those 8 patients had died. Another SARS patient dating back wks also died early Sun, raising the death toll of the respiratory disease in the Toronto area to 27. The new cluster in Canada prompted US health officials to issue a new travel alert for Toronto, but Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn, said Canada appeared to be taking the right steps. Malaysia tried to avoid an outbreak, quarantining 100 sailors on their ship after a crewman with SARS symptoms died. So far, the country has only reported 5 probable SARS cases, including 2 deaths. Taiwan has had one of the fastest-growing rates of infection in recent days, but officials said over the weekend that the virus showed signs of winding down. The island said its 12 new deaths were compiled over the past 3 days. So far, Taiwan has reported 72 deaths and 551 cases. Brisbane. SARS SPARKS LAND SALES! The SARS outbreak appears to have sparked interest in Aussie land sales from O/S investors. Ric Cameron, who manages the Gold Coast and Pt Douglas Mirage Resorts, says land sales inquiries from HK and Sing have increased since SARS hit earlier this y. Mr Cameron says Aussie expats as well as internat'l buyers are interested in investing in Qld, with some saying it's a nice safe place to have their money. [Until Cyclone Season and the Annual Flooding!] Death sentence overturned because jury used Bible Denver (Reuters). A judge overturned a convicted murderer's death sentence because jurors consulted Biblical passages such as an "eye for an eye" during death-penalty deliberations. Robert Harlan was convicted and sentenced to death in 1995 for the murder of Rhonda Maloney, a waitress who was driving home from work when Harlan forced her car off the road. Harlan also shot and paralysed good Samaritan Jaquie Creazzo who tried to come to the woman's aid. While noting that Harlan's crimes "were among the most grievous, heinous and reprehensible" he had seen in 18 y on the bench, Adams County District Judge John J Vigil [!] said Fri that court officials failed to properly sequester the jury. Jury members stayed in a hotel during deliberations and court officials made sure newspapers were not delivered to their rooms, but the jurors did find bibles in the rooms. "The jury supervision performed in this case was extremely negligent and appallingly lax," Vigil wrote in his ruling. "Jury resort to biblical code has no place in a constitutional death penalty proceeding." Vigil has not yet set a date for Harlan's re-sentencing. "We respectively disagree and will appeal," Adams County assistant DA Steve Bernard said. He also said the record was not clear about whether a bible was brought into the jury room. In a 5-day hearing last m, Harlan's attorneys argued that several jurors consulted biblical scripture during jury deliberations, particularly 2 Old Testament passages from Leviticus that read, "fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him." And, "whoever kills an animal shall restore it, but whoever kills a man shall be put to death." Prosecutors had argued that the sequestration order applied to news media coverage and that jurors should be allowed to draw upon their personal moral code including the Bible while rendering a verdict. Canberra. AUSSIE ARMY CHIEF OFF TO CHINA! Army chief Lt Gen Peter Leahy is off to China this wk for talks with the new leaders of the PLA. He's leaving Wed for 4 days of talkfest with PLA chiefs appointed during China's 10th People's National Congress in Mar. The talks will focus on regional security challenges, AUS and Chinese defence policies, and the future of defence links between the 2 countries. Security barrier may be erected around Parliament House Canberra. A permanent barrier could be erected around Parliament House in CBR under new security plans. A Senate budget estimates committee has been told structural engineers are being consulted about what sort of barrier should be built and where. A temporary fence was erected 3 m ago to prevent public access to some entrances and onto the roof of Parliament. A parliamentary official, Michael Bolton, says some of the temporary barriers have now been removed in response to a drop in visitor numbers. "We've got a lot tighter controls in checking car parks, vehicles and a lot more visual observation in the external areas of Parliament House which we didn't have 6 m ago, but it takes time, this required a whole lot of people to be trained," he said. Sydney. AUSSIE CHILDREN OD ON OTC DRUGS! A study has shown Aussie children are at risk of over-medication from common, OTC products bought by parents. The study has found the most commonly used medications are bought OTC or from supermarkets. Paediatricians and specialist doctors meeting in Hobart will tomorrow hear the results of a MEL study that's found more than 1/2 of all primary school children in a survey