NO, NOT THE OIL! #208 (4/4)

[R Kym Horsell]

Police guard cinemas showing lesbian film
Delhi (Reuters). Policemen will guard dozens of cinemas across India
to deter violence after a Hindu hardline party vandalised movie
theatres to protest against a Bollywood film about a love affair
between 2 women.
Police officers will be posted outside dozens of cinemas, including
many swanky multiplexes, that are showing the Hindi film Girlfriend in
Bombay, New Delhi, the N towns of Lucknow and Varanasi and the central
town of Bhopal.
Delhi police rep Ravi Pawar said: "We are mounting a close watch on
theatres showing Girlfriend in view of the incidents in other parts of
the country."
On Mon, nearly 100 student activists of the Hindu right wing Shiv Sena
smashed window panes, tore up posters and burnt effigies at a theatre
showing Girlfriend in Bombay, the capital of India's hugely popular
Bollywood film industry.
Shiv Sena members said the movie went against the grain of Indian
culture by portraying scenes of lovemaking between 2 women.
They also attacked a theatre screening the film in the N Hindu holy
city of Varanasi.
There were no injuries in either incident.
Members of the Shiv Sena said they plan more protests over Girlfriend.
"We'll not allow such a film to be screened," Arun Pathak, a leader of
the group, told Reuters.
"What one does in the bedroom and bathroom should not be displayed publicly."
Authorities in several cities said they were ready to tackle further
attempts to disrupt screenings.
"The film has been passed by the censor board," Dharam Singh, a senior
govt official in Varanasi, said.
"We will deal with troublemakers firmly. We've deployed enough police
outside movie halls."
Some critics have panned the film, with one reviewer saying it was
"redolent with cliches" and filled with "C grade raunch".

Joyce's Dublin in spotlight on 100th "Bloomsday"
Dublin (Reuters). Irish writer James Joyce once boasted that if
Dublin were ever destroyed it could be rebuilt from the pages of
Ulysses, his epic novel which will be celebrated across the city on Wed.
The book charts the movements of Joyce's unlikely hero Leopold Bloom
through the Dublin of Jun 16, 1904, a date celebrated as "Bloomsday"
and about to mark its centenary.
Joyce was in self-imposed exile when he wrote his masterpiece -- for
many the greatest novel in the English language -- and made close use
of a Dublin street directory to ensure the precision of his locations.
However, while most of the banks, churches, pubs and public buildings
mentioned in the book still stand, the city has changed dramatically
in the intervening years, hit by political violence, civil war and
more recently by rapid new development during the country's "Celtic
Tiger" boom.
Frank McDonald, author of several books on the planning and
architecture of Dublin, said Joyce's city had altered radically.
"What we have now is an increasingly European-style city centre
surrounded by a vast American-style suburban sprawl," he said.
"Joyce's Dublin was a much smaller, more intimate city."
He dismissed the notion that Dublin could be recreated from Joyce's
famous tome.
"He never described a building -- the book is just full of addresses
and the names of buildings. You would have as much chance of
rebuilding 1904 Dublin from the street directory."
Nevertheless, many of the 1000s of Joyce aficionados in Dublin this wk
for the 100th Bloomsday will set out to follow in Bloom's footsteps,
ticking off landmarks along the way.
They will find that the city-centre site of the dept store Brown
Thomas in whose window Bloom admires "cascades of ribbon" and "flimsy
China silks" is now occupied by Brit retailer Marks & Spencer.
Thornton's shop in the same street, where Blazes Boylan, the lover of
Bloom's wife, buys port, potted meat and fruits for her, is now part
of Irish retail chain Dunnes Stores.
The Clarence Hotel, which Bloom passes on his journey, was bought and
refurbished in the 1990s by members of Irish rock group U2 and now provides
a chic watering hole for the city's well-heeled young professionals.
Number 7 Eccles Street, the protagonist's house in the book, has gone,
along with the "Freeman's Journal" newspaper office -- where Bloom
calls briefly on business.
However, Olhausen's, the butcher's where Bloom purchases "a lukewarm
pig's crubeen" (trotter), and Sweny's chemist shop, where he buys
lemon soap for his wife, are still trading.
Many of the grand Georgian houses from Joyce's time fell foul of town
planners who regarded them as reminders of Brit colonial rule.
While attitudes have largely changed, the council continues to make
controversial decisions, most recently approving the demolition of the
riverside Ormond Hotel where Bloom indulges his appetite for "the
inner organs of beasts and fowls".
Other aspects of Joycean Dublin are coming full circle. Trams, on
which Bloom travels during his day, are due to begin running in the
city again this m after a 55-y absence.

Aussie wins Brit literary award
London (Reuters). An Aussie author has won one of Brit's top literary
awards for a book about how E Germany's notorious Stasi secret service
infiltrated the lives of ordinary citizens.
Anna Funder won the #30,000 [about $AUD79,000] BBC 4 Samuel Johnson
Prize for non-fiction with Stasiland: Stories from Behind the Berlin
Wall, based on interviews with residents of the former communist state.
"Anna Funder's Stasiland is a fresh and highly original close up of
what happens to people in the corrosive atmosphere of a totalitarian
state," said writer and broadcaster Michael Wood, the judging panel's
chairman.
It is Funder's 1st book and was chosen from a shortlist of 6 books that
also included Anne Applebaum's Gulag: A History about Soviet concentration
camps and Jonathan Bate's biography of English poet John Clare.
Popular science book A Short History of Nearly Everything by United
States author Bill Bryson, former journalist Aidan Hartley's African
memoir Zanzibar Chest and Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the
Roman Republic by Tom Holland made up the rest of the shortlist.
Previous winners of the prize, now in its 6th year, include historian
Anthony Beevor for his account of the siege of Stalingrad, historian
Margaret MacMillian for a portrayal of the Versailles peace conference
at the end of World War I and music critic David Cairns for a
biography of French composer Hector Berlioz.

Russia's richest man set to go on trial
The trial of Russia's richest man is set to begin in Moscow today.
Moscow (ABC, Emma Griffiths). Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been charged
with tax evasion worth nearly $1 bn in a case widely seen as a test of
Russian democracy.
Khodorkovsky was arrested last Oct and has been in jail ever since.
He has been charged with a range of offences including forgery, tax
evasion and fraud, and if found guilty faces up to 10 y in prison.
The billionaire denies he has done anything wrong and his supporters
claim he is a victim of political persecution, targeted because he
funded political parties and organisations opposed to Russian Pres
Vladimir Putin.
Mr Putin denies there has been any political interference in the case.
Despite Mr Putin's assertions, if there has been interference it has
the support of most Russians who are still angered by the way
Khodorkovsky made his money by picking up state assets in the
mid-1990s at bargain prices.

FTA may threaten Aussie inventions
Canberra (AAP). Scientists warn the nation's most promising
technology firms could be cherry-picked by their American competitors
under the AUS-United States free trade agreement (FTA).
The Federation of Aussie Scientific and Technological Societies
(FASTS) said the agreement could pose an enormous risk to the nation's
research and technology sectors and also undermine fed govt policy.
The US Congress is likely to vote on the FTA next month, while fed
parliament is expected to consider up to 9 separate pieces of
legislation in coming weeks.
Both countries hope to have the agreement operating from the start of
next y.
But there has been debate over the benefits of the agreement to AUS,
with a govt-commissioned study estimating it will boost the economy by
$6.1 bn.
Other studies, including one commissioned by a Senate committee, has
found the benefits range from almost nothing to a potential loss of
$52 bn over 20 y.
FASTS president Snow Barlow said under the trade deal, the govt would
be unable to control the transfer of inventions and discoveries by
publicly-funded research and development back to another country.
It also makes it much easier for American firms to buy out their
Aussie competitors.
Professor Barlow said AUS was giving up the power to control important
domestic discoveries while the US had retained the right to keep out
Aussie firms.
"There is a real threat the FTA will result in jobs, production,
research and development capacity and export opportunities being taken
offshore," Prof Snow said in a statement.
"The problem is the FTA significantly reduces the capacity of the govt
to exercise control of foreign takeovers or apply conditions that will
deliver benefits to AUS."
Prof Garnaut, in evidence to the Senate committee examine the FTA,
said part of the problem with the agreement was that it had not been
examined by an independent organisation.
He said an aura of mystic and political spin had been used by the govt
to support a deal that had not been properly examined to determine its
real impact on AUS.
Prof Garnaut, who helped push the liberalisation of Aussie trade
policy through the 1980s and 1990s, said he feared a new wave of
protectionism was returning because of the FTA.
"I worry that we are losing in AUS the broad base of support for
liberal trade because of the corrosion of the processes," he said.

Economy heading for mid-y trough
Latest predictions say economic growth is likely to be more modest in
the m ahead.
Melbourne (ABC, Adrian Thirsk). A key forward indicator is suggesting
that economic activity in AUS is headed for a mid-y trough.
The Westpac-MEL Institute leading index of economic activity is a
pointer to the 6 to 9 m ahead.
The latest reading is for Apr and is at an annualised growth rate of 2.7%.
Although that is below the long-term trend again, it is above last
Oct's low point of 2.3%.
Westpac says the index is indicating that economic growth will lower
in the 2nd half of the y before a modest pick up at the end of the year.
Westpac snr economist Justin McCarthy says AUS is in the midst of the
slow down which the Oct index had predicted.
"What the index is saying is that this slowdown will be quite modest
and now it's suggesting that, probably from late 2004, the economy's
going to pick up a touch," he said.
"But of course we're still growing at a below-trend rate."
That is why Westpac believes official interest rates will remain on
hold for at least several months.

Age discrimination laws passed
Canberra (AAP). Employers will no longer be able to discriminate on
the basis of age under laws passed by parliament.
Labor and the Aussie Democrats backed the Age Discrimination Bill 2003
in the Senate despite the govt rejecting their amendments in the lower house.
Under the laws it would be illegal for employers to discriminate on
the basis of age.
Access to goods and services, including health and medical services,
education and accommodation would also be protected.
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission will also be given
powers to deal with age discrimination complaints.
The govt rejected a number of amendments including the extension of
the laws to cover voluntary work and the setting up of an age
discrimination commissioner.
Brian Grieg (AD, WA) told the Senate it was disappointing the govt had
not backed the amendments.
"It's long overdue in AUS and we've taken the view that it's better to
have a weak prohibition against age discrimination then to have none
at all," Sen Greig said.
Joe Ludwig (ALP, Qld) called on the govt to revisit the laws at a
later date.
"Labor's amendments would have given younger and older people greater
protection in the workplace," he said.
Parliamentary secretary Judith Troeth said the amendments were
unnecessary.
"The govt's objective is to encourage and foster attitudinal change
without imposing unnecessary and unrealistic restraints on decision
making in business and other sectors of public life," Sen Troeth said.

Sea change brings jobless downside
Unemployment has been identified as one of the problems arising from
the "sea change" phenomena.
Canberra. The latest facts from the Aussie Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
have dispelled some myths about what is pushing coastal growth.
Retirees and cashed-up city dwellers are the ones usually blamed for
the high growth of coastal areas.
They have been accused of everything from rising real estate prices to
pressure on the sewerage system.
But the ABS says they are not the ones driving the growth.
Between 1996 and 2001, 4 out of 5 new coastal residents were under the
age of 50.
In fact, 25% were dependent children.
The director of social analysis at the ABS, Marelle Rawson, says that
shows that most who move to the coast are families who need to be fed.
"They're looking for work according to our figures rather than being many
retired people who are happy to be out of the labour force," she said.
"Because they're a younger age profile than probably was expected,
then a lot of them, in fact, are looking for work and the labour force
participation rate for these new residents is about 64%, which is
about the Aussie average, but they have a relatively high unemployment
rate of 18% in the new coastal areas," she said.
"So that means then that there's quite a few of them, in fact, who are
keen to be employed and who are looking for work, but actually haven't
found work yet."
Despite the dream, only a 3rd of city dwellers actually make the
lifestyle move to the coast.

Mitsubishi awaits rescue package news
Adelaide. Mitsubishi AUS says it is awaiting news today from Japan on
the future of the rescue package but says any new development is
unlikely to affect its Adel plants. Internat'l news reports say
Mitsubishi Motors in Japan is amending its emergency recovery plan in
the wake of a new crisis concerning a cover up of defects in its cars
and trucks, along with falling sales. The Internat'l Herald Tribune
newspaper has quoted company president Yoichiro Okazaki as saying that
a new recovery plan would be put together before a shareholders
meeting on Jun 29. Under the restructure announced 3 wk ago, 700
jobs will go with the closure of Adel's Lonsdale plant next y.
Another 350 jobs will be lost from the Tonsley Park car assembly
plant, also in Adel. But a Mitsubishi AUS rep has told ABC news it is
likely that the restructure plan already announced last m may be
brought forward but will not involve changes that will affect the
Tonsley Park or Lonsdale plants.

