NO, NOT THE OIL! #194 (2/4)
R Kym Horsell
govt challenged to reveal Hicks's story
Canberra. The Fed Opp'n has challenged the Govt to talk with the
Pentagon-appointed lawyer for David Hicks, who has raised concerns
about his client's treatment at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Maj Michael
Mori says he can not detail his concerns publicly, but has invited the
Govt to ask him about what is really going on at the detention
facility. The Govt has indicated it may be willing to take up the
invitation, but maintains the US has assured it that Mr Hicks has not
been mistreated. Opp'n For Aff rep Kevin Rudd says the Govt
needs to urgently talk with Maj Mori. "The very simple challenge
facing the For Min of AUS today is to authorise the Govt of the US to
allow major Mori to tell the Aussie public the truth about what has
been going on at Guantanamo Bay, and the treatment of Aussie
prisoners, then we would have some facts from which to proceed with
our debate," he said.
<A NAME="4 Filipinos killed in Iraq"></A>4 Filipinos killed in Iraq
Baghdad. Death came at dawn, and instantly, for 4 Filipino workers
employed at the US Army's Camp Anaconda in Balad, Iraq, during a
mortar attack by Iraqi insurgents early Wed, reviving calls for the
Philippine govt to assess the security of OFWs.
Some of the workers were sleeping when the attack happened, and the
survivors who scampered to safety have been virtually stranded in
their bunkers, paralysed by fear, one of the stranded workers, Richard
Tupil, told his relatives in Manila.
"He sounded very agitated, and there were noises in the background
when he called us about 7 a.m. (Manila time). He said 2 of their
coworkers were killed instantly, and both are from barangay Madapdap,
Conception, Tarlac," Tupil's sister Jenny told Today in an interview.
Jenny said Richard was trying to call her back at noon Wed, but they
could not hear each other owing to interference. It was learned that
there are no landlines in the heavily fortified camp and most OFWs use
cellular phones to call their relatives in Manila.
Richard, 27, worked in the camp's laundry area with his town mate and
close friend Reggie Esguerra. He said one of the 2 who died instantly
is an engineer. He counted 2 dead after the attack, but Pres Arroyo,
quoting official reports, said 4 OFWs had actually been killed.
Mrs Arroyo, who had staunchly supported the controversial US war and
occupation of Iraq, sounded alarmed by the deaths of the OFWs.
She ordered foreign affairs officials and Team Iraq to demand the
"best protection" for Filipino workers in military bases in Iraq.
Anything short of that demand would prompt Philippine officials to
evacuate the workers to safer ground, she said in a statement.
"I have instructed the Dept of Foreign Affairs and Team Iraq to make a
clear-cut assessment of the safety of our civilians employed in US
military installations in Iraq. If they cannot be adequately secured,
they must be transferred or evacuated to safer areas. We cannot allow
Filipino lives to be placed at wanton risk in a situation where
unpredictable attacks are rife," she said.
Mrs Arroyo added that it "must be made clear" to employers and
authorities in Iraq that "our workers should be accorded the best
protection available in their places of work and residence."
The Pres said the Iraq team had been to Camp Anaconda, a US military
installation in Balad, Iraq, 3 times before the workers were killed.
The camp was found to have newly-built protective underground bunkers
to ensure the safety of all the people there.
"It was a stroke of bad luck that they were exposed and unprotected at
the time of the attack," she said, but added that even so, the govt
would seek better protection for its workers.
The Filipino workers, who remain unidentified, were among the 1,300
Filipinos working in the camp.
Jenny Tupil recalled her brother Richard as telling her, though, that
"much more than 1,300" Filipinos are working there.
According to Tupil, an average of 3,000 OFWs are being deployed each m
to work in Iraq, mostly for civilian contractors serving the Army's
vast non-military needs -- in catering, cleaning, laundry and the
like.
Arroyo said once the casualties are identified, their next of kin
would be informed and provided all assistance necessary for the
repatriation of the bodies.
"I condole with the families affected by this tragedy," she said.
She did not say anything about the country's peacekeeping contingent
in Iraq, though the Pres had earlier noted that she would keep the
contingent there to assist in protecting or possibly evacuating
Filipinos in that country should it become necessary.
She has been under strong pressure to bring back the contingent home,
especially after several countries that deployed military and
humanitarian contingents in Iraq decided to withdraw them shortly
after the terrorist attacks in Madrid on Mar 11.
So far 5 Filipinos have fallen victim to the violence in Iraq.
The 1st casualty was Rodrigo Reyes, who was killed in a bomb attack
while driving a truck.
Sen Manuel Villar Jr called on foreign affairs officials to expedite
the return of Filipinos who want to leave Iraq following the attack at
Anaconda camp.
Villar, chairman of the Senate Committee on For Rels, said
foreign affairs officials should improve communication with Filipinos
in Iraq to be able to help those in distress immediately.
He said the DFA could not yet identify the Filipino fatalities.
"Our officials seem to have no means of communicating with our people
in Camp Anaconda," he said. "It is imperative for our officials to
find ways on how to establish contact with our people in the military
base to assuage the fears and anxiety of their relatives in the
Philippines." Villar said Philippine Embassy officials in Iraq should
intensify efforts in conducting an "inventory" of Filipinos in Iraq
and briefing them on contingency measures.
He said officials could also study the possibility of relocating
immediately the OFW staying in Camp Anaconda to a safer place.
<A NAME="No justification for beheading: Bush"></A>No justification
for beheading: Bush
Washington. US Pres George W Bush says there is no justification for
the beheading of an American citizen in Iraq or footage of the
execution being released on the Internet by a militant Islamic group.
Nicholas Berg was working in Iraq as a freelance contractor. He was
beheaded by a group of terrorists, who said they were retaliating for
the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison. US Pres George
W Bush has described Mr Berg's killing as a brutal execution and says
it shows the nature of America's foes. "Yet by their actions, they
were mindless of how desperately parts of the world need free
societies,"
he said. He says those who murdered Nicholas Berg hope to shake
America's will, but vowed his nation would continue its mission in
Iraq.
<A NAME="Mortars fired nr Italian embassy in Baghdad"></A>Mortars
fired nr Italian embassy in Baghdad
Baghdad (Reuters). 3 mortar rounds were fired in the area around the
Italian embassy in Baghdad on Wed but the building was not damaged and
no injuries have been reported, Italy's FM'y said.
A journalist from Italian state broadcaster RAI had said during a live
link-up on Wed evening that she had news from the Qatar-based Al
Jazeera Arab television channel that the embassy had been hit by a
blast.
The Italian FM'y said the embassy was operating normally hours after
mortar shots in the region.
"Today at 2.00 pm local time there were a couple of mortar rounds in
the neighbourhood of the embassy. It's not clear what the target was,"
a rep at the Italian FM'y later said.
"We spoke to the ambassador a couple of minutes ago: there weren't any
victims or damages, activities are continuing as normal," he added.