took some medication at least once a fortnight. Brisbane. MARKETS! The Aussie share market closed almost flat today, with falls in the big miners counter-balanced by a firmer financial sector. The All Ords eased 1 pt to end at 2,965. In Japan, the Nikkei rose 133 pts (1.6%) to end at 8,185. The Hang Seng was also higher, closing up 172 pts (1.8%) to 9,393. {{ Continuous war news 9 pm Washington has cut all ties with the Iranian govt. The WashPost says the Bush Admin may now try to foment a popular uprising to topple the govt, and the usual suspects are talking regime change. US officials say they have evidence al-Qaeda operatives from Iran were behind recent bomb attacks on US interests in Saudi Arabia. The Iranians deny they are protecting terrorists, and say Iran has captured more al-Qaeda suspects in recent m than any other country. At least 28 people have been killed when 2 ferries collided at the mouth of Manila Bay. Heavy weather is hampering rescue efforts. Pres Gloria Arroyo says the accident was the result of incompetence and has ordered an inquiry. Time magazine says an intermediary has approached US forces with a message that Saddam's eldest son, Uday, wants to surrender. The go-between reportedly said Saddam and both his sons are still alive. A previous story regarding Uday's possible surrender was denied by US officials. An Aussie film -- "Cracker Bag" -- has won the Palm d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Producers of the film were shocked at the decision, expecting an American film to take out the award. The film is centred around a young girl who wants to create a spectacular firework display, but produces an unexpected result. With "Bowling for Columbine" taking out last y's award, there are rumblings in Hollychoke of an anti-American bias at the French-run festival. 10 pm There are reports of a large mag 7 quake in N Japan. Buildings shook and fires were ignited by the earthquake. Early reports say no-one was hurt in the event. }} ---------------------------------------- Tue, 27 May 2003. Markets 25 miners die in China 4 US soldiers killed Memorial Day, USA AUS must re-negotiate Iraqi wheat deal Terrorism exercise underway Detainee's father goes to CBR Big quake hits Japan 1 dies in Indon quake 4 news SARS deaths: Taiwan SARS vaccine to be tested EU launches space program Anti-reform strikes continue in France Artic explorer still trapped Telstra to cut 3,000 jobs PM looking for new GG NT records record deficit Low-paid workers win rise Schools fight teen depression PM may review child payments Markets NY. MARKETS! The NY and London stock exchanges are closed today. But gold is trading up 2.40 at $US371.15. In Germany, the Dax closed 5 pts higher at 2,828.28 [!]. Markets world-wide will be waiting for US consumer confidence data to be released tonight. Beijing. 25 MINERS DIE IN CHINA! A powerful gas explosion at an unlicensed coal mine in N China has killed 25 miners. The official Xinhua News Agency reported the May 20 blast at the Yongtai mine in Shanxi prov trapped the 25 miners underground. Meanwhile, Xinhua sys in a 2nd accident, 15 miners have been trapped in a flooded coal mine in C China. China has the world's deadliest coal mines, with moire than 5,000 killed last y in floods, explosions and other accidents. Baghdad. 4 US SOLDIERS KILLED! 4 American soldiers have been killed and another 6 injured in a flare-up of guerilla activity and street violence. In the latest incident, a soldiers was killed and 3 injured when their vehicle ran over what's believed to be a land mine on a highway leading to Baghdad airport. Earlier, the US military reported the death of 1 soldier and the wounding of another in a convoy that was ambushed by un-ID'd Iraqi gunmen. Another American soldier drowned after diving, and yet another was killed in a road accident. Arlington. MEMORIAL DAY, USA! US Pres Bush Jr has paid tribute to the 100s of 1000s of Americans who died in war, particularly those lost in the battle for Iraqi oil. On America's Memorial Day, Bush laid a wreath of red and white carnations on the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Nat'l Cemetery. About 140 Americans were killed in GWII. Sine Bush announced an end of the military operations on May 1 and the focus has shifted to installing a post-war govt, around 24 other Americans have died in Iraq. Canberra. AUS MUST RE-NEGOTIATE IRAQI WHEAT DEAL! A Senate committee has been told that AUS's monopoly wheat exporter will have to re-negotiate a 1/2 mn tonne wheat contract with post-war Iraq. Ag, Forestry and Fisheries AUS has told the committee that the phase-out of the oil for food program to Iraq will hit 1 major AWB contract. The committee's been told 1 contract will be filled later this y but another won't be. This will force the AWB to negotiate a commercial deal with whatever Iraqi Admin is in