Govt defends record in fighting sex slave trade
Canberra. Fed Justice Min Chris Ellison says a US report which lists
AUS as a destination country for sex slaves also recognises the Govt's
efforts to fight sex trafficking. For the 1st time, the US Govt has
named AUS as a sex slavery destination after an investigation found
there were more than 300 women and girls forced into the work across
AUS. But Sen Ellison says a lot is being done to stop the practice
and AUS can not be singled out. "There are other countries listed in
the same category: Canada, the UK, Italy, France, just to name a few,"
he said. "We're not dismissive of it of course, this is an issue we
take very seriously but AUS's put in strong measures to fight sex
trafficking. "That was recognised by the US and we will continue to
crack down on this criminal practice."

Anti-terror laws likely to get Labor's support
Sydney. The Fed Govt is likely to get Labor's support for new
measures to strengthen AUS's anti-terrorism laws.
The Govt wants to legislate so terrorism suspects only get bail in
exceptional circumstances and to extend the non-parole period of any
sentences imposed on convicted terrorists.
A-G Philip Ruddock has given the Opp'n a copy of its bill and Labor
MPs will hold an urgent party room meeting this afternoon to consider it.
Mr Ruddock says under changes he is proposing, terrorism suspects
would only get bail in exceptional circumstances.
If they were convicted they would be required to serve at least 3
quarters of their primary sentence.
"If you had an offence in which somebody was sentenced to 10 y jail,
the parole period could only be 2 and half years, not a parole period
which reduces the sentence to say 2 y as we've seen recently," he said.
Labor's Robert McClelland says it appears the measures are justified.

Experts concerned over children's mental health
Mental health professionals are calling for more resources to deal
with young people suffering from depression.
Canberra. The call follows the release of a pharmaceutical company's
research which shows certain anti-depressants can cause suicidal
thoughts in children.
Aussie College of Psychiatrists rep Dr Louise Newman says it is not a
new finding.
However she says it highlights important issues surrounding the
prescribing of anti-depressants, with 1000s of teenagers currently
taking them in AUS.
"The majority of prescribing of these drugs is not actually done by
child psychiatrists or paediatrics specialists," she said.
"The majority of prescribing is done by general practitioners and I
think it highlights the need for GPs to have increased and better
access and support by mental health specialists, particularly with
some of the complicated cases."
She says the mental health system is failing young people and requires
more funding.
"We have got a mental health system for children and adolescents which
is under resourced and not ideal," she said.
"Maybe it's an open question whether some prescribing is actually done
because we don't have access to other sorts of treatments which we
know are effective for mild to moderate depression."

Diabetes group calls for more funding
Canberra. Diabetes AUS has called on the Fed Govt to double funding
for diabetes research over the next 5 y and establish a medical
concession card for people with the disease. The organisation has
released an action plan which demands all govts do more to combat
diabetes. Executive director Brian Conway says people with the
illness visit doctors twice as often as other Aussies and need access
to bulk billing GPs and subsidised medicines. Mr Conway says the plan
also calls for the creation of a healthy lifestyle program for school
children and education campaigns to raise awareness of the condition.
"We recommend that a public education campaign be run in work places
about the legal requirements relating to unfair work practices and
that all schools adopt standard practices when dealing with students
with diabetes," he said.

Govt to handout science grants
Canberra. The Fed Education Min will today announce science grants
worth up to $30 mn. 25 scientists will each receive grants of nearly
$1.2 mn over 5 y as part of the Federation Fellows program.

WA escapees suspected of hold-up
Perth (AAP). Police are convinced the thieves were escapees 2 of 3
dangerous fugitives on the run since overpowering Perth Supreme Court
guards last wk are believed to have staged an armed hold-up at a
betting agency, police said.
A group of 9 men on remand for charges including armed robbery broke
out of a holding cell at the 101-yo court building in Perth's central
business district last Thu morning.
4 of the prisoners were recaptured by police within hours of fleeing
the court, and a further 2 men were recaptured late Fri night.
3 of the prisoners -- Laurie Dodd, James Sweeney and Robert Hill --
are still on the run.
A police rep said one man armed with a handgun and wearing a balaclava
entered the TAB adjoining Rosie O'Grady's Hotel in S Perth about 2 pm WST.
A shot was fired during a struggle with a staff member but no-one was
injured, the rep said.
Police said the man escaped with a sum of cash, but declined to
specify how much.
The description of the getaway driver matched that of Dodd, and police
suspect the man in the balaclava was either Sweeney or Hill.
All 3 men were on remand for armed robbery charges at the time of
their escape.
Meanwhile, angry Supreme Court security guards are still considering
strike action, claiming they are being used as scapegoats for the mass
breakout.
Justice Min Michelle Roberts said an interim report into the escape
indicated a "systemic failure" in the way AIMS Corporation managed
security at the court.
But Paul Aslan of the Transport Workers Union, that represents about
250 AIMS workers, said his members were angered by Ms Roberts' accusations.
"Our members are extremely angry over what has been said ... because
they are a pack of lies," he said.
"What has been stated by the Dept of Justice in terms of what happened
there on that day when those 9 prisoners escaped is just absolute
nonsense and can be proven to be such."
Ms Roberts, who has been under pressure to resign, said AIMS had been
immediately relieved of all custody and guard duties at the Supreme Court.
She said the company's future involvement in the Supreme Court was at
the sole discretion of the Director Gen of Justice, Alan Piper.
"What we've seen so far in the interim report does not look good for
AIMS, nor does it look good for the dept [of justice] in terms of its
monitoring role," Ms Roberts told reporters.
She said if AIMS cooperated with the Dept of Justice and police, and
contributed fully to the inquiry, "there may be a way forward that
doesn't involve them being terminated".
Prem Geoff Gallop continued to defend his embattled minister as the WA
Opp'n moved a no confidence motion against her in parliament.

Perth escapees suspected of robbery
Police are still hunting for 3 of 9 men who escaped from a holding
cell in Perth last wk.
Perth. Police suspect 2 men who escaped from a holding cell at the
Supreme Court in Perth last wk were behind the robbery of a TAB
yesterday and have stepped up their manhunt.
3 of 9 men who broke out of the court building last Thu are still at large.
Police believe 2 of them, James Sweeney and Laurie Dodd, were
responsible for an armed hold-up at a TAB in S Perth yesterday.
A shot was fired during the robbery but no-one was injured.
Police say the hold-up demonstrates the 2 men are desperate and dangerous.
Anyone with info about the men is urged to contact police but officers
are again warning against approaching the escapees directly.
Acting Insp Greg Medhurst says the men will be caught.
"Certainly these people would be considered as being desperate," he
said. "They're on the run and they're going to do everything they can
to stay out of custody.
"But I can assure the public that we have our people out there and
it's only a matter of time before we'll have them back behind bars."
Inspector Medhurst has warned those assisting the escapees to expect
to be charged.
"Harbouring these people is definitely against the law and anybody
that is contributing to keeping them concealed or is harbouring them
will be charged," he said.

Domestic violence biggest risk factor for Vic women
Melbourne. A new report into the effects of domestic violence on Vicn
women shows it is responsible for more ill health and premature deaths
than any other risk factor for women aged between 15 and 45.
The report found partner violence accounts for nearly 9% of the total
Vicn disease burden, and was a bigger risk factor than smoking or high
blood pressure.
VicHealth chief executive officer Rob Moodie says the effects are far
reaching.
"It causes an enormous amount of depression, anxiety, suicide
attempts, chronic pain syndrome, psychosomatic disorders, obviously
physical injury as well," he said.
"It really does produce a lot of very harmful outcomes and it also
affects the children involved as well, so it affects not only this
generation but affects into the next generation as well."
Dr Moodie says the research team was not expecting such shocking findings.
"We had to go back and check our data again and again, and what it is
really saying to us is that it is much more common than we thought,"
he said.
"It has much more severe and persistent effects on women's physical
and mental health."
The Women's Domestic Violence Crisis Service has welcomed the study.
Service director Rhonda Cumberland says she hopes the findings mean
the health sector listens to women affected by domestic violence.
"I am astounded, as the level of the relationship that has been
established in this report between what women tell us and now what the
science is backing up -- that domestic violence is common," she said.
"Women don't report it to health professionals and the health sector
is treating the symptoms, not the cause."

Govt to set up nat'l anti-corruption body
[The Howard govt claims the move was not prompted by an ABC "Four
Corners" program this wk that indicated the ACC had been infiltrated
by corrupt state police officers].
Canberra. The Fed Govt says it wants to establish an independent
nat'l anti-corruption body to improve accountability in organisations
like the Aussie Fed Police and the Aussie Crime Commission.
The body would have royal commission powers and be permitted to
intercept phone calls.
A-G Philip Ruddock and Justice Min Chris Ellison have put forward the
plan to establish the anti-corruption watchdog.
Mr Ruddock denies it is a direct reaction to an ABC 4 Corners program
which raised allegations that the Aussie Crime Commission had been
contaminated by corrupt detectives.
"It is more abundant caution that you would take the steps to ensure
that if allegations of this sort might arise, you have a proper basis
for ensuring they are able to be addressed," he said.
Commonwealth ombudsman John MacMillan says efforts to stamp out
corruption will depend largely on internal mechanisms within the
police services.
Prof MacMillan says he is yet to see the detail of the new body.
He says he is not yet sure how it will affect the work of the ombudsman.
"Up until now there hasn't been ... any perceived need in the
Commonwealth for an external oversight body other than the role being
played by parliamentary committees, ombudsmen and the like," he said.
"We'll wait to see what kind of external oversight mechanism the Govt"
comes up with, he said.
The chief executive of the Police Federation of AUS, Mark Burgess, has
told the AM program he hopes the decision is not just a reaction to a
TV story.
"It certainly isn't the 1st we've heard about this issue and I just
hope it's not simply a knee-jerk reaction to a 4 Corners program on
Mon night," he said.
"We'd be more than happy to sit down and talk to the Fed Govt about
what it is they're proposing, bearing in mind there's police officers
from every jurisdiction in AUS in a whole range of levels at a nat'l level."
The Fed Opp'n says it will support the Govt's move to establish a
nat'l law enforcement corruption body.
Details of how the body will operate are still to be finalised but the
Opp'n's Robert McClelland says Labor will be supporting it anyway.
"This is an issue that should be above politics and we'll work
cooperatively with the Govt," he said.

Petrol-ethanol car seen as right mix in Brazil
Brisbane. The general manager of Bundaberg Sugar has returned to Qld
from a visit to Brazil predicting that country will increasingly use a
car that can run on any mix of petrol and ethanol. Grant Maclean says
a car that can handle between zero and 100% ethanol is on the market
in Brazil and is no more expensive than models that handle up to 25%
ethanol. He believes the "flex-car" will gain popularity because it
allows people to choose between petrol and ethanol, according to what
is cheaper at the pump. "I think what is going to make a big
difference to the car market in Brazil will be the introduction of the
flex-fuel car and that occurred a y ago and the sales of these cars
has been incredible," he said. "Eventually they will swamp the new
car market and we have got 2 car manufacturers making the flex-fuel
cars and I understand another 4 will eventually produce them."

Rescuers work to save stranded whale
W Tassie. More than 20 people are making a net which will be used to
rescue a 14-metre sperm whale stranded in Macquarie Harbour on Tas's
west coast.
The net is being made by local fish farm workers and wildlife officers
from the state's nature conservation branch.
The whale is stranded on a sandspit at Fraser Flats which is a km
inside the heads of the W coast harbour and is being monitored by
water police.
The W district snr ranger for the Parks and Wildlife Service, Chris
Arthur, says the whale remains in good condition.
"Hopefully by early afternoon or mid afternoon with cooperation of the
fish farms we'll be able to use their vessels to place the net one
side of the live animal and gently move the animal off the bottom," he said.
Mr Arthur says 4 sperm whales have also been found dead on nearby Ocean Beach.
He says the 4 dead whales beached themselves this morning.
"These are big animals, they're between 10 and 12 metres and we don't
really know why they strand but scientific work will be undertaken
with these animals during the day," he said.