Some 2,700 Italian troops are stationed in the S Iraqi city of
Nasiriya, making it the 3rd largest foreign presence after US and
Brit forces.
Italy has been on high alert in Iraq since a suicide attack killed 19
Italians at a paramilitary police base in Nasiriya last Nov.
Also last Nov, the Italian embassy in Baghdad was hit by an explosion
at night causing structural damage but no injuries.
<A NAME="Rise in Iraqi birth deformities blamed on Allies' deadly
weaponry"></A>Rise in Iraqi birth deformities blamed on Allies' deadly
weaponry
[IT'S NOT HAPPENING. {putting fingers in ears} NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH...]
Basra (Independent). The number of babies born deformed and children
suffering leukaemia have soared because of the "deadly legacy" of
depleted uranium shells used by Brit and American forces in Iraq,
human rights campaigners claimed yesterday.
Releasing details of health problems and human rights violations
suffered by Iraqi children in the past year, they claim the country's
youngsters faced a worse existence today than they did under Saddam
Hussein's dictatorship.
Depleted uranium was widely used by Allied forces to penetrate Iraqi
tank armour in the Gulf Wars of 1991 and again last y.
Opponents claim the dust it releases upon impact is rapidly absorbed
into the body, causing an upsurge of serious health problems inherited
by Iraqi children during the past 13 y from their parents.
Caroline Lucas, a Green Party Euro-MP who recently visited Basra, said
doctors there had told her that the number of children born with
severe deformities, such as shortened limbs or eye defects, had
increased sevenfold since 1991. In addition they were treating several
new cases of leukaemia every wk -- before 1991 the condition was very
rare.
"Women in Basra are afraid to become pregnant because there are so
many deformed babies," she said. "We are leaving a deadly legacy for
generations to come."
She made the claims at the launch in London of a new charity, Child
Victims of War (CVW), to help Iraqi youngsters "innocently suffering
malnutrition, disease, disability and psychological trauma".
The amount of depleted uranium used by coalition forces in the 2 Gulf
Wars is not known, but some estimates suggest it was 300 tons in 1991
and 5 times as much last y.
CVW says the number of Iraqi babies born with serious deformities has
risen from 3.04 per thousand in 1991 to 22.19 per thousand in
2001. Babies born with Downs Syndrome have increased nearly 5 and
there had been a rash of cases of previously little-known eye
problems.
The Mod insists depleted uranium poses a "minimal" risk to civilians.
But, in a finding strongly disputed by the MoD, researchers recently
discovered radiation levels from destroyed Iraqi tanks to be 2,500
times higher than normal and 20 times higher than normal in the
surrounding area.
Joanne Baker, the director of CVW, who has just returned from Iraq,
said children had also been maimed by cluster bombs, blamed by Human
Rights Watch for "100s of preventable civilian deaths".
She said youngsters were also vulnerable both to coalition forces and
local militia resisting W forces.
She said malnutrition had worsened since the Anglo-US invasion and
unpolluted water was in short supply while standards of hospital care
had fallen because of shortages of medical supplies.
Those children who went to school -- and a Christian Aid survey showed
two-thirds of poor youngsters did not -- were "so malnourished they
can't concentrate".
Ms Baker claimed: "Every child in Iraq had a degree of psychological
trauma.
"I have been to Iraq under Saddam and sanctions -- most people know
how bad things were -- but what has happened this y has plunged Iraq
into a plight which is actually far, far worse," she said.
Ms Baker added: "I am not an apologist for Saddam but I have spoken to
people saying they suffered terribly and they are in tears saying 'I
wish he was back'.
"If it is worse than sanctions and Saddam then we are really talking
about a humanitarian catastrophe."
CVW has applied to the Charities Commission for charitable status, and
plans to open an office in Iraq to monitor abuses, counsel those who
have been detained, train human rights groups and provide medical help
to young victims of war.
* VICTIM OF DEPLETED URANIUM?
At the age of 7, Fadel, from Basra in S Iraq, developed a
devastating, and extremely rare, liver and kidney complaint which
caused her abdomen to swell dramatically. The condition -- which has
only been seen in Iraq since 1991 -- is thought to be caused by
abnormally high levels of toxic materials in her body.
She underwent agonising hospital treatment, which involved injections
to draw out the huge amounts of water that accumulated. Her cries of
pain were so loud they could be heard down the hospital corridor.
Fadel's father was serving in the Iraqi army during the 1st Gulf War
when she was conceived. Fadel is believed to have died shortly after
her treatment.
<A NAME="Israel kills 7 in Gaza strike"></A>Israel kills 7 in Gaza
strike
Gaza (Reuters). Israel has killed 7 Palestinians in a missile strike
in S Gaza after back-to-back ambushes claimed the lives of 11 soldiers
in the worst blow to the Middle E's mightiest army in 2 y.
Witnesses said 2 missiles hit a crowd in the Rafah refugee camp near
the spot where militants blew up an explosives-packed Israeli troop
carrier on Wed, killing 5 soldiers.
An Israeli military source said the missiles were fired at a group of
militants who tried to plant bombs to attack Israeli soldiers in
Rafah.
6 Israeli servicemen died on Tue when their armoured vehicle hit a
land mine during a raid in a militant stronghold in Gaza City.
Israeli forces pulled out of the Gaza neighbourhood early on Thu in
what Palestinian sources said was an Egyptian-mediated deal under
which militants returned soldiers' remains. The remains were handed
over to the Israelis early on Thu.
The new spiral of violence intensified debate between proponents and
opponents of Israeli PM Ariel Sharon's plan to evacuate settlers from
Gaza, now stalled by rightist hard-liners in his own Likud party.
Polls show most Israelis see Gaza as a liability that should be
abandoned. Sharon vows to pursue his plan despite its defeat in a May
2 Likud vote, but wants to pummel militant groups into paralysis
before a pullout to prevent them claiming a victory.
The Rafah ambush occurred as Israeli forces were blasting their way
into buildings in Gaza City in the N of the territory in a hunt for
body parts of their 6 comrades.
Helicopters later fired missiles into Rafah's refugee camp abutting
the "no man's land" strip along the border with Egypt where the
military vehicle was operating. The deadliest of the strikes early on
Thu left dismembered bodies.
Palestinian witnesses said Israeli tanks also pushed into the edges of
the camp, sending dozens of fearful residents fleeing for fear of an
assault.
* ISLAMIC JIHAD CLAIMS RAFAH AMBUSH
Islamic Jihad, one of the main groups behind suicide bombings against
Israelis, claimed responsibility for the Rafah ambush.
Fighters for Islamic Jihad, involved in both assaults, said by
telephone
from Rafah that they used an anti-tank rocket and a large bomb laid in
the vehicle's path to destroy it.
An army rep said the vehicle was part of a convoy on a mission to
"neutralise" tunnels used to smuggle weapons to Gaza across the border
from Egypt, and was unloading some of its explosives at the time it
was struck.