place once the contract falls due. Sydney. TERRORISM EXERCISE UNDERWAY! Police say a 3-day anti-terrorism exercise will begin in SYD and CBR today to test AUS's capacity to respond to such attacks. A statement issued by Dep NSW Police Comm'er Andrew Scipione says the so-called New Deal exercise will test state and fed capabilities. He says that while authorities have practised a nat'l anti-terrorist plan for more than 20 y, acts of terrorism around the world in recent times have provided the impetus to revisit and refine the state arrangements. Canberra. DETAINEE'S FATHER GOES TO CBR! The father of Taliban fighter and alleged terrorist, David Hicks, has gone to CBR to pressure the govt to demand the US release his son from detention in Cuba. Terry Hicks believes -- as the NY Times reported -- that AUS doesn't want the 27 yo back because there is nothing he can be charged with. Mr Hicks has requested meetings with PM Howard, A-G Daryl Williams, For Min Alex Downer, and Def Min Robert Hill. Today marks the 500th day of Terry Hicks' detention. [Later reports say no Ministers would meet with Mr Hicks]. Tokyo. BIG QUAKE HITS JAPAN! Minor tremors are continuing in NE Japan after a mag 7 quake hit yesterday evening, causing landslides and injuring more than 100 people. Police say 104 people are nursing mostly minor injuries and no deaths have been reported. The quake was the biggest to hit Japan in more than 2 y and shook buildings in Tokyo, about 200 km away from the epicentre off Japan's NE coast. Jakarta. 1 DIES IN INDON QUAKE! One person has died and 48 houses damaged by a mag 6.4 quake that hit an E Indon island. The met office says 20 of the homes were severely damaged when the quake hit the N part of Morotai Is, which is the N-most island of the Maluku chain. The quake was centred under the seabed 366 km E of the port of Bitung in N Sulawesi. An earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale can cause severe damage in populated areas. Taipei. 4 NEWS SARS DEATHS: TAIWAN! Taiwan has reported 4 more SARS deaths and 11 new infections. 76 Taiwanese have now died from the virus. Health officials have insisted in recent days the outbreak is under control. Taiwan has the 3rd-highest number of infections, after mainland China and HK. SARS has killed more than 700 people world-wide and infected more than 8,000. HK. SARS VACCINE TO BE TESTED! Scientists in HK and mainland China have developed a potential SARS vaccine which they'll soon start testing on animals. Guan Yi, an asst prof of microbiology at the U of HK, says the team will soon test the vaccine on monkeys. He says they can't tell when the vaccine will be safe or effective in humans. Experts have said it would take ys before any such product could be made commercially available. Paris. EU LAUNCHES SPACE PROGRAM! European govts have agreed to launch a long-delayed Galileo space program, seen as a potential rival to the US military's global satellite positioning system. The ESA says in a statement an agreement has been reached between its member states of Norway, Switzerland, and the 16 EU counties excluding Greece and Luxembourg. US officials say the Galileo system is redundant. The system will be build around 30 satellites occupying 3 circular earth orbits. It will generate 140,000 jobs. Paris. ANTI-REFORM STRIKES CONTINUE IN FRANCE! Travellers to France face another day of havoc as air traffic controllers lend their muscle to the growing campaign against the govt's proposed re-vamp of the pension system. The hard-line General Confed'n of Labour union is preparing a 24 hr stoppage for controllers and other airport staff. The disruption is the latest in an escalating campaign by French public sector unions to force the govt to backtrack on a pensions reform bill. London. ARTIC EXPLORER STILL TRAPPED! Brit polar explorer Pen Hadow remains stranded at the N Pole by the bad weather, with only 24 hrs of food reserves left. The explorer has now spent 1 wk in a tent on sea ice and a plane remains on stand-by for a break in the weather to pick him up. The aircraft tried to reach Hadow on Sat but the cloud was too thick and the ice too broken for a landing at a refuelling stop. The plan is now to lighten the plane and add extra fuel so it can reach Hadow without refuelling. Canberra. TELSTRA TO CUT 3,000 JOBS! Telecom giant Telstra has now confirmed it will cut another 3,000 jobs. The latest announcement follows a series of denials last wk. Telstra denied Labor claims it would cut its 40,000-strong workforce by 5 to 10% -- or up to 4,000 positions -- and slash capital spending by up to 20%. But Telstra officials have now conceded before a Senate committee that about 3,000 jobs will be cut next y as party of a company productivity drive. Sydney. COLES TO SELL PETROL! Retailer Coles Myer is set to offer customers discount fuel through an alliance with oil company Shell. Coles says the deal is planned to being in Jul at more than 150 locations in Vic. It says the rollout is expected to go nationwide in the middle of the y [?]