Lees to vote against energy plan
Canberra. A key Independent politician has signalled her intention to
vote against most of the Fed Govt's $1.5 bn cuts to fuel excise in the
Senate. The changes are part of the Govt's new energy strategy and
provide a full excise credit on fuels used "off road" by farmers,
miners and for all other business activities. Labor, the Democrats
and the Greens are all unimpressed with the package. Progressive
Alliance Sen Meg Lees says the changes are a backward step and
undermine fledgling industries like solar and wind power. "This has
to go through the Senate, the whole of the diesel package will need
legislation and I will work as hard as I can to ensure that a couple
of the measures that are needed in this package get through," she
said. "But for the rest of it, that we re-focus on renewables and
help business in other ways."

PM hits back at energy plan opponents
Canberra. The Fed Govt has hit back at criticism of its energy
package from environmental groups.
But the Greens, the Democrats and a key Independent have all signalled
they will vote against some of the changes in the Senate.
Progressive Alliance Sen Meg Lees hopes the Govt's $1.5 bn cuts to
fuel excise will not pass the Senate and will vote against the changes.
The Aussie Greens agree, as does Democrats rep Lyn Allison who
described it as "a disaster for greenhouse emissions from transport".
The Aussie Democrats say the white paper contains only token measures
to tackle greenhouse gas emissions.
NSW Democrats leader Sandra Kanck says financial support for
commercialisation of renewable technologies is welcome but believes
the white paper mistakenly emphasises greenhouse gas containment.
She says it fails to recognise the size and range of environmental
problems attributed to greenhouse gas emissions.
"There's this strange view that provided you can store those emissions
that it's okay and that's crazy," she said.
"It's like you break wind and you put it in a bottle somehow that
you're more polite, it's just not that way."
Labor has described the fuel excise cuts as a rural vote buying
exercise but is yet to decide if it will vote against them.
Prime Min John Howard meanwhile has attacked green groups for
describing the energy package as a "shocker".
"I look broader for responses to the environment than bodies such as
the Aussie Conservation Foundation, after all their president has just
signed up with the Labor Party," Mr Howard said.
That comment was in reference to Labor's new recruit Peter Garrett.

"Do not e-mail" list no spam killer
[It's easy to set up certified mail -- but "Hotmail" doesn't understand it].
Washington (AFP). The US Govt's main consumer protection agency has
concluded that a "do not e-mail" registry proposed as a solution to
spam would not work, and could not be effectively enforced.
A Fed Trade Commission report to Congress says such a plan -- based on
the US's "do not call" telephone registry -- would fail to reduce the
amount of unwanted e-mails and might even increase the amount of spam.
The commission says such a registry cannot work because there is no
effective system for "authentication" of e-mail that could trace its
origins.
The FTC said anti-spam efforts should focus on creating an authentication
system that would prevent spammers from hiding their tracks and
evading Internet service providers' anti-spam filters and law enforcement.
"Without effective authentication of e-mail, any registry is doomed to
fail," the FTC said.
The agency's report was required by Congress when it passed the
Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act
(CAN-SPAM Act), which took effect in Jan.
Analysts say the new law has provided some tools to crack down on spam
but that the volume of e-mail solicitations has not decreased.
The FTC report was based on proposals from and discussions with
experts, major Internet firms and consumer groups.
The 60-page report said enforcement would be a major problem because
of spammers' ability to hide their tracks.
Additionally, a breach in security of the list could lead to an
increase in spam "because spammers would use such a registry as a
directory of valid e-mail addresses".
"Instead of implementing a registry that would, at best have no impact
on spam and, at worst, cause it to increase, the FTC's plan recognises
the need for an authentication standard," the agency said, calling for
a summit later this y to develop systems for authentication.

Hollywood urges film swappers to end downloads
LA (AFP). Recent-release movies like Shrek 2 often pop up on Internet
download sites even before they debut.
The main trade group for Hollywood's movie industry has announced it
is stepping up a campaign to curb illegal downloading of films and
warns it will take action in the courts if necessary.
The Motion Picture Association of America says it will place ads in
daily newspapers and consumer magazines, as well as in more than 100
college newspapers, seeking to discourage illicit Internet film downloading.
Additionally, anti-piracy messages will appear in movie theatres
across the US in the coming months, it said.
MPAA president Jack Valenti says he hopes the effort will curb piracy
but adds that "we will keep all of our options open, including legal action".
The MPAA is facing some of the same problems as the music industry,
which blames Internet file-swapping for a recent slump in music sales.
The motion picture group says it is "in the process of significantly
increasing its monitoring of illegal film-swapping levels online" and
is assessing the effectiveness of legal action by the Recording
Industry Association of America.
"If we don't react promptly to an ascending curve of illegal uploading
and downloading soon to be reinforced with dazzling speeds rising from
file-trafficking networks, we will live with an intense regret," Mr
Valenti said.
"We have to do more to convince that minority of people who are engaged
in this unlawful and infringing activity of the wrongness of their conduct.
"We have to stem the tide of film theft online before it is too late,
before it puts to peril the creative energy of the industry and the
jobs of the nearly 1 mn Americans who work within the movie industry."
The MPAA estimates losses due to bootlegging are $US3.5 bn annually,
not including illegal downloading.
But digital piracy is growing and some surveys indicate between
400,000 and 600,000 films are being illegally downloaded each day, the
MPAA said.

Yahoo acts to head off Google webmail challenge
Yahoo offers extra space to users of its free web-based e-mail service.
SF (AFP). Internet portal giant Yahoo has moved to head off a
challenge from rival Google by boosting its web-based e-mail capacity
for both free and paying customers.
Yahoo has informed its customers with free e-mail accounts that it is
increasing their storage capacity from 4 megabytes to 100 megabytes,
representing about 50,000 pages of e-mails.
Those Yahoo customers who pay for a "premium" e-mail service and
subscribers to Yahoo Internet services will get "virtually unlimited"
storage at 2 gigabytes, or about 1 mn pages.
This capacity is "far in excess of any major e-mail service and 200
times the amount offered by most other Internet service providers",
Yahoo said in a statement.
The move comes as Google, which is in the process of offering stock to
the public, prepares a free e-mail service with 1 gigabyte, or about
500,000 pages, of storage.
The Google plan has drawn criticism from privacy activists because it
will target advertising to users based on the content of e-mails.
The battle for free e-mail -- which is also offered by Microsoft
through its Hotmail service, and many others -- highlights the falling
cost of storage capacity but also a rush to direct customers to
portals and search services, which can generate revenue.
"With the new Yahoo Mail, consumers won't have to think about mailbox
size," said Yahoo vice-president Brad Garlinghouse.
"When they judge webmail value, they'll continue to look at all the
things that make Yahoo Mail number one, including privacy practices,
superior spam and virus protection and integrated calendaring and alerts."
Yahoo also said it was releasing more than 50 mn e-mail addresses that
have been dormant for many years.

First mobile phone virus discovered
Virus writers turn their attention to mobile phones.
Paris (AFP). The 1st computer virus that can infect mobile phones has
been discovered by researchers in France.
Anti-virus software developers say the virus, called Cabir, appears to
have been developed by an internat'l group to show that no technology
is safe from attack.
Cabir infects the Symbian operating system that is used in several
makes of mobiles, notably the Nokia brand, and propagates through the
new bluetooth wireless technology that is in some new mobile phones.
If the virus succeeds in penetrating a mobile, it writes the
inscription 'Caribe' on the screen and is then activated every time
the phone is turned on.
It is able to scan for phones that are also using the Bluetooth
technology and is able to send a copy of itself to the 1st handset
that it finds.
Anti-virus software developer F-Secure says the discovery of Cabir is
proof that the technologies are now available to create viruses for
mobile phones and that they are now known to the writers of computer viruses.
Anti-virus experts have been warning for m that mobile phone viruses
are set to multiply, given the increasingly diverse uses of mobile phones.

{{
Midnight.
The head of the Iraqi war crimes tribunal says a prison to hold Saddam
will soon be ready.

1.30 am
The US State Dept has confirmed it's discussing Saddam's hand over with
the Iraqi interim govt, but denied there's been a decision on the timing.

2 militant Pal groups have claimed responsibility for car bomb. The
Israeli army says soldiers had opened fire on a car and it blew up nr
Nessarim in the Gaza Strip. Soldiers opened fire on a suspicious
vehicle and it immediate blew up -- indicating it was full of
explosives, say Israeli cmdrs. There were no reports of Israeli cas.
In the N of the W Bank, a Pal teen was shot dead by Israeli troops. 3
other people were wounded.

10 climate scientists in the US have called on the Bush Admin to do
something about GW. They say the data has been pointing to the same
conclusion for some time now, and it's time politicians took notice.

2 am
Afghan Pres Karzai is in Washington for discussions with Pres Bush on
the progress since the fall of the Taliban 3 y ago. He was greeted
with a standing ovation in an address to Congress.
Elsewhere, dozens of Afghans in Kabul demonstrated against the Pres,
calling for Karzai to stand down. They say his term of office under
the peace deal has expired. About 100 protesters were led by 2
candidates who plan to run against Karzai later this y.

An Iraqi oil pipeline S of Basra has been blown up. It's the 4th
attack in 9 days. The interim PM has blamed foreign fighters and
terrorists for the attack. Oil generates 90% of Iraq's revenue. A
rep said the blast would cut oil exports to 1/3 of their present
level. There are many attacks on the oil infrastructure, but this is
one of the most serious. Repairs will take several days. The price
of oil rose $1 on the news.

In early morning raids in the Paris region, police have arrested more
than a dozen men. Weapons were seized. Under French terror laws
suspects can be questioned for 96 hrs without charge.

2.10 am
The US is pressuring the Iraq interim govt to grant immunity to US
soldiers and workers after the hand-over. The news confirms the
suspicions of many Iraqis about the "sovereignty" granted after Jun 30.
The Iraqi press says the US won't give up their control of the country
so easily.

3 am
Baghdad. Gunmen have fired on a convoy nr the Baghdad airport,
killing a number of people. US officials have not yet disclosed
details of the cas.

The Rumanian govt has passed a law restricting adoption of children
by foreigners.

8 am
A worrying sign of growing sectarian violence. In Fallujah, Sunni men
have executed 6 Shiite men on orders of local clerics. In Baghdad,
Shia demonstrated, telling reporters the young men had gone to
Fallujah on a sales job. They had been threatened by a local group,
then gone to US-installed police. But the police had delivered the
men up to a mob, who had killed them and then mutilated their bodies.

Insurgents in Iraq have targeted a 2nd oil pipeline. A pipeline
supplying domestic oil has been blown up nr Kirkuk.

Despite the sabotage in Iraq, oil continues it's downward trend. West
Texas crude was trading around $US39.17/bbl at the close.

Midday.
US Pres George W Bush has lauded Afghanistan as a model for Iraq as he
tried to paint the US involvement there as a success.

US Pres George W Bush has nominated Army Gen George Casey to command
the US-led multinat'l force in Iraq, replacing Lt Gen Ricardo Sanchez.

A group headed by suspected Al Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
have claimed responsibility for a suicide car bombing in Baghdad on
Mon that killed 13 people, 5 of them foreign contractors.

Iraq's petroleum exports have virtually halted after insurgents blew
up part of a pipeline at Basra in the country's south, shutting down
the country's 2 main oil terminals.

A snr Iraqi justice official says a detention centre for former
dictator Saddam Hussein will soon be ready.

Def Min Robert Hill is expected to make a statement to Parliament
later today on the findings of an internal inquiry into when Aussie
officials 1st learned about the Iraqi prisoner abuse scandal.

9.30 pm
US forces have arrested 6 members of the new US-trained def force in
connection with a car bombing that claimed 9 lives in Ramadi. 4 of
those killed were foreigners. The 6 arrested are now being
interrogated at a US base.
Meanwhile, a new survey shows deep and growing resentment of US
troops in Iraq. More than 1/2 those questioned said they would be
safer if the US forces left now. 92% of respondents saw the US as an
occupying force. 54% think all Americans behave like the guards in
the Abu Ghraib scandal.

Insurgents have attacked an oil pipeline in S Iraq for a 2nd day.
Repairs will now take 2 wks. Elsewhere, a snr oil official in Kirkuk
has been assassinated outside home. He was the main official in
charge of security for the oil fields. Vital oil exports have come
to a virtual halt. Damage is estimated in the $100s mns. The latest
attack coincides with a visit to Baghdad from US Def Under-sec and
GWII architect Paul Wolfowitz.

Militant cleric al-Sadr has called on fighters not residents of Najaff
to go home. He has reacted positively to US comments saying he could
enter politics provided the militias are disbanded and he's found not
guilty of involvement in the murder of a rival cleric.