An Islamic Jihad statement said the ambush was to avenge Israel's
killings of some of its leaders as well as Sheikh Ahmed Yassin,
founder of the largest militant movement Hamas.
"What can I tell you? We're extremely happy, like never before," an
Islamic Jihad activist said of the 2 ambushes, reminiscent of tactics
used by Hezbollah guerrillas that eventually ended Israel's occupation
of S Lebanon in 2000.
Together the militant attacks marked the worst blow to the Israeli
army since Apr 2002, when 13 soldiers were killed in an ambush during
an assault on a refugee camp in the W Bank town of Jenin.
Rafah has been scarred by many battles between the army and militants
involved in a 3 1/2-yo Palestinian uprising launched in territories
Israel took in the 1967 Middle E war.
Earlier on in the day, Palestinian security sources said militants had
agreed to turn over the remains of the 6 soldiers killed in Gaza City
if Israeli forces withdrew first. They initially demanded Israel free
Palestinian prisoners too.
Just after midnight, Israeli forces pulled out of Gaza City's Zeitoun
neighbourhood, signalling that a deal had been worked out between the
2 sides.
Palestinian security officials later handed over the soldiers' remains
to Israel at a checkpoint N of Gaza, saying they had obtained them
under order from Palestinian Pres Yasser Arafat, after militants had
surrendered them to Egyptian mediators.
An Israeli military rep said only in a terse statement that forensics
experts would examine and identify the "findings" received from the
scene in Zeitoun.
Israel had said troops would stay put until the bodies were recovered
for a proper burial according to Jewish tradition and repeated it
would do no deals with "terrorists". The army would not comment on the
hand-over of the remains but acknowledged it had completed its mission
to retrieve them.
The army said it raided Zeitoun to destroy weapons workshops used by
militants. Palestinian medics said 16 people, including militants and
bystanders, were killed and 185 were wounded during the 2-day siege.
Israeli opp'n politicians said the 2 ambushes strengthened arguments
for abandoning Gaza, where armoured forces are bogged down guarding
7,500 settlers ringed by 1.2 mn Palestinians.
Right-wingers countered that "fleeing" from Gaza would only embolden
Islamist militants sworn to destroying Israel itself.
<A NAME="Israel hits back after 2nd armoured car attack"></A>Israel
hits back after 2nd armoured car attack
Gaza. Israeli tanks backed by helicopter gunships are reported to
have moved to the edge of a Palestinian refugee camp in S Gaza after
militants blew up an Israeli armoured vehicle, possibly killing up to
5 soldiers. Witnesses say helicopters have fired 2 missiles into
vacant areas of the Rafah camp, nr Gaza's border with Egypt, as a
column of about 15 tanks rumbled in firing heavy machine guns. There
are no immediate reports of Palestinian casualties. Earlier the
militant group, Islamic Jihad, blew up the Israeli vehicle in the 2nd
such attack in as many days. Meanwhile, negotiations are continuing
with Palestinian militants to return the remains of the 6 troops
killed during the initial Israeli incursion in the area, which also
claimed a dozen Palestinian lives.
<A NAME="Palestinians return Israeli soldiers'
remains"></A>Palestinians return Israeli soldiers' remains
Gaza (AFP/Reuters). The Israeli army has confirmed it has received
the remains of 6 soldiers killed in Gaza City at a hand-over at the
Erez border crossing, the army said in a statement.
"The IDF [Israel Defence Forces] received this evening the findings
taken by the Palestinians from the scene of the incident on Tue May 11
in which 6 IDF soldiers were killed in Zeitun," it said, adding the
army would send the remains for immediate forensic examination.
Palestinian militants say they have handed over the remains to
Egyptian mediators.
Militants of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an off-shoot of Palestinian
Pres Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement, and Islamic Jihad announced the
hand-over in a joint statement.
Meanwhile, an Israeli helicopter has fired 2 missiles that struck a
crowd of people in a refugee camp in the S Gaza Strip, killing at
least 7 Palestinians, witnesses said.
The attack came hours after an Israeli armoured vehicle was blown
apart by a rocket fired by Palestinian militants, killing 5 Israeli
soldiers in S Gaza's Rafah district.
Witnesses said at least 2 rockets were fired at a crowd in the Yidna
neighbourhood of Rafah, on the border between Gaza and Egypt.
Ambulances evacuated the dead, including several dismembered bodies
and charred remains, from the site of the attack, witnesses said.
The Israeli army had no immediate comment.
<A NAME="PNG considers bond to clear debt"></A>PNG considers bond to
clear debt
Pt Moresby. The Papua New Guinea govt says it is still considering
raising an internat'l bond to clear debt and fund development
projects. PM Sir Michael Somare says a $100 mn bond is being
considered after internat'l lenders like the World Bank failed to
honour their commitments to PNG. Sir Michael says the Asian
Development Bank has not provided a promised $US35 mn ($50.18 mn)
loan, and the World Bank is refusing further funds because of the
controversial Forestry Conservation Project. He says the govt has met
all the Bank's conditions under the FCP, yet the Bank is not prepared
to release further loans such as for the rehabilitation of the
Highlands Highway. Sir Michael claims that the World Bank has
suppressed development in other countries and is doing the same thing
in its dealings in PNG. He says the govt would only proceed with a
bond issue if interest levels and exchange rates were favourable and
the govt has engaged legal and financial advisers to consider the
issue.
<A NAME="Mary's royal wedding to cost Danes $34m"></A>Mary's royal
wedding to cost Danes $34m
Wonderful, wonderful Kobenhavn (AFP). The wedding of Danish crown
prince Frederik to Tasn Mary Donaldson on Fri will cost Danish
taxpayers some 154.4 mn kroner ($34 mn), according to media estimates.
Danish state employees have been given a half-day's holiday in order
to watch the grand event in Copenhagen, and that alone is expected to
cost the state 100 mn kroner ($22.8 mn), a tally by tabloid Ekstra
Bladet and Danish television showed.
Other costs include gifts offered to the couple from the govt,
parliament and municipalities totalling 2.08 mn kroner, though the
many gifts offered by corporations and private people are not included
in that amount.
While the Danish royal family is enormously popular and Danes are
enthusiastic about the upcoming nuptials, some have been critical
about the amount of money being spent.
Interviewed on the television show Cash on public television station
DR1 on Tue, one Dane said the sum was "exorbitant given that there is
no money to repair schools or public pools".
Another said however that it "is worth it because this is a
once-in-a-lifetime party for our crown prince whom we should honour
with a big celebration".
<A NAME="Venezuela evicts US military"></A>Venezuela evicts US
military
Caracas (Reuters). Venezuela has asked the US military mission to
leave liaison offices at armed forces bases in the country, US
Ambassador Charles Shapiro said on Wed.