. The retailer says customers will be offered a fuel discount when they make purchase of more than a certain amount at Coles, Bi-Lo, and Liquorland stores. The deal is subject to approval by the ACCC. [Coles says it expects to make about $3 bn pa from fuel sales]. Canberra. PM LOOKING FOR NEW GG! While accepting the blame for the disastrous appointment of GG Hollingworth, and admitting no background checks were done, PM Howard says he will appoint a new GG using the same process. The PM has refused to name potential candidates, saying he's started work on a shortlist with some of his parliamentary colleagues. Ruling out any vetting process, Mr Howard says he'll look widely for a new GG, with a replacement likely to be named within wk. [The PM said he'd discussed Dr Hollingworth's appointment with 4 snr ministers. None of them had raised an objection, he said. But Def Min Robert Hill said he had mentioned the separation of church and state.] Sydney. LOWY SETS UP RESEARCH INST! AUS's 3rd-richest man, Frank Lowy, has donated $30 mn to establish a research institute in internat'l policy in SYD. The bn-aire shopping centre tycoon [the Rich 200 says is worth $A3.7 bn] says the inst will focus on internat'l issues affection the nation and its future. Czech-born Lowy says he hopes others will add to the funding base to help indep research work on political, diplomatic, strategic, economic, and social issues. The decision to establish the Lowy Institute for Internat'l Policy follows Lowy's announcement last t -- 50 y after arriving in AUS -- that he would fund a nat'l interest project. Former Keating foreign policy advisor Allan Gyngell will be the Inst's first exec dir. Darwin. NT RECORDS RECORD DEFICIT! The NT govt has slashed taxes and boosted health and crime spending as it grapples with the highest debt levels in the country. The NT Budget -- which has been in the red for the past 6 y -- is forecast to be $24 mn in deficit for FY 2003/4. Treas Syd Stirling says he expects to hand down a balanced budget by 2004/5. However, in the meantime, the deficit has pushed the Territory's net debt level to an expected $1.8 bn for 2002/3. Sydney. LOW-PAID WORKERS WIN RISE! Low-paid workers in NSW have won a $17/wk pay-rise. The full bench of the NSW IRC has passed on the increase for people employed under state awards, to match the rise recently given to those on fed awards. The state's Labor Council has welcomed the decision, which applies to 1.2 mn workers in industries such as hospitality, retail and the public sector. Adelaide. SCHOOLS FIGHT TEEN DEPRESSION! Schools in 3 states are being brought into a campaign to help young people deal with depression. Reps of the National Beyondblue Schools Research Initiative say it will promote early help for depression. A total of 48 public and private schools will be involved in Vic, Qld, and SA. Prof Michael Sawyer, who will lead the project, says almost 100,000 young Aussies experience depression each y. Canberra. PM MAY REVIEW CHILD PAYMENTS! PM Howard has promised to consider reviewing child support payments after questions about the fairness of the scheme. Coal'n MP's and senators at today's joint party meeting said there are "continuing anomalies" in the child support scheme and say it ought to be looked at again. A rep said the PM has said he will look at the suggestion of a committee inquiry. Sydney. MARKETS! The All Ords closed down 14 pts to 2,951. In Japan, the Nikke ended 107 pts lower. At 11 pm the FTSE was also 49 pts down. The AUD is trading higher at 66.01 US c. Oil is also up at $US29.50/bbl. {{ Continuous war news 6 am The record climb to the summit of Everest has fallen for the 2nd time in 2 days. Another Nepalese sherpa climbed from base camp to the peak in under 11 hrs. The record climb came as expeditions from around the world celebrate the 50th anniversary of Hillary and Tenzing's climb on May 2, 1953. Around 1,650 people have struggled to the summit since then. Among other activities, greenies are organising to collect the tonnes of rubbish climbers have left behind. The garbage collectors have found also found several bodies. Israeli PM Sharon has come under attack from within his own Likud Party for agreeing to the US-backed Road Map. Sharon has shocked right-wingers by saying the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land cannot last forever. It's the first time he's used the O-word. Analysts say it may indicate a genuine change of heart, or it could be a calculated move to shock members of his own bloc. 3 US soldiers have been injured in Baghdad when their vehicle exploded. The US hasn't ruled out a terrorist attack. PM Howard admits no background checks