Canberra. The Fed Opp'n has called for the resignation of Sen Hill
after his latest explanations of what the Howard govt knew about POW
abuse in Iraq and when they knew it.
The Opp'n claims Hill's shown "incompetence and gross cowardice".
Today, Sen Hill said there were no more corrections to be made to the
govt's version of the POW abuse scandal. He told Parliament there
was no record of defence papers detailing the abuses being passed up
the chain of command to the govt.
But the Opp'n has accused the govt of being "supine" during the scandal.
Meanwhile, the Howard govt still won't allow Maj O'Kane to give
evidence before a Senate committee. It has emerged O'Kane wrote at
least 1 report on POW abuse last y.
The Dems say as long as the gag is in place, the public will suspect
another govt cover-up.
In any case, the govt had a legal and moral responsibility to know
what was happening in Iraq as a very willing member of the Coal'n of
the Willing.

Security at the Aussie Embassy and other premises in Indon is being
beefed up tonight after new intel emerged that JI militants are
targeting foreign diplomats.

A new survey out today shows 90% of Arab and Muslim women in AUS have
suffered racial or other abuse or violence since 9/11. The authors of
the report say the results confirm anecdotal evidence that racism has
increased since the WTC attacks.
The ABS says there are 280,000 Muslims in AUS, about 1/2 of them
living in SYD.

Israeli troops have shot dead 2 militants in separate raids in the W
Bank. One of the dead was a local member of the al-Aqsa Brigade. He
was shot dead in a restaurant by soldiers disguised as Arabs. 6
other men were arrested.
The Israeli raids came as the A-G confirmed PM Sharon would not face a
trial over a corruption scandal.
The A-G's decision paves the way for the Labour Opp'n to join a govt
coal'n after Sharon sacked 2 Cabinet members who would not support his
Gaza pull-out plan.
An anti-corruption group has filed a petition with the courts, asking
it to reconsider the A-G's decision.

A new survey has confounded the experts. The survey of Aussie women
shows that violence in a relationship poses the biggest health risk
for women under 45. Violence comes ahead of smoking and alcohol abuse
as a cause of death. In 9% of Vic women under 45, dom viol greatest
risk factor ahead of harm caused by illicit drugs, alcohol, easting
disorders and smoking. The report finds 59% of respondents suffer
depression as a result of violence, 22% abuse alcohol or drugs. The
Vic police say domestic violence complaints are rising about 20% pa.

Howard govt plans to disband ATSIC have been delayed. An
investigation into the move has been ordered by the Senate.

10 pm
In Moscow, Mikhail Khodorkovsky has arrived at the central court,
ready to begin what critics are calling a show trial. Mr K's lawyer
expects his client to be convicted and to get a 10 y sentence.
[Nothing like a positive Russian attitude in the defence team!]

Oil has risen on fears of more sabotage in Iraq. it's presently
trading around $US37.29/bbl, after hitting a 7 wk low during the day.
The All Ords also closed at a record high. The AUD is trading higher
at 69.44 US c. Gold is trading around $US389.10/oz.

Park rangers in the ACT have started shooting feral horses that are
coming into the nat'l park from NSW. 2 animals were destroyed today,
and rangers say they will probably have to shoot 2 more tomorrow.

11 pm
In news coming out of the UK, billionaire Rupert Murdoch has been
forced out of 2 key committees at BSkyB. The board is under pressure
to remove the influence of the billionaire and his family from the
management of the company.

BBC World News. The war of word over efforts to police Iran's nuclear
programs has heated up, with Pres Khatami saying Tehran will react
negatively if the IAEA passes a motion as it's currently worded. It's
the 2nd statement the Pres has made in 2 days. Elsewhere, the US says
Iran is trying to bully the board of the UN nuke agency. The basic
message is they have something to hide, says a US rep.

Chinese news media says Beijing will open the first orphanage
specialising in AIDS victims in Hunan prov -- the area worst affected
by the disease. Many villagers in the region became infected through
sales of tainted blood in the 1990s. The news is one of the most open
pronouncements on what has been a tabu in China.

The Brit agency regulating stem cells and cloning is considering its
first submission to trade in stem cells.

The meeting of FM's from the Islamic Conf has ended in Istanbul with a
pledge to help Iraq in its transition. The statement also pledges to
help the Iraqi people. We have decided to actively assist Iraq in its
transition and in meeting it needs, says the statement. There is no
outline of exactly what assistance will be provided. There has been
much talk of reform in Islamic countries over the past 3 days of the meeting.

A Parliamentary investigation into the Madrid train attacks has kicked
off in Madrid. The Socialists say their aim is to ensure a similar
attack never happens again.

A survey of public opinion in 8 African countries has found 1/3 feel
worse off this y. Zimbabweans are the most pessimistic. The survey
also finds most respondents don't believe their govts reflect the will
of the people and have more trust in their religious leaders. But
2/3 of Ghanaians do think their govt reflects their will. The
majority of Kenyans think corruption is declining after the ousting of
their Pres.

Some analysts are warning that the unspecified methods that will be
used by the interim Iraq govt to "control the insurgency" may hark
back to techniques from the Saddam Hussein regime. While the CPA
and US cmdrs are blaming al-Qaeda for the attacks on the oil
infrastructure, some observers say the attacks would need a large deal
of support from Iraqi society, and are likely to be carried out by a
diversity of groups, incl Iraqis themselves. The geographical extent
of the attacks seem to be spreading, some analysts say. Iraq had been
exporting 1.6 mn bpd and had been aiming to expand that to 2 mn bpd
before the hand-over. That has been put on hold after the latest
series of pipeline attacks and assassinations.

11.15 pm
The trial of Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been adjourned again. The
prosecution case for the 7 charges he faces reportedly runs to 20
volumes. About 100 supporters gathered outside the court with the
billionaire's photo on their T-shirts. The 3 judges could sentence Mr
K for up to 10 y jail or a labour camp for "economic crimes". The oil
giant Yukos also faces court 2 times this wk. The first case involves
the payment of $bns in back taxes . The company says the payments
could bankrupt it. The 2nd case is investigating whether bankruptcy
proceedings can proceed immediately.

11.20 pm
News just coming in. The 9/11 Commission in Washington has found
there is "no credible evidence" that Saddam Hussein helped al-Qaeda
carry out the Pentagon and WTC attacks. The Commission found while
OBL had approached the Iraqi regime for help in setting up training
camps, Iraq had never responded. 2 bin Laden associates have also
denied there were links. Pres Bush and key Admin figures had alleged
before GWII there were links between the Iraqi regime and al-Qaeda.
While most have now backed away from the idea, VP Dick Cheney still
regularly mentions it in his speeches. His last allegation came just
3 days ago.

5 people who falsely accused a Paris airport baggage handler of
planning a terrorist attack have been sentenced to jail. They had
claimed they saw the man brandishing a weapon in an airport car park.
It later turned out they'd been paid by relatives of the baggage
handler's late wife, who'd died in a fire some time earlier.
}}

========================================
(*) 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!
Multiple posting personalities get free popcorn!

All speling macroizated for correctitood by Mcrosotf Speelchek.

*** Please stand by for further orders from The Leader ***
=== end 4/4 ===

[R Kym Horsell]

Foreigners blamed for Iraq attacks
Baghdad. Iraq's political leaders say they believe foreigners are
responsible for the wave of terrorist attacks in the country.
In the latest attacks, bombers have killed 41 people in 2 strikes on
Iraq's security forces.
Iraq's Defence Min Hazem al-Shalan, Interior Min Falah al-Naqib and
Prime Min Iyad Allawi all say foreigners are responsible for the
recent terrorist attacks.
They have promised to retaliate against the foreigners they believe
are responsible for yesterday's terrorist attacks.
Mr Shalan has promised house-to-house searches in a bid to track down
those responsible for the attack.
But the minister also says there are regional parties involved and he
has threatened to take the fight to them in "their homes".
The brother of a Saudi man who belonged to a group allied to Al Qaeda
says his brother was martyred on Mon, the day a car bomb claimed the
lives of 13 people in central Baghdad.
Khaled al-Shimri told Reuters that his brother was a member of a group
headed by suspected Al Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and had
been in Iraq for 2 m before the attack.
6 members of the Iraqi Civil Defence Corps have been killed in a car
bomb attack at the N town of Yethrib and the 1st Hungarian soldier to
be killed in Iraq lost his life in a suspected roadside bomb attack in
Iraq's south.
US Deputy Def Sec Paul Wolfowitz, who is visiting Iraq, says the
country's security forces are not ready to take control and they will
need the help of the US for some time to come.

As bombers strike, UN says Iraq too dangerous
Dozens killed in Baghdad blast.
Baghdad (AFP). The death toll from 2 car bomb attacks against Iraq's
army and civil defence corps has risen to 41 people, with 145 wounded.
As violence continues, UN Sec-Gen Kofi Annan has warned the security
situation is too dangerous for the world body to return to Iraq.
It is not clear how his announcement will affect the crucial UN role
in helping prepare Iraq for Jan elections, the cornerstone of US
ambitions to create a showcase for democracy in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, an Egyptian and and a Turkish hostage have been released wk
after they were kidnapped nr the flash point Iraqi city of Fallujah,
according to media reports.
In the deadliest attack this m, a suicide bomber rammed a white
vehicle packed with artillery shells into a Baghdad army recruiting
centre, killing 35 people and wounding 141 others.
"A suicide bomber, his hands clutching the steering wheel, launched
his car, loaded with explosives, against the people who were waiting
in front of the centre," said army cmdr Khaled Jamal Said.
"It is criminal, that is all I can say."
In Feb, a car bomb targeted the same recruitment centre, killing 47
people, most of them young volunteers.
* Surge in violence
The US-led coalition has warned of a surge in violence as the clock
ticks down to the hand over of power to an Iraqi Admin on June 30.
Iraq's interim PM, Iyad Allawi, battling attempts to discredit his new
govt, visited the bombing site, surrounded by a host of security guards.
He and interior minister Falah al-Naqib accused foreign countries,
without naming them, of being behind the devastation.
Defence minister Hazem al-Shalan blamed "foreign, regional groups"
without being more specific.
However, the US boss in Iraq, Paul Bremer, linked the attack with Al
Qaeda operative Abu Mussab al-Zarqawi.
"It certainly is consistent exactly with what Zarqawi said he would do
back in Jan," Mr Bremer said, referring to a letter purportedly from
the fugitive Islamist detailing plans to foment civil war in Iraq.
Bloodied and battered bodies, many of them volunteers who had been queueing
up to join the New Iraqi Army, lay tangled in the street after the blast.
Jamal al-Ani, director of emergency operations at Iraq's health
ministry, said the casualty toll stood at 35 dead and 141 wounded.
Since a new Iraqi caretaker govt backed by the US was unveiled on June
1, Iraq has seen at least 20 car bombs and the deaths of more than 180 people.
* Second bombing
3 hr after the Baghdad attack, 6 Iraqi civil defence soldiers were
killed and 4 wounded in a car bombing N of Baghdad, a military rep said.
The 2nd bomb exploded in front of a council building in Yethrib, a
city north of the capital, a military rep said.
It was unclear whether the car bomb was a suicide attack or detonated
with a remote device, the rep added.
Insurgents have also targeted the nation's oil infrastructure and
exports were shut down on Tue after a pair of pipelines leading to the
southern port of Basra were blown up.
Oil minister Thamer Ghadban has pledged to resume exports as quickly
as possible. A coalition rep said it would take 5 days.
In a major setback for Iraq, Mr Annan said the UN would not return to
the war-battered country any time soon.
"On the security situation on the ground in Iraq, obviously I am
extremely worried," Mr Annan told reporters at the UN HQ in NY.
"I am grateful to the Sec Council that they inserted the phrase that
we could go in 'as circumstances permit'.
"As of today circumstances do not permit and we are monitoring the
situation extremely carefully."
But there was good news for lorry drivers Bulent Yanik, a Turk, and
Victor Tufic Gerges, an Egyptian Coptic Christian, who were released
wk after they were abducted, the Anatolia news agency and Egyptian
state television said.
In Kirkuk, 2 veterans of Saddam Hussein's defunct security service
were arrested for murdering the security chief for Iraq's N oil field
and his bodyguard, police said.