The request appeared to signal a further downgrading of military links
between the 2 countries, whose relations have become strained under
the govt of left-wing Pres Hugo Chavez.
It was sent to the US Embassy on Fri by Def Min Gen Jorge Garcia.
Asked why the request to vacate the offices was made, Gen Garcia told
Reuters, "Because they [the US officers] are still there."
In Aug 2001, Venezuela's govt asked the US military mission to leave
the Fuerte Tiuna site it had occupied for more than 50 y.
But the mission continued to operate there, even through the coup the
following y that briefly ousted Mr Chavez.
He has accused the US govt of backing opp'n efforts to oust him, a
charge denied by Washington.
Relations between the US and its biggest Latin American oil supplier
have deteriorated since Chavez survived the 2002 coup.
Washington has criticised the Venezuelan leader's close alliance with
Cuba's communist president, Fidel Castro. Mr Chavez has condemned the
criticism as meddling.
Gen Garcia asked the US military personnel to leave Fuerte Tiuna days
before Venezuela's security forces announced they captured a large
force of Colombian paramilitaries.
The estimated 90 Colombians, who were seized wearing Venezuelan army
uniforms but with only one pistol between them, are being held and
questioned at Fuerte Tiuna.
The were captured on a farm owned by a key opp'n leader and at least
one grave has been found on the property.
Venezuelan opp'n leaders have claimed the govt of using Sun's capture
of the Colombians, which some say is an elaborate ruse, to justify a
crackdown against them.
US defence attache staff members were asked to leave offices at Fuerte
Tiuna armed forces HQ in Caracas and at other military installations,
Mr Shapiro said.
That would mean they would have to work from the embassy or other
rented premises.
Mr Shapiro declined to say how the move would affect US military
cooperation with Venezuela, which has decreased since Mr Chavez took
office in early 1999.
US officers have been advising on anti-drug operations and training
local pilots flying US-made F-16 fighters.
US defence officials in Venezuela declined to specify the size of the
mission.
<A NAME="Woman dubbed Brit's most hated leaves prison"></A>Woman
dubbed "Brit's most hated" leaves prison
London (AFP). A Brit woman whose boyfriend murdered 2 young girls in
a case that shocked the nation has been moved from prison to face an
uncertain future. Maxine Carr, described as "the nation's most hated
women" by some newspapers, was moved from a jail in Derby, N England,
to a temporary secure address ahead of her formal release on Fri,
Brit's interior ministry said. The Home Office also said that
documents giving details of a new life to be provided for Carr had
been stolen from an official's car on Tue, and only recovered later,
while insisting this had "no impact whatsoever" on her release.
Police added that the theft, in London, appeared to be opportunistic
and that the car was not deliberately targeted. Carr, 27, gained
notoriety after her partner murdered 10-yos Holly Wells and Jessica
Chapman in the town of Soham, eastern England, in Aug 2002.
<A NAME="Eurovision kicks off with love stories and
stomping"></A>Eurovision kicks off with love stories and stomping
Wild dance... Ruslana sings Ukraine into the final
Istanbul (AFP). Dancers clad in costumes like leather-clad hobbits, a
duo poised for a boat wedding and a line-up of crooning male
heartthrobs -- these are some of the attractions the Eurovision song
bonanza is offering this year.
The annual contest, often mocked for its glitzy pop overdrive, opens
on Wed evening in Istanbul, the ancient Turkish city straddling both
Europe and Asia on the picturesque Bosphorus.
Organisers this y were forced to hold the semi-final stage in the face
of an unprecedented number of countries that showed interest in the
song
bonanza, often derided for the quality of its music and political bias
in voting.
10 nations qualified on Wed for the final of the Eurovision song
contest, knocking out 12 other aspirants from the annual event,
watched by mn of fans across the continent.
The 10 winners -- Albania, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, Cyprus,
Greece, Macedonia, Malta, the Netherlands, Ukraine and Serbia and
Montenegro -- will join 14 other nations which have already secured
places for Sat's final.
The 14 others are Austria, Belgium, Brit, France, Germany, Iceland,
Ireland, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.
Under the rules of the event, organisers only gave a random list of
the 10 nations which mustered the most support from the tele-voting,
without revealing the ranking of the 22 contenders in the semi-final.
Bidding farewell to the competition are Andorra, Belarus, Denmark,
Estonia, Finland, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Monaco, Portugal,
Slovenia and Switzerland.
As if in keeping with Istanbul's historic scenery, many contenders
have opted for ancient ethnic tunes and costumes.
Take Ukrainian star Ruslana, for instance, who is expected to turn out
like Lord of the Rings heroes in medieval-style leather clothes.
One of the hot favourites, Ruslana and her dancers perform such a
stomping
number with Wild Dance that they cracked the stage during a rehearsal.
Zeljko Joksimovic and his orchestra will follow suit for Serbia and
Montenegro with a distinctive blend of pop music and ethnic Balkan
melodies, using ancient instruments.
For those keen on something more modern and upbeat, Greek heartthrob
Sakis Rouvas, also a top favourite, has much to offer with his song
Shake It and an electrifying floor show.
Spain's Ramon is also set for an eye-catching performance, while Jari
Sillanpaa of Finland has promised a touch of tango, imported straight
from the north.
Many other countries such as Brit, Germany, Iceland and Macedonia have
sent male soloists to the contest.
Belgium's Xandee and Swedish diva Lena Philipsson are among the female
contenders who could yet still steal the show from the men.
The host country will be represented by the band Athena, set to do
battle with a rock song.
It is a sharp contrast to Turkey's winner last y, pop diva Sertab
Erener, who wowed the crowd with an exotic mix of belly-dancing and
pop.
To underscore Eurovision's theme of romance and oft-overpowering
sentimentality, the long-time sweethearts Diana and Simon who make up
the Slovenian duo Platin are planning to tie the knot on Thu on a boat
cruise on the Bosphorus, in a kind of Eurovision "reality show".
<A NAME="Cannes rolls out red carpet for dark Spanish film"></A>Cannes
rolls out red carpet for dark Spanish film
Cannes (Reuters). Cannes has rolled out the red carpet for Spanish
director Pedro Almodovar who launched the 2004 film festival with a
dark tale of child abuse by the Catholic Church.
After the premiere screening began, about 200 part-time French show
business workers angry at welfare benefit cuts staged an impromptu
sit-down protest outside the Palais des Festivals.
But riot police kept order during the 90-minute demo by chanting
actors and stagehands to ensure the stars inside were not disturbed.
Critics raved about La Mala education (Bad Education) and fans
screamed for Mexican actor Gael Garcia Bernal, dubbed "Sex Mex" by the
French press for his smoldering good looks and hot performance in the
earlier internat'l hit Y tu mama tambien (And Your Mother Too).
It was the 1st time a Spanish film had ever opened the world's most
famous film festival and Almodovar said: "My film may not be in
competition
here but opening the Cannes Film Festival is a prize in itself".