were carried out on GG Hollingworth. He accepts full resp for the debacle. Opp'n leader Crean says the PM should have sacked the GG 15 m ago. Hollingworth will return with a $180,00 annual pension. Dozens of people have been injured in the big quake in n Japan. Telstra has confirmed it will sack 3,000 workers. The admission came at a Senate est committee. Last wk company officials had denied the plan. 21,000 people have fled as fighting between Indon and Aceh rebels intensifies. In Iraq, a man has emerged from hiding after 21 y. When Jemad Amir went into hiding the US was helping Iraq buy weapons, even though they knew Saddam was using WMD. He came under an execution order in 1982 because he followed a radical Shi'ite cleric. He hid for much of the time in a hole in a concrete floor covered by a mat in his parent's home. He emerged when he heard Saddam's statue in Baghdad had been toppled. Villagers were amazed -- they thought he'd fled the village decades ago. Jemad has kept a souvenir of his ys in hiding -- the dozens of teeth he lost. SYD and CBR are to stage an anti-terrorism exercise today. Pres Bush may chair a 3-way meeting between Israel and the Palestinians in the next fortnight. 3 MEL police and a former police officer, incl a husband and wife, are facing drug trafficking charges. They were all members of the Vic Drug Squad, which the Commissioner disbanded earlier this y. [Later reports say the court was told one of the men had an unexplained $100,000+ in a bank account, and that others of the group has kept money and drugs they'd seized during raids on MEL drug dealers]. Police have found 75 kg of heroin buried under bushes nr Lorne on the SW Vic coast. The haul is believed to be related to the smuggling operation conducted by the NK ship Pong Su. 50 kg was recovered by police shortly before the ship was captured by the RAN and SAS off the NSW coast last m after a 5-day chase. The total of 125 kg has a street value around $1/4 bn AUD. Police say another 25 kg of drugs from the same shipment have apparently been lost at sea. 29 crew of the Pong Su, incl the capt, are facing trafficking charges. The incident has been used by Colin Powell and the Bush Admin to claim the NK regime is funded by internat'l crime. But analysts point out the drug shipment was stamped with a mark for the Golden Triangle. Midday. The ASX continues to soften at noon, held back waiting for US data tomorrow. At midday the All Ords was down 11 pts to 2,954. 4.30 pm Toronto is back on the WHO alert list. 20 new SARS cases have been reported in the past 24 hrs. A hospital in N Toronto has been closed after it was discovered an elderly man with the virus had been treated there last m. [Attn Mosley Jones:] Psychiatrists say people spending more than a few hrs on the Internet per wk may be showing signs of compulsive behaviour or addiction. Dr Yellowlees says he had one young patient that he had to encourage to move back to his parents' home because they didn't have a computer. 83 yo Sir Edmund and Mrs Hillary has been honoured in a precession through Kathmandu to mark the 50th anniversary of the first successful Everest climb. But Tenzing was missing -- he died in 1986. Son Jamlin Norgay says his father was MIA in the honours. Everyone else was knighted, he says. Canberra. There's a fight brewing over the banning of Lebanon-based Hezbollah in AUS. While the Fed govt and Opp'n agree the group is a terrorist organisation and should be banned from raising money or support in AUS, the way to go about it is under dispute. Present AUS leg'n allows the Fed govt to ban any terrorist organisation listed by the UNSC. But Hezbollah is not outlawed by the UN, despite responsibility for scores of bombings, kidnappings and other attacks over the past 25 y. The Fed Govt wants to intro new leg'n that will give the A-G the power to ban any organisation, whether recognised by the UN or not. The Opp'n says that puts too much power in the hands of the A-G, and wants to pass a Bill that outlaws Hezbollah specifically. 6 pm PBS, New Hour. Now that the building to replace the WTC has been decided, a new competition has been thrown open to anyone over the age of 18 and willing to pay the $US25 entry fee. It will decide on the permanent memorial to the 1000s killed in the attacks on NY's icon twin towers. On this Memorial Day, the comp marks a trend toward remembering ordinary people. Like the black marble Vietnam memorial, or the "chairs" commemorating the OKC bombing. As opposed to the marble statues of Presidents and bronze generals on bronze horses. 6.30 pm UN nuclear inspectors are to return to Iraq for the first time since GWII. The inspectors will check the country's main nuclear research centre, amid fears nuclear material has gone missing during the recent looting. 