Israel plans Gaza-Egypt trench
Jerusalem (AP). Israel has detailed a bid for a 25-m-deep trench
between Egypt and Gaza that would block Palestinian arms smuggling
after Israel withdraws from the coastal strip next y.
The trench would cost mns, and military officials said it remains
unclear whether more Palestinian homes would have to be demolished to
make room for it.
Israel has razed 100s of Gaza homes in recent years, including in a
large offensive last m, to expose smuggling tunnels.
In the Rafah refugee camp on the border with Egypt, the demolitions
have displaced more than 13,000 Palestinians.
Palestinian officials denounced the trench plan, saying Israel is
trying to choke Gaza on all sides.
"Ditches and canals in Gaza, that's how you turn the Palestinians into
prisoners in their own cities," said Palestinian Cabinet minister Saeb Erekat.
The plan still needs Cabinet approval.
The Defence Ministry published a tender for a trench that is 4km long
and 25 metres deep.
Military officials said the trench would be nearly 120 metres wide and
perhaps be lined with cement, but for ecological reasons would not be
filled with water.
Once the bids are received in a m or 2, the Defence Ministry will
decide whether a trench is feasible, a military official said on
condition of anonymity.
The trench would run along an Israeli military patrol road between
Gaza and Egypt that is up to 200 m wide and cuts into the Rafah camp.
One security official said Israel would have to widen the road to at
least 300 metres to make room for the trench, meaning 100s more
Palestinian homes would have to be demolished. However, the military
official said it would only become apparent after bids have been
received whether homes will have to be razed.
In more than 3 y of Israeli-Palestinian fighting, Palestinian
militants have dug dozens of tunnels under the patrol road to smuggle
weapons from Egypt to Rafah. Israel, in turn, has repeatedly raided
Rafah in search of the tunnels.
The trench idea will be presented next wk to Egyptian intel chief Omar
Suleiman, who is mediating between Israel and the Palestinians on the
Gaza withdrawal, which is to be concluded by the end of Sep 2005.
Israeli PM Ariel Sharon refuses to negotiate directly about the
pullout with the Palestinians. Suleiman will meet separately with
Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
Egypt has agreed to send dozens of military advisers to Gaza to
re-train the Palestinian security forces as part of a withdrawal, and
there were growing signs that Cairo would also play an increasingly
active role in the W Bank as well.

Gaza moat plan aims to stop weapons smuggling
Jerusalem. Israel is calling for tenders for the construction of a
moat along part of the Gaza Strip border. The moat will be used to
stop Palestinians digging weapons smuggling tunnels under the border.
The Israeli Defence Ministry says the moat will be 4 kms long, 16
metres deep and will run along a section of the border between Egypt
and Gaza. Israel plans to offset the cost of building the moat by
selling the sand dug up during construction. Israeli defence chiefs
hope the giant trench will prevent Palestinians smuggling weapons
through tunnels dug under the border. Israel has already attracted
internat'l condemnation for building a security barrier through parts
of the W Bank, which is designed to stop suicide bombers.

Police called in over Brit "Big Brother" blue
London (AFP). Police have been called in to the Brit edition of
popular reality TV show Big Brother to investigate a drunken brawl
between contestants.
Police went to the site of the show, in which a dozen ordinary people
are locked up in a small house for 11 wk and filmed 24 hr a day, in
the early hours of the morning, a rep said.
They were called after horrified viewers watching a live feed from the
home saw simmering tensions between housemates spill over into
scuffles and exchanges of abuse.
Officers left after talking to production staff at the
specially-erected house nr London, but have requested a videotape of
some incidents, including a near-fight between a male and female contestant.
"Following a number of calls from members of the public regarding an
alleged incident in the Big Brother house last night, Hertfordshire
Constabulary can confirm it will be obtaining a videotape of the
incident later today," the police rep said.
"Officers are currently liaising with members of the Big Brother
production team to see what further action needs to be taken."
Now in its 5th Brit series, Big Brother is facing declining public
interest and low ratings, which production staff have endeavoured to
combat though a series of stunts.
Over the past week, 2 female contestants whom the others thought had
been ejected from the house were placed in an adjoining so-called
"bedsit", from which they could secretly watch their fellows make
disparaging comments about them.
On Thu evening the duo were returned to the main house to face the
others -- with turbulent consequences.
The live television feed was cut for an hour as security guards had to
be called in after one contestant threatened to tear another's head
off and another duo almost came to blows.
The show originated in Holland and has proved hugely successful in a
series of countries.

Gibson tops 'Forbes' powerful celebrity list
NY (Reuters/VNU). Mel Gibson, whose controversial film The Passion of
the Christ paid off big at the box office, is the year's most powerful
celebrity, according to Forbes magazine's Celebrity 100 power rankings.
Gibson, who directed, produced and co-wrote the violent movie about
the last hours of Jesus, earned $US210 mn and tremendous media buzz
from the project, according to Forbes magazine, which factors in media
attention to compare the biggest money-makers from various fields of
entertainment.
Magazine covers, press clippings, TV and radio coverage and Internet
hits are all factored into the rankings formula. Money earned in the
last 12 m was used to identify the finalists in each category.
Golf star Tiger Woods, the leading money-maker among athletes with
$US80 mn, was 2nd on the list, followed by talk-show host Oprah
Winfrey, who matched Gibson in earnings.
Actor Tom Cruise [$US45 mn] was 4th, followed by venerable rock
group Rolling Stones [$US51 mn]. "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling was
6th on the list, boosted by her earnings of $US147 mn.
"Very broadly, it's a combination of money and fame," said Peter
Kafka, who wrote the Forbes story on the rankings.
"We divide the celebrity world into categories and we find the top
earners in each category. The power list compares them."
Actress Jennifer Aniston, who topped the rankings last y, slipped to
17th place on the 2004 list.
Casualties from the previous list included singer/actress Jennifer
Lopez, who ranked 5th last y, and her former fiancee and movie bomb
Gigli co-star Ben Affleck, rated 7th in 2003. Both failed to make the
2004 list.
Other power-list dropouts were Eminem and Dr Dre, the performer and
record producer who shared last y's No 2 spot, and former reality show
darlings The Osbournes (12th).
Former US president Bill Clinton ranked 51st this y with an income of
$US6.3 mn that qualified him in the "speakers" category.
Despite his relatively low income, Clinton ranked 1st of all 100
contenders in TV/radio attention, press clippings and Internet hits.
Clinton will likely climb higher in the power rankings next y when
earnings and media attention from his hotly anticipated memoir, to be
published next wk, is factored in.

Hazzard lights Miles Franklin judges' fires
Canberra (ABC, Michael Vincent for AM). Author Shirley Hazzard has
won AUS's richest literary prize, the Miles Franklin award, for The
Great Fire, the 1st novel she has written in 23 y.
Hazzard's book won the $42,000 prize ahead of strong competition,
including shortlisted works by Nobel prize-winning author John Coetzee
and Booker Prize-winning Peter Carey.
The 73-yo winning author, who now lives overseas, says she was proud
to be shortlisted with writers whose work she holds in such high regard.
Hazzard, who could not attend the ceremony, spoke from London. She chose
to quote from Shakespeare about the self-destructive aspect of the
world, a theme in her novel, which is a love story set in Asia post-WWII.
"How with this rage can beauty make a plea, whose action is no
stronger than a flower," she said.
"And somehow this filament of beauty which is art and life and
consideration and civilised behaviour among people -- it somehow
persisted in the face of all the contrary instincts of mankind and
also all the contrary events and the difficulty of any life in its
circumstances.
"I am so happy to be part of a celebration of that on this occasion."
The judges said the impressive competition on the shortlist made it
very hard to choose.
One of the panel of 5, Professor Elizabeth Webby, says it shows AUS
has writers up with the world's best.
"This y of course we had the 1st novel from Shirley Hazzard ... for
over 20 y, so I guess that was perhaps a bit unfortunate for the other
people that she happened to produce this y," Prof Webby said.
* Why the novel matters
She says The Great Fire reminds readers of the joy of a good book.
"In the judges' report, we refer to it as a novel which shows in the
digital age why the novel still matters," she said.
"We were exactly thinking about the particular pleasures that you get
from wonderful literary fiction which you don't get from any other media.
"That is, the way in which she's able to create scenes and characters
in really minimal words and the fact that she ... really leaves a lot
of it up to your own imagination to fill in the gaps."
The award's guest presenter, Aussie actress Cate Blanchett, says
supporting Aussie authors is important, especially promoting them
properly overseas "in a way that they stand uniquely and absolutely on
their own 2 feet".
"It's not that they need to be 'thrown on the barbie' anymore. Our
sense of Aussie literature is much, much more sophisticated."
One of the other authors shortlisted, Peter Goldsworthy, has heaped
praise on the winner.
"My money was on John Coetzee but I think it's a fitting prize for
Shirley Hazzard too, for her 1st novel for 23 y and it is a very
beautifully written book so congratulations to her," he said.
Hazzard's previous novel, The Transit of Venus won the Nat'l Book
Critics Circle Award in 1981.
Reviewer Ron Charles in the Christian Science Monitor wrote that The
Great Fire's "careful poetry" suggested "perfectionism rather than
writer's block consumed those 2 decades" between the releases.
This year's Miles Franklin shortlist included Peter Carey's My Life As
A Fake, JM Coetzee's Elizabeth Costello, Annamarie Jagose's Slow Water,
Peter Goldsworthy's 3 Dog Night and Elliott Perlman's Seven Types of
Ambiguity.

Church tribunal told former priest should be de-frocked
Brisbane. An Anglican tribunal in Bris has been told a former priest
should be de-frocked for sexual misconduct. Donald Norman Shearman,
77, has been accused of seducing a teenage girl 50 y ago. The woman,
who is now 64, claims Shearman had sex with her regularly between 1954
and 1956. The relations occurred while she was a teenager living in
an Anglican hostel in Forbes, in central W NSW. Shearman, who went on
to become the Bishop of Rockhampton and Grafton, did not attend last
night's hearing in Bris. He has been charged under church law with
sexual misconduct. The counsel for the complainant said Shearman's
conduct was disgraceful and had produced scandal and evil report. The
tribunal, headed by Supreme Court Justice Debra Mullins, will now
consider whether to strip Shearman of his holy orders.

Letters shock interim Anglican head
Ian George resigned following a scandal over his handling of child sex
abuse claims.
Adelaide. The interim head of SA's Anglican Church, Archdeacon John
Collas, says he is shocked at details of correspondence between former
Archbishop Ian George and disgraced former St Peter's College chaplain
John Mountford.
Copies of the correspondence have been leaked to the ABC.
The Reverend Mountford was sacked from the college in 1992 after
allegedly molesting a student and until recently worked at St
Stephen's School in Bangkok, but is believed to have fled to Cambodia.
In the letters, Dr George writes to Reverend Mountford saying he is
glad Reverend Mountford was not subjected to the humiliation and the
public spectacle of media attention in his case.
"I am glad that you were not subjected to the pain, the humiliation
and the public spectacle which the media would have relished in your
case," he writes in the letter.
One of the letters is dated the March 31 1993, the y after Rev Mountford
fled AUS over allegations he sexual molested a St Peter's student.
In the letter Dr George tells Reverend Mountford: "You will see that I
have done everything I can both to support you, and preserve your reputation."
Furthermore, Dr George writes: "There is every likelihood that you would
have been charged with an offence," had Reverend Mountford stayed in AUS.
Archdeacon Collas says he is personally shocked by the letter but
people will have to decide themselves how it reflects upon Dr George.
"Gobsmacked would be the right word, I'm just totally shocked," he said. "
"Especially as there is a clear understanding that any person who has
abused children must face the criminal courts."
Archbishop George resigned earlier this m after intense pressure over
his response to a report detailing allegations of sexual abuse by
staff from Anglican agencies in SA.
He was also criticised for not fully investigating the allegations or
reporting them to police.

AUS boosts aid to Sudan
Canberra (ABC/AFP/CNN). AUS is to give an extra $3 mn for victims of
the Sudanese conflict.
This follows $5 mn in aid last m to help displaced people in Darfur,
in SW Sudan.
Foreign Min Alexander Downer says the latest contribution is for
Sudanese in eastern Chad refugee camps.
Mr Downer says it is estimated up to 200,000 Sudanese are now in the
Chad camps and the aid will help meet the urgent need for shelter,
food, water and sanitation.
UNICEF activities will receive $1.5 mn and $500,000 each is being
allocated through World Vision, Care Internat'l and Oxfam.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Sec-Gen Kofi Annan says he cannot
describe the situation in W Sudan as genocide but he admits there may
be a need for what he's termed "humanitarian intervention" in the
Darfur region to prevent one.
In Feb 2003, a rebellion broke out in Darfur and since then, the
Sudanese Army and pro-Govt Arab militias have been accused of killings
and massive human rights abuses.
The violence has left at least 10,000 people dead and up to 1 mn
others displaced.
Senior UN officials have characterised the violence as the ethnic
cleansing of Darfur's black population, but Mr Annan says he will make
up his own mind after visiting the region.
"Based on the reports I have received, I can't at this stage call it a
genocide. There is massive violation of internat'l humanitarian law,
but I am not ready to describe it as genocide or ethnic cleansing yet.