The audience, usually treated to a frothy comedy or rollicking
adventure on Cannes' opening night, were this time served up a film
noir cast of paedophile priests and drug-raddled transvestites.
* Hollywood glamour
Traditionally the gala is the epitome of chic in this elegant French
Riviera resort -- even the paparazzi must wear tuxedos to film the
stars arriving at the Palais des Festivals.
Heading the jury is American film director Quentin Tarantino, who
declared: "To me, Cannes is just heaven."
Cannes can look forward to a hefty dose of Hollywood glamour with Brad
Pitt, Tom Hanks, Will Smith and Charlize Theron jetting in to
publicise
their latest films to a captive audience of 5,000 show business
reporters.
Cannes has been criticised in the past for demonstrating a penchant
for
intellectual "auteur" movies that please only the most ardent film
buffs.
But artistic director Thierry Fremaux has gone much more mainstream
this y with populist entries like Shrek 2, the follow-up to the
worldwide animation hit.
In its 57th year, Cannes' fascination with Hollywood shows no sign of
fading but it has always prided itself on also providing a potent mix
of world cinema from Thailand to Bosnia.
What has changed over the past few y is timing.
Hollywood has acknowledged the enormous pulling power of Cannes in
attracting an internat'l audience to the big summer movies so beloved
of American audiences.
Over the last 3 y, the Hollywood big guns have rolled out Star Wars,
Terminator and Matrix movies. This y it is the turn of the new
sword-and-sandals epic Troy.
"Passez le popcorn," declared leading Hollywood trade paper Variety.
Cannes, packed with cigar-chomping moguls and scantily clad starlets,
has proved to be a perfect manufacturer of celluloid dreams which
combines both hard-sell deals and art house movies.
Whatever disgruntled critics may have said about last y's array of
mediocre movies, Cannes has still not lost its allure.
More than 3,500 films were submitted to the Cannes organisers this
year by movie-makers eager for the Cannes cachet. It is staging a
total
of 46 world premieres.
<A NAME="Artist launches Archibald challenge"></A>Artist launches
Archibald challenge
Sydney. A SYD artist is preparing to mount a legal challenge to the
winner of this y's Archibald Prize.
Kings Cross artist Tony Johansen claims Craig Ruddy's portrait of
actor David Gulpilil is a drawing not a painting, as stipulated in
Archibald's bequest.
Mr Johansen's Archibald entry, a portrait of Carlotta, was not a hung
finalist.
He says his Supreme Court action is not a case of sour grapes but
trying to respect Jules Francois Archibald's wishes "When you submit
your works you expect to have your works judged in accordance with
Archibald's bequest," he said.
"Archibald was very clear on what he wanted and in fact so are the
trustees of the Art Gallery on the entry form. They specify a
painting."
Mr Johansen says the winning portrait is a wonderful drawing but it
should not have won this prize.
"It's a beautiful work of art, it should be entered in drawing prizes
and other competitions which don't specify a painting, and I'm sure it
could win many, many prizes, it's just that for this particular
exhibition it is ineligible," he said.
But Janet Lawrence, one of the judges for the annual portrait prize,
says she has no doubts the portrait is a painting.
"At no time in the early discussions did this come up and certainly
from my experience of the work I would've have had no question at all
about it fitting into being a painting," she said.
<A NAME="Fuel sales boost turnover at Coles Myer"></A>Fuel sales boost
turnover at Coles Myer
Coles Myer has reported its best sales in 2 y.
Melbourne. AUS's biggest retail group, Coles Myer, has enjoyed a
surge in turnover in its latest 3 m of operations. Quarterly sales
have jumped almost 24% to $8 bn, fuelled by petrol sales. Its
Food and Liquor division has had its best quarter in 2 y, with
increasing sales growth and gains in market share. Coles Myer is
standing by earlier forecasts of a full-y net profit after tax of
between $558 and $568 mn.
<A NAME="All steady on jobs front"></A>All steady on jobs front
AUS's official jobless rate for Apr has remained unchanged at a
23-year-low of 5.6%.
Canberra. Fed Treasurer Peter Costello says the unemployment rate is
below 6% for the 8th m in a row due to the govt's management of the
economy.
"Job creation has been very strong with 56,000 new jobs for the month
of Apr and 43,000 of those were full-time jobs," he said.
The figure compares with earlier forecasts of just 10,000 and follows
a rise of 63,000 in Mar.
"In fact, if you look over the past 2 m, the rate of job creation has
been over 100,000," Mr Costello said.
* State-by-state
In NSW the unemployment rate has risen by 0.1%, to 5.4%, in seasonally
adjusted terms.
At the same time, the number of people looking for work increased
slightly.
In Qld the unemployment rate has fallen by 0.3%, to 6.0%, in
seasonally
adjusted terms, while the number of people looking for work increased.
In Vic the unemployment rate has risen by 0.3%, to 5.8%, in seasonally
adjusted terms, and the number of people looking for work also
increased.
In SA the unemployment rate has risen by 0.2%, to 6.2%, seasonally
adjusted, and the number of people looking for work remains unchanged.
In the N Territory the unemployment rate has fallen by 0.1% to 4.2%,
in trend terms, and the number of people looking for work has dropped
slightly.
Tas's unemployment rate has remained unchanged at 6.7%, in trend
terms.
However in seasonally adjusted terms, the jobless rate has fallen by
0.1% to 6.6%.
In the ACT the unemployment rate remains unchanged at 3.8%, in trend
terms, but the same time, the number of people looking for work rose
slightly.
In W AUS the unemployment rate has fallen 0.5%, to 5.0%, in seasonally
adjusted terms, and the number of people looking for work has
increased.
<A NAME="Latham prepares for Budget response"></A>Latham prepares for
Budget response
Canberra. Fed Opp'n leader Mark Latham will reply to the Howard
Govt's Budget tonight and he is under pressure to unveil a substantial
alternative package to assist families.
The Govt will rush its tax cuts legislation into Parliament today.
Yesterday, the Govt introduced legislation giving 2 mn families
an extra $600 for each child every year.
This morning it will bring in bills to amend the tax scales.
Labor has pledged to support both Budget initiatives but now Mr Latham
will have his chance to release alternative policies when he gives his
Budget reply speech this evening.
The Opp'n has criticised the Govt for targeting tax cuts at middle and
high income earners.
Mr Latham has said Labor's tax relief proposal will be broader and
fairer
than the Howard Govt's plan but he will not unveil the details just
yet.
He thinks there is a more effective way of delivering family
assistance.
Mr Latham argues the Govt's Budget targets the election while Labor
has a long-term plan for the country.
Labor has accused the govt of misleading people by using incorrect
statistics to promote its tax cuts, which only benefit those earning
more than $52,000.
The PM yesterday said that average full-time female workers earn
$49,000 a year.
Shadow Emp Min Jenny Macklin says the figure is about $43,000.