2 tonnes of low grade enriched U was stored at the site. In the wrong hands, it could be used to make dirty bombs. Former GG Sir Selwyn Cowen says the lesson learned from the Hollingworth debacle is that churchmen shouldn't be appointed as GG's. Aussies agree. A poll published today says the most popular choice for GG is an academic. 23% of those questioned elected an academic for GG. The 2nd-most popular choice was a former military leader. Church officials were listed last, with around 5% of Aussies favouring that choice. He favours the idea of a 2/3 majority of parliament approving of the PM's next choice. Indon has banned all aid workers and NGO's from Aceh, saying they are not needed. The Indon For Min said they would be outlawed from entering the prov from today. There was no need of foreign observers either, he said. Troops are systematically going through villages, rounding up men and even young boys. Military officials say 25 members of GAM have been rounded up. They were paraded for the cameras today. London. The proposed EU constitution has roused Euro skeptic, who say Europe has its own flag and currency, and now wants all the trappings of a nation state. But govt mins say exactly the opposite it true. By dropping the word "Federal" from a key phrase, the EU becomes a group of independent nations and puts to rest the myth of a super-state ruled by Brussels. Reporters were keen to get a copy of the document. Health officials have warned of a dementia time-bomb in the Aussie population, with the number of patients set to triple over the next 40 y. In a report released today, Access Economics warns by 2040 the cost of looking after 1/2 mn people with dementia would cost $6 bn pa. Alzheimers AUS has called for more funding. They predict unless something is done, dementia will become the leading cause of death within 1 generation. Baghdad. US efforts to get weapons off the streets of Iraq have taken a backward step today, with the influential Ayatollah Hakim telling his people they had the right to carry weapons in these lawless times. Elsewhere, Iraq police have been given new uniforms. But some complain the Americans are not using their expertise to get crime under control. Meanwhile, Gov Bremer announced a new civilian council that will get back property stolen from the Iraqi people by the Baath Party. He also indicated the Iraqi central bank would support a new system of trade credits. The US had wanted to manage all sales of oil through the Iraqi C bank so the money could be used to fund the restructure of the country. }} ---------------------------------------- Wed, 28 May 2003. NY. MARKETS! After good consumer data from the US, the Dow rose sharply. It closed up 181 pts at 8,782. Gold was lower at $365.38/oz. In London, the FTSE ended the session 13 pts higher at 3,992. The Dax ended up 45 pts at 2,874. Auckland. 4 KILLED IN SOLOMONS ATTACK! A Solomons Is warlord has attacked a remote village, killing at least 4 people. Police rep Charles Lemoa told Solomon Is Broadcasting Corp that Harold Keke and hus men attacked Ogio village. The village is on the W end of the isolated Weathercoast of Guadalcanal. Lemoa says the casualty toll could increase. Keke, a former policeman, has for the last 4 y controlled Weathercoast on the S side of Guadalcanal and waged a bloody civil war. Algiers. AFTERSHOCK HITS ALGERIA! The Int Min says 3 people are believed to have been killed and almost 200 others injured when a new earth tremor hit the Algerian capital and Med cities to the E overnight. Dep Int Min Mohamed Guendil told Algerian state TV that the injuries were due to panic. He says unconfirmed reports from witnesses have indicated that 3 people were killed when they were searching for their belongings in a 15-storey block appt that completely collapse in Reghaia. Baghdad. 2 US SOLDIERS KILLED IN IRAQ! Gunmen have killed 2 US soldiers and wounded 9 in Fallujah, where Saddam Hussein still command loyalty. It's the bloodiest single attack on US forces since they regime changed Iraq. The US military also says it's captured 2 former snr officials of the Ba'ath Party, ousted last m by invading US and Brit forces. It's brought to 4 the number of fatalities in the past 24 hrs due to hostile action. US troops fired back for 4 hrs at a checkpoint outside Fallujah, killing 2 attackers and capturing 6. NY. PENTAGON FINDS WMD NR DC! The Pentagon has finally discovered evidence of WMD -- buried on a US Army base 80 km from Washington DC. Investigators at Ft Detrick in Maryland have unearthed more than 2,000 tonnes of hazardous waste incl 100 vials of anthrax. They are believed to be left over from a US germ warfare program that ended in 1969. The discovery comes as US forces in Iraq struggle to find any firm evidence of Saddam Hussein's post-1991 weapons programs -- originally the justification for toppling the Iraqi regime. Sydney. PACKER BIDDING ON IRAQ CONTRACTS! Billionaire Kerry Packer is reportedly bidding for contracts to rebuild Iraq with plans to facilitate the exports of live sheep and cattle to the war-torn country. The AUS Fin Rev has reported Mr Packer has personally lobbied the fed govt and plans to open an office in Baghdad to help win reconstruction contracts. The newspaper says Mr Packer, who has extensive ag interests, met with Trade Min Mark Vaile to discuss his plans on Fri. Jerusalem. ARAFAT RE-ASSERTS HIS POSITION! Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat has stepped in to assert that it's he -- not his appointed PM -- who is in charge of the Palestinian side in negotiations with Israel, throwing plans for an Israel-Palestinian summit into confusion. The dispute has underlined the internal Palestinian power struggle between Arafat and Abu Mazen, the PM he grudgingly appointed under internat'l pressure, as efforts to move forward on a new peace plan intensified. [Meanwhile, PM Sharon has tried to "clarify" his use of the term "occupation", which shocked many in his own Likud Party. A rep for the PM said Sharon meant the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory, not the civilian settlements on Arab land in the West Bank and Gaza. Some analysts say Sharon knew exactly what he was doing when he used the term]. Canberra. GOVT BROADCASTER SHOWED ANTI-US BIAS! Fed Com Min Richard Alston says the ABC has shown an anti-US bias in its coverage of the Iraqi war. Sen Alston says the ABC, particularly in its morning radio programs, had given Saddam Hussein a dream run. He also says he's complained to ABC TV that the views of the head of the news and current affairs desk, Max Uechtritz, may have contributed to the broadcaster's anti-American line. Taipei. 5 SARS DEATHS IN TAIWAN! Taiwan has reported 5 more SARS deaths and raised its total for new infections by 7 to 603. The numbers appear to confirm Taiwanese officials' assertions that the outbreak is tapering off. The death toll now stands at 81. During the past 5 days, the number of new infections announced daily has dropped sharply. Taiwan has had the largest number of deaths and cases after China and HK. Most of the island's infections have been traced to hospitals. Brisbane. COMPANIES SELLING FUEL BELOW RETAIL! The Qld Parl has been told major companies are selling fuel through their own retail outlets at up to 5 c/L cheaper than they wholesale to independent stations. Prem Peter Beattie says he's referred a complaint about the activities of major fuel companies to the ACCC. Mr Beattie says he received a submission from a rep of an indep fuel outlet last wk. Washington. BUSH SIGNS AIDS AID! Pres Bush Jr has signed into law a $A22.7 bn plan to help fund the fight against AIDS in Africa and the Caribbean, and challenged Europe to match America's generous commitment without delay. While pop star Bono and other global AIDS activists shave welcomed Bush's pledge, critics say his actual budget falls far short of what's needed at a time when AIDS kills 1 person every 10 seconds. Bush says there's a "moral duty" to act and the US has decided to act. London. PASSENGERS BATTERED IN HAILSTORM! Passengers say an airliner with 221 people on board has been battered in a hailstorm that dented the nose of the aircraft and cracked the windshields during a flight from Cyprus to Bruit. BMI Brit Midland says its flight ran into violent weather as it approached Manchester, N Eng, yesterday evening. Frightened passengers say they were thrown from their seats as the hail bounced from the plane. None of the 213 passengers or 8 crew on board were reported injured. London. PLANE LANDS NR N POLE TO RESCUE BRIT! A plan has made a dangerous ice-landing nr the N Pole to rescue a stranded Brit explorer who has spent a wk camped on a drifting ice flow with rations running low. 41 yo Pen Hadow was picked up after the plane landed on a makeshift runway he had marked out on the floating ice using plastic bags. Hadow began his 770 km trek on Mar 17 from Ward Hunt Is in N Canada, and on May 19 became the first person to walk and swim unaided to the N Pole from Canada. Washington. AIRBUS KNEW OF FAULT! Airbus reportedly knew of a fatal flaw in the tail fin of its planes ys before one snapped off in flight, causing a crash that killed 265 people. Investigators have blamed the Nov 12, 2001 crash on the flight that had just taken off from NY on the fact the tail fin was ripped off. However, USA Today says it wasn't until after the crash that Airbus admitted to US investigators another of its planes narrowly averted a crash in 1997, and an inspection revealed a cracked tail fun. Hobart. ONLY 3% OF SYD PLAYGROUNDS SAFE! An audit of playgrounds in SYD has found just 3 out of nearly 100 that are classified as "safe". The Kidsafe NEW audit has also found less than 1/2 the pieces of playground equipment in them are considered safe. Westmead Children's Hosp registrar Dr Jane Martin says while the situation had improved [!] since a similar audit in 1995, maintenance remains a biog issue. She says while councils are installing pine bark under-surfaces to absorb the impact of a fall, these are being very poorly maintained. {{ 1 am Fallujah, BBC. Attacks have claimed the lives of 4 American soldiers and 11 have been wounded in the past few days. US forces have come under attack again today at a checkpoint outside Fallujah. 