Welfare groups call for ban on foreign betting exchanges
Canberra. 3 major welfare organisations have called on the Fed Govt
to ban all access to foreign Internet betting exchanges, saying they
could create more problem gamblers. Most Aussies can legally access
the exchanges over the Internet, but Betfair, a Brit company, is
currently lobbying states and territories for a local gambling
licence. Groups like Odyssey House, the Salvation Army and the Wesley
Mission say the Howard Govt should act to stop Betfair getting a
toehold in AUS. John Dalziel from the Salvation Army says foreign
betting exchanges are worse than other forms of Internet gambling.
"It is bad because it takes gambling into the home and in the home any
number of people can use it," he said. "This is going to be much,
much bigger than anything that's occurred in Internet betting in the
past if we are to judge by what's occurred in England."

Cane growers receive grants but urged to diversify
Brisbane. Peak sugar lobby group Canegrowers says the 1st round of
Fed Govt sustainability grant payments to farmers should silence skeptics.
In the 1st round of grants, more than $70 mn has been divided between
cane growers in Qld, W AUS and NSW, at an average of around $7,500 each.
Canegrowers chairman Alf Cristaudo says the payments will add to
current positive factors in the industry's favour such as higher
prices and lower overseas production.
But he says the industry still needs to diversify.
"We are looking at alternatives such as ethanol, such as bio-plastics,
co-generation, anything at all that will be an alternative to take
away the base from raw sugar," he said.
"There are a number of positive factors there that we need to look at,
we are talking to [the] Govt, we want to continue to talk to [the]
Govt about the economic policy frameworks that surround things like
ethanol in particular, [and] things like co-generation."
Cane farmers could receive the money as early as today as part of the
reform package and Mr Cristaudo says he expects the grants will
deliver a needed boost to morale.
"That is not a large amount of money but it will certainly go a long
way for paying for some of the input costs towards growing a crop for
the 2005 season," he said.
"More importantly, it's going to give quite a big lift in morale, it
will boost the confidence of growers out there, knowing that the Govt
is interested in the sugar industry's survival and wants to see a
viable sugar industry in to the future."
Meanwhile, Mr Cristaudo has urged sugar farmers not to be afraid of
agreeing to the Fed Govt's Statement of Intent paper as part of the
grant payments.
In the paper, the Fed Govt says it wants to see evidence of regional
industry planning before the 2nd round of payments are made at the
start of next y.
Mr Cristaudo says there is nothing for farmers to worry about it.
"There is nothing specific, nothing threatening in that Statement of
Intent to any position of any conditions on individual growers to
perform at any level," he said.
"All it is a commitment on behalf of the industry to a reform and
rationalisation process."

WA lawyers back Indigenous consideration in sentencing
Perf [sic]. The W Aussie Law Society says the racial backgrounds of
Aboriginal offenders should be considered by the courts during
sentencing. The society was responding to a case decided in SA this
week, where a man had his sentence reduced after appealing on the
grounds he is an Aborigine. The society says though race is not an
excuse for any crime, a person's background can be used to influence
the court's judgement during sentencing. Society president Ian Weldon
says a sentence must be fair to the offender, and as many Aborigines
are from disadvantaged backgrounds, the courts should consider their
situation. "But at the end of the day you actually have to take into
account the particular person, so you take into account as well as the
offence, the background, the attitude and the circumstances of the
offender," he said.

Telstra reaches deal over Reach debts
AUS's dominant telecommunications carrier, Telstra, has confirmed it
is spending 100s of $mns to acquire the debts of its struggling Asian
submarine cable joint venture, Reach.
Sydney. Telstra and its HK partner, PCCW, will pay $US311 mn to
settle a $US1.2 bn loan facility with Reach's banking syndicate.
Telstra says it is the best possible solution for all stake-holders,
given the challenges and competitive market environment facing the
submarine cable industry.
Telstra's chief executive officer, Ziggy Switkowski, says the
arrangement will give Reach a viable capital structure, providing it
with a good chance to succeed.
"We're pleased with the outcome," he said. "I acknowledged that the
last few wk and m have been periods of difficult but always
professional negotiations between the shareholders and the banks.
"We have an outcome that we believe is an appropriate one all round."
He added: "Today's arrangements reflect the commitments of both of the
shareholders, Telstra and PCCW, to this joint venture.
"They give Reach a viable capital structure now and provide it with a
good chance to succeed."
Telstra's management will recommend a further $US143 mn write-off of
its investment in the Reach business.
Meanwhile, the ANZ Bank says it will be making a further bad debt
provisioning of $AUD50 mn following the settlement agreement.

Roche appeals expected to be heard together
Sydney. 2 very different appeals against the sentence given to
convicted Aussie terrorist Jack Roche are expected to take up to 6 m
to be heard. Roche was sentenced to 9 y jail after admitting to the
Supreme Court in Perth he conspired with Al Qaeda and Jemaah Islamiah
to bomb the Israeli Embassy in CBR. Yesterday, Roche's lawyer lodged
documents with the Court of Criminal Appeal for a reduction on the
grounds Roche did not get sufficient credit for his cooperation with
authorities. During his trial, Roche detailed meetings with snr Al
Qaeda members in Afghanistan and told Fed Police he had met terrorist
leader Osama bin Laden. Last week, the Commonwealth launched its own
appeal against the jail term claiming it was too lenient. The appeals
are expected to be heard at the same time.

Govts increase spending on disease prevention programs
Canberra. A report on public health spending shows Aussie govts are
becoming more committed to disease prevention programs. The Aussie
Institute of Health and Welfare study found health depts spent $987 mn
on public health activities in 2000-2001, which is an increase of 8%
over 2 y. Such programs include breast and cervical cancer screening,
immunisation and anti-smoking campaigns. Spending to prevent
hazardous drug use grew by nearly 30%. Institute rep Tony Hynes says
the benefits will be evident in the long-term. "Govts have recognised
that if they intervene before people actually get ill they can
actually achieve gains further down the road," he said. The
Commonwealth's public health expenditure increased by 18% and in the
states and territories, Vic and the ACT recorded the highest growth
rate and the N Territory the lowest. Funding for better food
standards and drug use prevention expenditure grew by around 30%.

Fast food fine in moderation, PM says
Everything in moderation ... John Howard says fast food is okay to
eat, just not all the time.
Canberra. PM John Howard says there is nothing wrong with fast food
if it is eaten in moderation.
Mr Howard says childhood obesity is a big problem and it must be
tackled in an intelligent way.
In a few weeks, Mr Howard will outline a plan to combat child obesity
which involves the community and parents.
But he would not confirm today whether the strategy will include a
primary school scheme of organised activity, involving playtime breaks
and nutritional food.
Mr Howard says it will not include a blanket ban on junk food
advertising which Labor leader Mark Latham has called for.
The PM argues that policy is ill-prepared and ill-judged.
"There's nothing wrong in a fast food meal itself, there's nothing wrong
in having a McDonald's -- it's how many McDonald's you have," he said.
"If you ban McDonald's advertising you might as well say 'let's ban
Panadol' because if you take too many Panadol, it's bad for your
kidneys I think."
Mr Howard does not resile from his comments that Mr Latham's policy
indicates his inexperience and unfitness for office.
"He is demonstrating yet again that he's more interested in a
television grab than a sensibly thought-out policy and that's the
basis of that claim and I don't retreat from it," the PM said.
Tasn Sen Guy Barnett, who has campaigned on child obesity for several
years, says Labor's proposal to ban all food and drink ads is a policy
gimmick that would take over the rights of Aussie parents.
Labor wants to stop children seeing ads for junk food but because that
is hard to define, it is proposing to ban all food and drink ads
during children's viewing times.
Sen Barnett says Labor's policy is not needed as there is already a
Code for Advertising to Children, adopted by the Aussie Association of
Nat'l Advertisers.
He says the advertising industry is a responsible body and the code
works well.
"The code sets out the fact that advertisers must not encourage an
inactive lifestyle, unhealthy eating or drinking habits, misleading
nutritional info," he said.
"So there's only been one complaint under the advertising standards
bureau since Jan 2003."

Women urged not to delay breast checks
Canberra. Newly released research has shown that about 10% of Aussie
women cannot identify the symptoms of breast cancer. This morning,
the PM's wife, Janette Howard, launched a new campaign with the theme
that "any change is worth talking about." It is part of the Nat'l
Breast Cancer Centre's 10th anniversary. Mrs Howard says that women
should not delay seeing their doctor if they identify any changes to
their breasts. "Don't wait for your daughter's HSC to be over, or
after an important work review or say that you'll do it after your
son's wedding," she said. "If you have a change in your breast, it is
important that you speak to your doctor without delay. "Early detection
is the positive step that you can take on your road to survival."

Abbott urges mothers not to delay delivery
Canberra. The Fed Health Min has urged expectant mothers not to put
the life of their babies at risk by delaying delivery so that they can
receive the Govt's new $3,000 maternity payment. From July 1, all
mothers will receive the payment when they have a child. There are
reports that some mothers are trying to postpone giving birth until
that date so they can receive the money. Tony Abbott says he can not
change the date on which the payment begins and mothers should accept
the advice of their doctors. "No one who is expecting a child should
do anything other than take the advice of her obstetrician and I would
urge families that are expecting children in the next few wk to accept
medical advice and act in accordance with it," he said.

Hopes stranded whale may return to the sea
Macquarie Harbour, W Tassie. A whale that is stranded in Macquarie
Harbour on Tas's W coast is still in good condition and there are
hopes it may be returned to the sea today. There was some success
yesterday with the whale moved about one-and-a-half km towards Hells
Gates. However, weather conditions and currents were unfavourable by
late yesterday, with water coming into the harbour. Chris Arthur from
the Nat'l Parks and Wildlife Service says as sperm whales are not used
to fighting currents, it was decided to leave it where it was. Mr
Arthur says hopes are high that today's weather and currents will be
more favourable. "It's in the lap of the gods, but we've got an
animal that is very strong," he said. "The animal is not attached to
the soft surface at all anymore and is swimming and floating quite freely."

Bad weather hampers whale rescue efforts
The 14-metre sperm whale was beached and now remains inside Macquarie Harbour.
W Tassie. Efforts to herd a sperm whale out of Macquarie Harbour on
Tas's west coast have been put on hold because of adverse weather conditions.
Rescuers have been trying to push the whale out into the Southern
Ocean since it became stranded in Macquarie Harbour on Tue.
But the Dept of Primary Industries, Water and Environment says it is
pointless continuing the operation because of rain, strong SW-erly
winds and a large swell.
Dept rep Warrick Brennan says one boat will continue to monitor the
14-metre whale, which is still about one-and-a-half kms inside the
entrance of the harbour.
"Maybe later on they might look at just making sure it can move around
and things like that," he said. "But we'll just monitor the whale's condition.
[If the] weather improves, maybe having another look at another
attempt to see if we can move it out towards the ocean."
On Wed, 4 other sperm whales were found dead on nearby Ocean Beach.

Raids net illegal plant, animal products
Sydney. Endangered plant and wildlife products used to make
alternative medicines have been seized in police raids across 3 Aussie
states. Officers found products allegedly containing bear bile, tiger
bone, rhinoceros horn and parts from other endangered animals and
plants at retail outlets in SYD, MEL and Bris. It follows a joint
operation involving the Dept of Environment and Heritage, Aussie
Customs and Fed Police. Officers raided 5 outlets in 3 states,
netting large quantities of illegal imports derived from rare animals
and plants.

Min issues weeds warning
Canberra. A Fed Govt Min has warned AUS is at risk of becoming
overrun by noxious weeds. Conservation Min Liberal Sen Ian Macdonald
has finished a 2-day tour of regional Qld and says people living in
cities do not have a true understanding of AUS's weed problem. He
says weeds cost AUS around $4 bn a year, but more needs to be done at
all levels of govt to contain and eradicate the plants. "If we don't
contain the weeds, a lot of Qld's currently productive land will be
laid waste, and in some cases like parthenium, if that weed does get
closer to the capital city, not only will it destroy land and
bio-diversity, but it could have a very serious health impact on the
general population," he said.