"What John Howard's been trying to do, of course, by creating this
imaginary figure is giving the impression that more women will in fact
benefit from this tax cut he's offering than in reality they will,"
she said.
A rep for the PM says the $49,000 figure used by John Howard is the
average yearly wage for all full-time workers, which takes into
account average female earnings.
<A NAME="Costello introduces tax legislation"></A>Costello introduces
tax legislation
Canberra. Less than 48 hours after handing down the Budget, Fed
Treasurer Peter Costello has introduced a Bill into Parliament to give
a tax cut to higher income earners.
Under the changes, the top 2 tax thresholds will rise from Jul this
year, and again next year, to give tax cuts to people earning more
than $52,000 a year.
"These changes are specifically targeted at encouraging Aussies to
increase their workforce participation," he said.
Yesterday, the Govt introduced legislation giving 2 mn families
an extra $600 for each child every year.
Labor has pledged to support both bills Leader Mark Latham gives his
Budget reply speech this evening but is not expected to reveal the
details
of his tax policy just yet, but has more promised wide-ranging tax
cuts.
The Democrats are worried the govt is rushing the Budget through
Parliament and that is not the only sign an election could be called
soon.
Govt senators have been told they may need to sit longer than expected
next m to pass any outstanding legislation.
Labor's Wayne Swan says the govt is clearing the decks for an
election.
"It's pretty clear they're dashing to the polls," he said.
Mr Costello has also unveiled a Bill to boost retirement savings,
saying
the Govt will increase its superannuation co-contributions to a $1.50
for every $1 put into their super by many low and middle-income
earners.
Mr Costello has told Parliament the tax cut will help AUS's tax system
remain internat'ly competitive.
"Many highly skilled Aussies including our young people are
internat'ly
mobile and can choose to work anywhere in the world," he said.
"It's important the tax system does not discourage talented people
from staying in our country and developing their skills and careers
here."
<A NAME="Princes Highway dubbed AUS's most dangerous"></A>Princes
Highway dubbed AUS's most dangerous
Sydney. The Princes Highway on the NSW' far S coast has been branded
AUS's most dangerous highway after 13 fatal accidents this y.
The NSW Roads and Traffic Authority's Traffic Accident Report for Apr
2004 shoes there have been 13 fatal accidents on the Princes Highway
so far this y, compared to 10 on the Pacific, 5 on the Hume and 5 on
the Great Western.
South Coast MP Shelley Hancock says the RTA's quarterly review shows
fatalities on the road have increased, while the rate on other roads
has dropped.
"This has now confirmed that the Princes Highway is the most dangerous
highway in the state and in fact in the country."
"Not only that we've got a lot of fatalities happening on the Princes
Highway, but in fact the highest number of fatalities have been
occurring along the Princes Highway over the last 12 m in comparison
to any other highway in the state," she said.
Member for Bega, Andrew Constance, says the figures confirm what he
has suspected for some time.
"This confirms the Princes Highway as the worst highway in New South
Wales," he said.
"The number of fatalities has more than doubled, from 6 to 13,
compared to this time last y, which only illustrates the need for the
Princes Highway to be funded and upgraded now by the Carr Labor Govt."
<A NAME="Stanhope accused of misleading public over
bushfires"></A>Stanhope accused of misleading public over bushfires
Canberra. The Aussie Capital Territory Opp'n has accused Chief Min
Jon Stanhope of misleading the public on multiple occasions regarding
actions leading up to the Jan 18 firestorm last y.
The Legislative Assembly is debating a no-confidence motion against
the Chief Min, brought on after Mr Stanhope's admission last wk that
he had misled the Legislative Assembly.
The Chief Min says he genuinely did not remember a 6-minute call to
the head of Community Safety on the morning of Jan 18.
The Opp'n says it is a manufactured story to hide negligence.
Opp'n leader Brendan Smyth says the Chief Min also failed to return a
call from the head of emergency services on the night of Jan 17.
Mr Smyth says high-level meetings were occurring about the approaching
fires.
He says it is not credible to believe Govt ministers were not advised.
But the Chief Min says the gravity of the fire threat was not raised
with him until just a few hours before the firestorm struck.
<A NAME="No more children for Baxter, pleads SA"></A>No more children
for Baxter, pleads SA
Port Hedland will shut in WA.
Adelaide. The SA Govt is urging the Commonwealth not to shift any
more children into the Baxter detention centre in the state's north.
Under the $142 mn Immigration Detention Strategy announced in the Fed
Budget, W AUS's Port Hedland detention centre will close and its 52
detainees
will shift to Baxter, which in turn is to undergo a $500,000 upgrade.
South Aussie Families and Communities Min Jay Weatherill is opposed to
the decision because it is likely children will be involved.
He says the Fed Govt will be billed if there is any extra cost to the
state.
"We're keen to ensure that no burden is shifted onto the State Govt
and we're also extremely concerned if there are going to be additional
children placed in detention," he said.
"Detention is just simply a completely inappropriate environment in
which to keep children.
"The children that are in there already should be immediately
removed."
Director of the Catholic welfare agency Centacare, Dale West, says the
Commonwealth should either shift Baxter to a capital city or
completely
overhaul AUS's detention system.
"I think we do have an opportunity if we are going to be spending
money, to reassess it's location, to reassess the nature of that
environment and to have a look at what we're actually doing to people
who are detained in our detention centre system," he said.
Meanwhile, the Labor party says there are indications the govt is
starting to soften its stance on mandatory detention for asylum
seekers.
Labor's immigration rep, Carmen Lawrence says the budget provides
funding for additional residential housing for women and children in
detention centres.
Dr Lawrence says Labor had been seeking those changes for y and there
is evidence the Imm Min Amanda Vanstone understands most asylum
seekers have fled oppressive regimes.
"This Min seems to understand that, She won't say that publicly but
she's been putting people out on bridging visas and I must say,
treating some of the people here on temporary visas of different kinds
somewhat more humanely."
<A NAME="RSPCA waiting to hear from kitten-torturing
soldiers"></A>RSPCA waiting to hear from kitten-torturing soldiers
Townsville. 6 Townsville soldiers who agreed to do voluntary work at
the RSPCA as part of their punishment for animal cruelty have yet to
contact the society. Townsville Magistrate David Glasgow told the
soldiers on Mon that he had no power to make a community correction
order directing them to assist the RSPCA. He said that if they agreed
to do 100 hr of voluntary work for the RSPCA before the end of the
year, he would consider that in his sentencing. The men pleaded
guilty to acts of cruelty, including dragging one kitten behind a
motorcycle and setting 3 others on fire last month. RSPCA chief
executive Mark Townend says so far, there has been no approach from
the soldiers or the army regarding helping out the animal welfare
group.
<A NAME="Kitten-torturing soldiers should be sacked:
RSPCA"></A>Kitten-torturing soldiers should be sacked: RSPCA
Townsville [Taliban territory]. The RSPCA has called for 6 soldiers
who tortured kittens at an Army base in Qld to be sacked.