2 Americans died in the latest incident. A resident said the motivation for the attack was not political, but religious and tribal. People like to brag about hitting a US vehicle, he said. The incident happened around midnight, local time. The US says soldiers at the checkpoint discovered weapons in a vehicle. Then another vehicle waiting at the checkpoint opened fire. The US casualties came from an initial grenade attack, the BCC says. A US armoured vehicle then opened fire, killing 2 of the assailants. 6 others were later captured. Fighting last 4 hrs said witnesses. A US helicopter was damaged when it collided with a Bradley as it came in to land during the evacuation of the injured US soldiers. Locals quickly descended on the damaged chopper for souvenirs. Moscow. Hu and Putin have been meeting. In a joint decl, China and Russia call for measures to be taken to restore internal stability in Iraq. The UN must play a C role in the reconstruction, said the declaration. In another part of the statement the 2 leaders appeared to warn the US off of similar action in NK. Rwanda has a new Constitution. The move will pave the way for elections, 9 y after 800,000 were killed in a genocide. To prev another civil war, the Const will entrench power-sharing between different parties. 430 have died in the last 2 wks in India from heat stroke and dehydration. A drought had already crippling the state of Uttah Pradesh. It's been the 2nd y in a row record heat-waves have hit the state. The soil in the fields is breaking up and at least 1 lake has dried up in Hyderabad. A NW Pakistan province is talking Sharia Law. It would be the first time in Pakistan that Islamic law would be intro'd at provincial level. The Bill was intro'd into parliament, but debate has been suspended. Afghanistan. The US cmdr at Bagram AFB handed has over to his successor after 1 y in cmd. He said the US and Afghan authorities had to work together to rebuild the country. He said the US had "made a difference" in Afghanistan. 9,000 US soldiers have been stationed in Afghanistan in the 18 m after a massive US bombing campaign. The US is supporting the creation of an Afghan nat'l army. In a y US officials hope the Nat'l Army will be strong enough to allow the strand-down of some US mil in the country. Maj Gen Vine said the Afghan terrorists have much less strength than 1 y ago. They were alone but they still posed a threat, he said. If they show themselves they will be killed, he added. The Palestinians say PM Sharon hasn't accepted the road map. He has just launched a PR campaign, and will try to derail the plan later. Sharon planned and built many of the contentious settlements back in the 70s and 80s. Those living in them are worried that Sharon has given a conditional OK to the road map. Some say he's lost the plot. putting the emphasis on making another state "which is totally nonsense". The settlers have started a campaign to get Likud to scuttle the plan. The roadmap calls for a halt to all expansion in the settlements, which the Israeli govt has termed "natural growth". Already a scheduled meeting between the 2 sides set for Wed has been cancelled. The Israelis say it was for "technical reasons", because the 2 sides couldn't arrange a time. The meeting has been re-scheduled for next wk. The WFP has launched a $136 mn appeal to aid refugees in DRC. There are presently about 150,000 refugees who have fled the tribal fighting in Bunia. The group is now about 150 km S of Bunia. Aid workers say the refugees had to pay their way out of danger. Tribal groups have been fighting for control in the gold-rich region. After calm was apparently restore, fighting broke out again Tue morning. Witnesses say they saw mortar fire and smoke rising from several villages. There has also been looting and vandalism. The WHO says 300,000 vaccines were destroyed in Bunia when looters stole refrigerators from Bunia hospitals. One of the tribal leaders has threatened the 10s of 1000s hiding in UN compounds, saying he will have to force them out in several days unless they leave voluntarily. Midday. The ASX has opened in positive territory, following the NY lead. At midday the All Ords was up 31 pts on the open, at around 2,982. }} ======================================== (*) 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. *** BANG! BANG... BANG! Who goes there? ***