SA Oppn airs court sentencing concerns
Adelaide. The SA Opp'n says it would be deeply disturbing if courts
started giving sentencing discounts based on a person's race.
The SA Court of Criminal Appeal yesterday reduced the jail sentence of
a man who broke into an elderly Port Pirie couple's house because he
is Aboriginal.
The court ruled Aborigines are at greater disadvantage in society than
whites and cut his non-parole period from 23 to 17 m.
But S AUS's Shadow-A-G, Robert Lawson, says a court should not take
into account a person's race when deciding on sentences.
"To be of a particular race is not a mitigating circumstance and it
certainly does not excuse criminal behaviour," he said.
"The sentencing guidelines that are relayed down in our law require a
sentencing court to have regard to the antecedents, the age of the
character, the previous criminal record and all the rest of it of an
offender," he said.
"It does not specifically say that a court should have regard to
racial origin, and it shouldn't."
Meanwhile, the decision has sparked anger in some sections of the
business community.
Traders in nearby Port Lincoln have been battling a spate of thefts
and other crimes by young Aborigines.
A local business owner, who does not want to be named, says the
decision could encourage Aborigines to feel they can break the law.
"[If] we don't treat everyone equally, the situation gets worse. Just
because they're an Aborigine doesn't make them any less capable of
doing the right thing than somebody else," he said.
"That's how strongly I feel about it now and because people take this
stance about Aborigines being marginalised like they are, it makes the
situation worse, it really does."
The Law Society says the 3-judge appeals panel took into
consideration a number of factors when reducing the sentence and it
was not a decision based solely on the man's Aboriginality.

Nats accuse Qld Govt of funding obscenity
The Qld Opp'n has accused the State Govt of funding obscenity.
Brisbane. Opp'n MP Howard Hobbs says a publicly funded recording
company has used a Govt grant to produce a vulgar song.
Mr Hobbs has asked Development Min Tony McGrady to explain.
"Min, I refer to a $140,510 grant from your dept to a Gold Coast
recording company. Their 1st production is a song entitled 'My Dad is
a F...... Porn Star'.
"Min, is this an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars?"
Mr McGrady has promised to investigate and Training Min Tom Barton
says he will look at the funding guidelines.
But Mr Barton says obscenities are common in young people's music today.
"I'm aware that there's a 2nd version, for want of a better term, that
does use an expletive in the title instead of the word funky," he said.
"I'd prefer that that type of language wasn't used -- I guess I'm
showing my age, a bit like the concerns my parents had with songs like
[I Can't Get No] Satisfaction from the Rolling Stones."
Opp'n leader Lawrence Springborg says it an unacceptable use of public
funds.
"If you're going to have these sorts of lyrics in songs, then write
the songs and produce them with your own money," he said.
"I didn't say they couldn't do it but i just said don't expect to use
taxpayers' money to do it."

Theophanous fails to clear name over corruption
Melbourne. The High Court in MEL has rejected an attempt by disgraced
former fed MP, Andrew Theophanous, to clear his name over corruption
convictions. Mr Theophanous was the 1st fed MP to be jailed for
taking bribes. He was found guilty in 2002 of 2 counts of conspiracy
against the Commonwealth and 2 of bribery. He was sentenced to 6 y'
jail but the Court of Appeal overturned one of the conspiracy charges
last y. He has since been released from jail after serving his term.
Mr Theophanous sought the High Court's permission to try to overturn
the remaining convictions. His lawyer told the court cross
examination on a speech Mr Theophanous made in Parliament should not
have been allowed and he objected to the Nat'l Crime Commission's
methods. But the court has refused to grant leave for an appeal
saying there were insufficient prospects of it succeeding.

Court told of underworld murder plot
George Defteros and Mario Condello appeared in court on charges
including conspiracy to murder.
Melbourne. Alleged MEL underworld figure Mario Condello has spent his
first night in custody after he and criminal lawyer George Defteros
were charged with planning 3 underworld murders.
Condello, of Brighton, and Defteros were yesterday charged with
conspiracy and incitement to murder.
The MEL Magistrates Court was told Defteros arranged a meeting between
Condello and an informer who was to kill high-profile identity Carl
Williams, his father and a 3rd person.
Williams was last wk charged with planning to kill Condello.
The court hearing the charges against Condello and Defteros yesterday
was told that the informer was to receive $150,000 per killing, with a
deposit of $50,000 to be paid up front.
The court granted Defteros bail but Condello's application was refused.
Police told the court that Condello is now the head of the underworld
group known as the 'Carlton crew', that he has Calabrian crime
connections and may try to leave the country.
In opposing bail for Mr Condello, police alleged that a loaded gun was
found in his apartment after he was arrested yesterday morning.
Police told the court that the weapon was loaded with 7 bullets, one
in the breach, that the serial number had been removed and that the
weapon was fitted for a silencer.
The pair will face court again in July.
One of the 3 intended targets of the alleged murder plot has told the
ABC he is disappointed Vicn police did not warn him of any potential threat.
Carl Williams's father, George Williams, was one of those named in
court as an alleged target. He says police have not given him any details.
"How long have they known about [it] ... because they haven't told me
anything about it," he said.
"[I'm] very disappointed. They said on radio that there was 3 of them
... you know 3 names but they only give 2 names out."
Vicn Police Min Andre Haermeyer says yesterday's arrests prove police
are making significant progress in investigating MEL's underworld killings.
He has again dismissed Opp'n calls for a royal commission into the
gangland slayings and alleged police corruption.
"We are making significant progress here and all [Opp'n leader] Robert
Doyle can do is call for is a royal commission.
"What a royal commission will achieve is to delay their trials and
ensure that justice is not done."
Meanwhile, the Vicn Law Institute may decide as early as today whether
it will suspend Defteros from practising law.
Council members at an institute meeting last night expressed concern
over the charges the MEL lawyer faces.
Institute chief executive officer John Cain says staff will today
consider whether Defteros's certificate will be suspended.
"We haven't made a final decision in relation to whether we should
suspend that practising certificate or not," he said. "Under the Legal
Practice Act we have the power to suspend the practising certificate.
"We are at the moment gathering info to enable us to make that
decision. It is a decision we will have to consider over the course of
the day or over the weekend."

Sex slavery targeted in $20m plan
Canberra. The Fed Govt has launched a plan to target people
trafficking as part of a $20 mn package aimed at eradicating sexual
slavery. Justice Min Chris Ellison says the Govt is making progress
in the fight against people trafficking with 20 investigations and 10
prosecutions currently underway. Sen Ellison says the plan outlines
the action taken by 5 govt depts to battle the trade. "We will
continue in the fight against sex trafficking, this is just another
step in that fight and of course this is an issue the Aussie Govt
takes very seriously," he said. "We've put in place penalties up to
25 y imprisonment for those who are found guilty and we have further
laws being drafted which we'll be introducing in the Aug sittings."

Summit to combat rising child abuse rate
Canberra. The increasing rate of child abuse in AUS will be
highlighted at a nat'l summit at Parliament House in CBR today. The
latest figures from the Aussie Institute of Health and Welfare reveal
the number of confirmed cases of child abuse increased by 30,000 in
the 2 y to July 2003, with the number of suspected cases rising to
200,000. Families AUS rep Sandie de Wolf says there needs to be a Fed
Govt commitment to deal with the problem. She says child abuse takes
many forms. "From physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and
neglect, neglect is an increasing problem," she said. Ms Wolf says
there is a number of possible reasons for the increase. "There's
definitely increasing substance abuse in families, increasing domestic
violence, mental health issues, certainly poverty doesn't help, so
it's a range of different of reasons."

Police quiz group over stolen "Cezanne"
GC, Qld. Police are interviewing a number of people over the
discovery of paintings, claimed to be worth $mns, in a Gold Coast
garage. They include a piece said to be the work of renowned French
artist Paul Cezanne. Artist and art restorer John Opit reported the
paintings stolen from his Limpinwood property nr Murwillumbah in N NSW
four m ago. He told police they included a Cezanne piece valued at
more than $50 mn but art critics questioned its authenticity. Police
yesterday found several paintings in the garage of a Robina duplex.
NSW police rep, Norris Smith says they are undergoing forensic
tests. "No arrests have been made at this stage, however detectives
from Burleigh Heads and also NSW are continuing their
investigation," he said.

Investigations continue into recovered paintings
Investigations are continuing into the discovery of mn of dollars
worth of paintings thought to have been stolen from a northern NSW property.
GC, Qld. Police yesterday discovered the artworks in a Robina garage
on the Gold Coast.
4 m ago, John Opit reported that several paintings, including one he
claimed was a valuable Cezanne, had been stolen from his Limpinwood property.
Art critics have since questioned the authenticity of the Cezanne, but
Mr Opit says he is sure it is genuine.
"This painting appears to be over 100 y old. Who was painting like
this in an impressionist [style] over 100 y ago? Cezanne, wasn't he?
That's about it," he said.
Insp Ian Fitzsimmons of NSW police says forensic tests are being
carried out on the painting.
"We're confident that it is the Boy in the High Chair which is
attributed to the artist Paul Cezanne but will still have to confirm
that with art experts," he said.
"We will obviously be speaking with people who located them and we
will be carrying out other inquiries in relation to the premises."
No arrests have been made at this stage.

Drive-by shooting hits Fenech's home
Jeff Fenech ... fears for safety of his family.
Sydney. Police are investigating a drive-by shooting at former Aussie
boxing champion Jeff Fenech's home in SYD. At least 6 shots were
fired into the front of the house at Lilyfield in SYD's inner W but
no-one was there at the time. Fenech returned this morning and
inspected the scene with police. At least 6 bullets appear to have
hit the home and a security guard told police he saw a car drive away
from the area. Fenech says he has no idea why the shooting happened
and will not return to live there at the moment. "I don't fear for my
life, I fear for my wife and children," he said. "I'm certainly not
going to stay the night because I don't want to bring my kids home to
see holes through their bedroom and though the house." Inspector Sue
Trusty says forensic police are now searching for clues. "Obviously
these are specialised police trained in crime scene techniques," she
said. "They'd be looking at trying to recover the projectile and take
inquiries further."

Former pro athlete appeals against tax decision
Canberra. The High Court of AUS is set to review when prizes and
grants won by sports people should be considered as a taxable business
income. Former Olympic javelin thrower, Joanna Stone, last y won an
appeal to the Full Bench of the Fed Court, which found that 1000s of
dollars she had received from her sport should not be added to her
police officer's salary as part of her taxable income. The High Court
has today granted the Commissioner of Taxation special leave to appeal
against that decision. Outside the court Ms Stone's lawyer, Richard
Gelski, said the test case could have important ramifications for
competitors who do not earn enough money to live off their sport. "I
think an answer to this, to say an Ian Thorpe is in the business of
sport, and anything he wins or gets paid for turning up constitutes
income," he said. "I don't think that translates into athletes like Joanna."

Penguin banding likely to be outlawed
Studies suggest banding penguins can shorten their lives.
Melbourne. Banding Aussie penguins for scientific research is likely
to be banned following research showing it lowers survival rates.
Research on fairy penguins on Phillip Island off Vic has found
survival rates for flipper-banded penguins is significantly lower than
for micro-chipped penguins.
The Dept of Environment is awaiting a copy of the study it commissioned
from Peter Dann before deciding whether to extend a moratorium on banding.
It has been used for decades to study habits and survival rates.
The assistant director of the wildlife conservation branch, Anne-Marie
Delahunt, says a final decision will be made when the report is delivered.
"The dept's always very concerned to ensure that we're not supporting
research activities that have an impact on the very animals that we're
trying to conserve," she said.
Recent research on king penguins, which are 15 times bigger than fairy
penguins, has also shown that banding halves the survival rates of
chicks and lowers breeding rates.

{{
Midnight.
The 9/11 Commission has given an account of the chaotic response of US
officials to the WTC and Pentagon attacks. They found the US air def
system only had 9 mins to track the 1st aircraft that attacked the
WTC, and had no info at all about the remaining 3 aircraft.

Geneva. The UNHCR says there's been a sharp fall in the number of
refugees world wide. Last y, there was a global refugee pop'n of 9.7
mn -- a drop of 10% over the prev y. The fall was due to internat'l
efforts to find solutions to conflicts. The return of refugees to
Afghanistan was reportedly "phenomenal". There is now a program
underway to repatriate 2 mn African refugees. Some have been in camps
for ys. Contrary to popular opinion, EU countries are not at the top
for numbers of asylum seekers. There were 1.2 mn asylum applications
in Pak in 2003.