RSPCA nat'l president Hugh Wirth says he has hand-delivered a letter
to Def Min Robert Hill calling for their dismissal.
The men pleaded guilty to acts of cruelty, including dragging one
kitten behind a motorcycle and setting 3 others on fire last month.
The Defence Force has given the soldiers 2 wk to show cause why they
should remain in the Army.
They earlier pleaded guilty setting fire to the cats and dragging one
behind a motorbike.
Dr Wirth says the Army's response is too little, too late.
"[It] seems to be finally a reaction to what the RSPCA has been saying
to the Min of Defence, I'm now glad to hear that the officer
commanding is finally taking action," he said.
The snr army officer in N Qld says a defence force investigation into
acts of cruelty by 6 Townsville soldiers against a litter of Kittens
will be thorough.
Cmdr of 3rd Brigade at Lavarack Barracks Brig David Morrison describes
the torture of the 4 kittens as abhorrent and disgusting.
Brig Morrison rejects the proposition the acts might have been an
informal hardening up process for troops and ruled it out as an avenue
of investigation.
"Absolutely not, we train with a focus and we do it to prepare
ourselves for conflict but we do it with due recognition of the laws
of the land which have been clearly broken in this case."
A rep for Def Min Robert Hill says the Govt will not interfere with
internal Army processes.
She says the Min was appalled by the treatment of the animals and
understands the Army is considering taking action.
But Dr Wirth says he has been given no indication the Army will take
the proper action.
"Our Qld member society has already been told by the Army in Qld that
as the soldiers have been dealt with by a civilian court, the Army
plans to take no further action," he said.
"That's an outrageous dereliction of duty."
6 Townsville soldiers who agreed to do voluntary work at the RSPCA as
part of their punishment for animal cruelty have yet to contact the
society.
Townsville Magistrate David Glasgow told the soldiers on Mon that he
had no power to make a community correction order directing them to
assist the RSPCA.
He said that if they agreed to do 100 hr of voluntary work for the
RSPCA before the end of the year, he would consider that in his
sentencing.
<A NAME="Army accused of failing to stop recruit abuse"></A>Army
accused of failing to stop recruit abuse
Sydney. AUS's Army Chief, Lt-Gen Peter Leahy has been accused of
failing to stamp out the mistreatment of recruits at the Army's School
of Infantry at Singleton, in NSW.
A man whose son committed suicide at Singleton Barracks says despite
assurances to the contrary, fresh allegations indicate a culture of
abuse appears to be thriving at the base.
Last year, an army investigation found 20-yo Private Williams hanged
himself after enduring a culture of 'denigration and harassment'.
His father Charles says nothing appears to have changed.
"We get all these promises about how they're going to fix it and here
we are with this again," Charles Williams said.
"Gen Leahy you are a disgrace, you are totally ineffectual in your
position, you have broken commitments and failed undertakings."
A y after promising to make changes at the Singleton School of
Infantry in the wake of Private Jeremy Williams' death, the Army is
now investigating further allegations of unacceptable behaviour,
centring on 4 corporals.
They include claims of group punishment, kicking, and use of
threatening language.
<A NAME="Nuclear watchdog calls for waste dump review"></A>Nuclear
watchdog calls for waste dump review
Fed Govt plans to build a radioactive waste dump in South AUS have
been hit with a further delay.
Adelaide. A committee of the Aussie Radiation Protection and Nuclear
Safety Agency, which is considering a licence for the dump, has called
for further investigation on the dump's likely impact on groundwater.
SA Env Min John Hill says he had feared the Fed Govt agency may just
rubber stamp the project, but instead it appears to be taking on board
genuine environmental concerns.
"The project going ahead is looking less and less likely all the time,
particularly before a fed election," he said.
"Now, that gives the people in SA an opportunity, of course, to make a
political judgement about whether it ought to or not go ahead.
"And I would hope the Fed Govt will take all that in mind.
"I think they should just say look it's been too hard, South Aussies
don't want it, all the scientists are saying don't put it there, let's
start again."
Mr Hill says the SA Govt hopes the delays will make the dump a fed
election issue.
Arpansa chief John Loy says the body will not make any hasty
decisions.
"I have to be convinced if the repository was to be sited and
constructed and operated on site, that it would be safe," Mr Loy said.
He says there is no time deadline but says a decision may be at least
many m away.
<A NAME="Opp'n dismisses HECS volunteer plan"></A>Opp'n dismisses HECS
volunteer plan
Canberra. The Fed Opp'n says a proposal for university students to
get HECS fee discounts by doing community work is a distraction from
the debate over the Govt's higher education overhaul.
Liberal Sen for Vic Mitch Fifield used his maiden speech last night to
promote his plan for students to do volunteer work in exchange for
HECS discounts.
"If each hour was valued at say $10, this would amount to a $2,000
saving each y on their HECS liability," he said.
Nat'l Union of Students president Jodie Jansen says she doubts the
scheme would benefit many students.
"Many students could not afford that," she said.
"We have students who are working 2 and 3 part-time jobs, working 30
hours a week, just trying to support themselves and then trying to
engage in full-time study on top of that."
Labor's Education rep Jenny Macklin says the scheme is designed as a
distraction from the Govt's higher education reforms.
"Let's get real, going out and doing a bit of community work is not
going to turn around the latest 25% fee hike," she said.
Sen Fifield says the PM is considering his idea, but a rep for Edu Min
Brendan Nelson says there are no plans to change the HECS system.
<A NAME="Labor talks up Aug 7 election prospect"></A>Labor talks up
Aug 7 election prospect
Canberra. The Fed Opp'n says there is now further evidence that the
PM will call an election as early as Aug 7.
Coalition Whip Jeannie Ferris has written to her colleagues in the
Senate urging them to keep their diaries free in case they need to sit
for extra days at the end of Jun, to pass any outstanding legislation
before the mid-y break.
Labor's Wayne Swan says that is a sign the Govt is trying to clear the
deck for an winter election.
"This Govt is racing to the polls, the whole construction of the
Budget leads you to that conclusion and this is yet another piece of
evidence that John Howard wants to give everybody the cash and run to
the polls," he said.
Govt Sen Ian Campbell says asking Sens to keep their schedules free
for extra sitting days is routine.
"It's entirely standard practice, we ensure that Sens are not
disadvantaged if we do have to extend sitting hours to get through a
big program that they actually reserve that day in their diaries and
that's exactly what we've done," he said.
<A NAME="No role for Flint in new communications watchdog"></A>No role
for Flint in new communications watchdog
Canberra. Aussie Broadcasting Authority (ABA) chairman David Flint,
has ruled out seeking an appointment to serve in a new regulatory body
announced by the Fed Govt. The ABA will be merged with the Aussie
Communications Authority to form a new entity from Jul next y.