EU officials are optimistic about thrashing out a deal on a new
Const'n. The bargain fell through last time because members could not
agree on the weight of individual national votes. The Finnish FM told
the BBC before the start of the meeting that the 10 smaller states
still could not accept new proposals on voting rights.

The IAEA says it missed an admission by Iran it had importing special
magnets for use in nuclear processing. The UN agency had mistakenly
said Iran had concealed the transaction. Iran says it's a "big
mistake" by the agency. But IAEA chief ElBaradei says it was a
"minor error".

5 am
Def Sec Don Rummy has been quizzed by a Senate committee over his
secret orders not to list an Iraqi prisoner, in violation of Geneva
Conventions. He kept the prisoner off the lists so he could not be
interviewed by the Red Cross. The orders had been uncovered by the NY
Times this wk. Rummy said he'd agreed to CIA requests to withhold the
name, but could not explain why he had agreed. It was [reminiscent to
MJ3 explanations] "probably" so the interrogation would not be
interrupted, he said. Rummy insisted there had been no abuse in
this case. He had to think about protecting the American people, he
said, in a manner that was "legal and consistent with treaty
obligations". "And we do", he insisted.

The first civilian [CIA employee] has been charged in the US in
connection with the beating death of an Iraqi POW. The Iraqi had
turned himself in for a rocket attack on a US base in Iraq. The
defendant is accused of using his hands, feet and a large "flashlight"
to beat the prisoner. The prisoner died a couple of days after the
beating. A-G Ashcroft said each of the 4 charges the defendant faces
carries 10 y and a $1/4 mn fine. He maintained POW abuse was carried
out by a small number of individuals. But observers say the charges
filed indicate prisoner abuse is widespread.

6 Iraqi soldiers have been killed in a bomb attack, N of Baghdad. 4
others were wounded. The latest attack brings to at least 41 the
number of people killed in attacks around Baghdad in the past 24 hrs.

A former Rwandan mayor has been jailed for 30 y for his part in the
1994 genocide. He was accused of ordering his men to kill 20,000
people in E Rwanda in Apr 1994. He was also found guilty in arming
the militias, and personally taking part in the killing.

Kofi Annan has blamed Greek Cypriot leader Papadopoulos for
torpedoing the UN peace plan for the island nation.

Despite a stronger greenback, NY gold is up $US4.50 to $US389.50/oz.

An English soccer goon has been jailed for 2 y after violent clashes
in Portugal. 34 fans who were arrested after England's thrashing by
France will leave the country within the next 2 days after they
agreed to voluntary deportation.

The Aussie Dept of Env is awaiting a report that says survival rates
of banded penguins is significantly less than penguins tracked by
implanted chips.

A missing Cezanne that was allegedly one of 20 paintings stolen
from a rural farmhouse on the NSW N coast has turned up. There is
still some doubt about the authenticity of the painting. The owner
had claimed the Cezanne -- which he says he inherited from his
parents -- is worth $50 mn. It's reputedly one by the artist when he
was still a student. If true, it's one of artists first know works,
as well as one of the first impressionist paintings.

The AUD has hit a high of 69.14 in London o'night.

11 am
For all their coordinated carnage, the terrorist attacks on Sep 11,
2001 sprang from a shifting and problem-plagued plot that some
terrorist leaders wanted to call off, according to an official US report.

The Fed Opp'n says a report from the official investigation into the
Sep 11 terrorist attacks "blows apart" PM John Howard's argument that
the invasion of Iraq is part of the war on terrorism.

The official investigation into the Sep 11, 2001 attacks says in a
report there is no "credible evidence" that Iraq helped Al Qaeda in
any attacks against the US.

US air defences were completely unprepared for the Sep 11, 2001,
attacks and plagued by poor coordination and communications as they
cobbled together a hurried response, a nat'l inquiry commission has said.

US Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld, acting at the request of the CIA, ordered
that a suspected Iraqi insurgent leader be detained off the books to
conceal his identity from the Internat'l Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC), the Pentagon has confirmed.

US Pres George W Bush has insisted Saddam Hussein had a relationship
with Al Qaeda, contradicting an independent commission's report that
there is no evidence of collaboration between Iraq and Osama bin
Laden's militant network.

Fighters loyal to the rebel Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr have been
withdrawing form Iraq's holy city of Najaff.

Midday.
The 9/11 Commission has released its definitive reports into the WTC
and Pentagon attacks 3 y ago. Audio tapes released today show the
confusion among air traffic controllers and military commanders during
the attack. They show officials had no chance to track the rogue
aircraft, let along intercept them. An order from VP Dick Cheney was
only passed to fighter pilots after the attacking aircraft had all
crashed. While people working in the Pentagon just before the attack
they believed military pilots were patrolling the area with orders to
"take out" any incoming aircraft, in fact pilots had only been ordered
to ID and tail incoming aircraft. When air defence officials called
the FAA to request a scramble of fighters within 10 mins, they were
told that "everyone has just left the room" .

The Iraq interim govt may institute martial law to crack down on the
worsening violence. Ministers have blamed fighters from outside Iraq
for car bombings that have killed dozens during the wk. Martial law
would only apply for a limited time, and only in the most dangerous
parts of the country, say govt reps. Newly-graduated Iraqi soldiers
will patrol the streets, with the power to impose curfews and arrest
suspects. One Iraqi told reporters he would kiss the hand of anyone
that could enforce martial law. In AUS, PM Howard told reporters the
sit'n in Iraq was exactly what he expected after the invasion.

The Parliament will attempt to censure Def Min Robert Hill over his
part in the POW abuse scandal. After wks of denials, Sen Hill
admitted earlier this wk he had know of allegations of POW abuses as
early as mid 2003. He said he had not acted on the reports from
Amnesty Internat'l because they were not detailed enough. AI was
always commenting on human rights issues in the middle of conflicts,
Sen Hill told a Senate committee.

5 pm
PBS News Hour. In its final days of hearings the 9/11 Commission has
painted a portrait of confusion and conflicting orders. It found the
US communications system was so overloaded, Pres Bush was reduced to
using a cell phone after the attack because no more secure system was
available. Mr Bush appeared in private before the Commission last m.
That was a serious problem, said one commissioner. The US is under
attack and the Commander in Chief is hit by communications problems.
In Air Force One the Pres was unable to reach many officials on the
secure communications system.

The Number of high school students who smoke in the US has dropped to
1 out of 5.

6.30 pm
SBS TV says there are reports the US is holding prisoners of the War
on Terror in a dozen secret detention centres. The report, from a
human rights group, warns that prisoner abuse under the circumstances
is not only likely, but inevitable. Elsewhere, Kofi Annan has come
out against a request to extend US immunity from prosecution for war
crimes in its war on terror he said such a move would discredit the UNSC.

Sydney. Accused terrorist Belal Khazaal is free on bail tonight,
after he volunteered to abide by new, stricter, bail conditions. He
promised to keep his mobile on him so police could monitor his
where-abouts, and not to connect to the Internet or public any web
material. He will face court against early next wk. He's charged
with making a document that was likely to facilitate terrorist acts.
Mr Khazaal gathered material about assassination techniques and
published it on his web pages. He faces up to 15 y jail if convicted.

7 pm
Al-Sadr's militias have tangled with US forces in Baghdad, despite a
ceasefire still holding in Najaff.

9 pm
Indonesia has lodged a written complaint that 2 Indon fishing boats
were fired on and then destroyed after being intercepted in the Gulf
of Carpentaria last m. The For Aff Dept says no weapons were drawn
during the exchange, and the boats were destroyed because they were
un-seaworthy. This m the Howard govt unveiled a new "get tough" policy
with fishing vessels intercepted in Australian waters.

9.30 pm
Mecca's highest imam has called for an end to attacks on non-Muslims in
Saudi Arabia. He also said good Muslims can't accept anything less than the
release of all hostages. He called on all al-Qaeda militants to "repent".

US forces have clashed with militants in Balad for a 2nd day. The US
military says latest clashes broke out when a patrol returned fire after
being attacked by small arms and RPG's. Several Iraqis are believed
to have been killed. Civilians fled their homes during the exchange.

CBR. The AUS Fed Police (AFP) has wound up its investigations into the
leaking of secret ONA reports earlier this y. A rep said the leak
couldn't be definitely connected with any of the recipients of the
report, including disaffected analyst Andrew Wilkie. No further
action will be taken.

Gen John Abizaid has been touring some of the hot-spots around
Baghdad. He says the US has had "cultural blinders" on, in its
selection of who should become members of the new Iraqi SDF. But he
indicated to CNN he was up-beat about the prospect for peace after the
Jun 30 hand-over.

Pak forces have killed a former Taliban cmdr in the S Waziristan
region nr the Afghan border. The dead man -- Nek Mohammed -- was
accused of sheltering foreign fighters. He had been one of the tribal
leaders embraced by Pakistani generals in Mar, in an apparent peace
settlement [see OIL 24mar04]. Pakistan has congratulated itself on
the success of what it indicated was a targeted killing. A cmdr said
a rocket fell on the tribal leader's house during the night, killing
him and 4 other people.

Fighting has broken out on the border of Darfur and Chad. Observers
are worried the low-level civil war in W Sudan is set to spread.
Officials in Chad says nearly 70 Sudanese were killed in the fighting.
They accuse the Sudan forces of crossing the border to raise recruits.

Brussels. A meeting at the EC has failed to nominate a successor to
Pres Romano Prodi. The Belgian candidate favoured by France and Germany
has been black-balled by Italy and Brit because he was against GWII.

California state is suing Enron, claiming it manipulated electricity
prices after power privatisation. The move comes after telephone
conversations were released last wk, that showed execs from the failed
company deliberately started Cal of power to hike up prices. The suit
claims $100s of mns in damages.

10.30 pm
NPR, Miami. Gov Jeb Bush of Fla announced that 20,000 former felons have
had their right to vote restored. The number follows from a huge 60,000
back-log of applications. In Florida, prisoners don't automatically have
the right to vote even after they serve their sentences. Gov Bush
couldn't say whether the 20,000 new voters would be able to cast a ballot
in Nov. Civil rights groups say about 1/2 mn former felons living in Fla
still don't have the right to vote.

11 pm
BBC World News. Pres Putin has announced after 9/11 Russia passed
info to Washington that Iraq was preparing terror attacks on the US.
The a surprise statement, Putin has said the KGB had rec'd info that
Saddam was planning to attack US targets in America and around the
world. But there were no direct links between Saddam and 9/11, Putin
added. The Russian Pres said Mr Bush had personally thanked a Russian
security chief for the info. Observers are surprised by the revelation.
Putin was a vocal opponent of GWII.

A Lebanese construction worker kidnapped in Baghdad has been released.
Another man still being held.

Vienna. Iran has been censured by the board of the IAEA for
insufficient co-operation with the UN agency. A number of issues
remain outstanding, said the motion. There remained concern that info
about Iran's centrifuge capabilities has been "incomplete and
unclear". The IAEA calls for Iran to resolve that issue, as well as
explain Uranium contamination found at several sites around the
country. The Res imposes no sanctions on Iran. IAEA officials say
the case should be wrapped up in several ms.

The Spanish govt has shelved a plan to divert bns of L from the Ebro to the
S of the country. The plan involved building 100s of dams. The govt says
it's abandoned the idea because of high costs and environmental concerns.

11.30 pm
The FTSE is up 8 pts. Gold has leaped to $US392.10/oz. Oil is higher
at $US38.46/bbl. The AUD is trading around 68.48 US c.

The US is unhappy with the IAEA's Iran resolution, saying it is "too
weak". The Whitehouse had wanted Iran reported to the UN Security
Council, which would have triggered sanctions. Reps for the IAEA
Board say the facts are presently ambiguous, and the organisation
needs to gather more info to decide whether Iran is on the brink of
developing nuclear weapons, as the US maintains.

Howard Dean has arrived in London, to rally Democratic ex-pats to vote
for John Kerry. The anti-war former NH Gov is unapologetic about his
opposition to the war. But he says now US forces are engaged, the
Coal'n must be expanded beyond the effectively 2 nations -- US and
Brit -- that have troops deployed now. Dean said National Guardsmen
who've been deployed to Iraq have no business being there, and should
be returned to the US ASAP. Most of the new troops should be from
Islamic countries, says Dean. He told the BBC that Kerry would be a
different kind of Pres, and would listen to the US public and the
world. Bush's disapproval rating in foreign policy is now over 60%.

}}
========================================
(*) 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!

Sock puppets must wear a tie!