Professor Flint's term at the ABA comes to an end in Oct. He says he
will not seek to serve in the new Aussie Communications and Media
Authority. "I certainly haven't expressed interest in serving again
and I am not going to express interest in serving again," he said.
Professor Flint says he can see the advantages of merging the 2
bodies.
<A NAME="ALP reveals vaccinations scheme"></A>ALP reveals vaccinations
scheme
Canberra. The Fed Opp'n has announced it will fund a vaccine for all
newborn children against the deadly pneumococcal disease if it wins
govt.
It would also pay for vaccinations against chicken pox and polio at a
cost of $76 mn a year.
The Govt is under pressure to fund pneumococcal vaccinations for
children under 5, after its own expert committee recommended the move.
Health Min Tony Abbott revealed today that the Govt was discussing
cost and availability issues with the makers of the vaccine.
But Opp'n leader Mark Latham says the Govt has taken too long to act
on the issue.
"Parents shouldn't have to make a choice between the health of their
babies and their limited financial circumstances," he said.
"The Govt should come to the party to make sure the pneumococcal
vaccine is freely available, not a $500 cost, but freely available
around the country."
Mr Abbott's announcement came at a hastily convened press conference
45 minutes before Mr Latham's but he denies the move had anything to
do with Labor's announcement.
"We've been considering this for quite some time," he said.
"Certainly ever since I became the Health Min it's been on my agenda.
"I think I'm on the record as saying some m ago that eventually the
Govt was almost bound to do it, so the process has begun."
<A NAME="Govt stands by child sex offender program"></A>Govt stands by
child sex offender program
Perf [sic]. The W Aussie Govt is standing by a taxpayer-funded agency
that offers conditional confidentiality to child sex offenders. Opp'n
Justice rep Sue Walker wants the Perth-based agency SafeCare shut
down, saying it undermines the criminal system. SafeCare offers
certain child sex offenders conditional confidentiality if they admit
their crime, move out of the home and attend a 2-y rehabilitation
program run by the agency. Ms Walker wants to turn child sex abuse
into a major election issue in the run-up to the next state poll. She
also wants mandatory reporting provisions introduced in WA. However
the Community Dev Min Sheila McHale says her opp'n counterpart has
missed the point. "Perpetrators are saying that they would seek
treatment services much earlier if they weren't necessarily faced with
being dobbed into the police -- SafeCare provides that sort of
facility and service for perpetrators," she said.
<A NAME="Police search for ute load of bombs"></A>Police search for
ute load of "bombs"
Wagga. Police are seeking a man who left 2 of the un-exploded
practice
bombs at a hotel in The Rock, nr Wagga Wagga in NSW's SW, and
reportedly has a ute loaded with more. Witnesses say they saw he had
many more World War 2 training bombs loaded in the tray of his white
Holden one tonne utility. The area around The Rock was home to a
Flying Training School in World War Two. Acting Inspector Rod Smith
from Wagga Wagga police says army bomb experts will travel to The Rock
today to destroy the old bombs. He says the man who collected them is
not in trouble but may be a danger to himself and others. "There's no
offence committed," he said. "We just want to facilitate the safe
disposal of the bombs so there's no danger posed to the public."
<A NAME="Over-fishing could make cod extinct in 15 y --
WWF"></A>Over-fishing could make cod extinct in 15 y -- WWF
[IT'S NOT HAPPENING... NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH NAH].
Geneva (Reuters). Cod could be extinct within 15 y unless govts rein
in fishing of the species, the environmental group World Wildlife Fund
said Thu.
"[The] global cod catch has suffered a 70% drop over the last 30 y,
and if such a trend continues, the world's cod stocks will disappear
in 15 y," the group said.
By 2002, the world's annual cod catch had fallen to 890,000 tonnes
from 3.1 mn tonnes in 1970.
In the Arctic Barents Sea, which accounts for around half of the
world's annual catch, the situation is not as reassuring as is often
depicted, it added in a statement.
In a report "The Barents Sea Cod," the environmental group said fish
quotas in those Arctic waters for 2004 are 100,000 tonnes over what is
considered sustainable by scientists and a further 100,000 tonnes are
caught illegally.
It called on Russia and Norway, which jointly manage Barents Sea
fishing, to set stricter cod quotas and to implement tighter controls
on all fishing activities there.
"Only sound management ... by Russian and Norwegian govts will ensure
the long sustainability of the world's largest cod stock," it warned.
<A NAME="German police question more Sasser worm suspects"></A>German
police question more Sasser worm suspects
Rotenburg. German authorities have searched 5 homes nr the village
where the teenager who created the crippling Sasser computer worm was
caught last wk, police have said.
Police expect to lay charges of computer sabotage against an 18-yo
identified in the media as Sven Jaschan after he admitted to creating
and distributing the Sasser worm, which brought down 1000s of
computers around the world.
They had previously believed the youth, a student of computer science
at a vocational college, had worked largely alone merely exchanging
ideas with fellow students.
"The assessments that have followed have now supported the suspicion
that others were involved in distributing the virus," police in the
state of Lower Saxony said in a statement.
Sasser, a worm that affects computers running on the ubiquitous
Microsoft Windows 2000, NT and XP operating systems laid low computer
systems of companies, govt offices and individuals across the world
since it surfaced over a wk ago.
It affected computers of AUS's Westpac bank, air traffic controllers
and SYD's Rail Corp Jaschan was arrested last Fri after a tip-off from
Microsoft. He was released pending charges after police seized the
computer on which the worm was developed.
Police said officers working with the Verden state prosecutors office
had secured a large quantity of material during searches of the 5
homes nr the N German town of Rotenburg on Tue.
2 of those questioned had admitted to receiving the source code to the
related Netsky worm from the author of Sasser, but only one had
admitted to distributing Netsky.
Police gave no further details, saying the investigation was still
under way.
{{
Midnight.
US lawmakers have taken 3 hrs to view 1,600 slides and films of more
POW abuse, incl crude home-made porn. They told reporters the new
examples of POW abuse made the photos already in the public domain
look "tame". Even official who prev called for transparency in the
POW abuse investigation are now saying the material should not be
released, for fear of triggering reprisals in Iraq or elsewhere.
BBC World News. Egyptian mediators are negotiating with
Palestinian militants to hand over the remains of at least 6 Israeli
soldiers killed in Gaza earlier this wk. The Pals said they would not
give up the remains until bodies of Islamic Jihad fighters were
returned by Israel.
The US has vowed to capture the killers of a US businessman who was
beheaded on an al-Qaeda video. A caption on the video said the
killing
was carried out by an al-Qaeda-linked Jordanian militant well known to
US authorities. Human rights groups have expressed worry the atrocity
will divert world attention from the US POW abuse scandal. Meanwhile,
Egypt's largest broadsheet has called for an Arab stand to end the US
occupation in Iraq.
The Italian Def Min is scheduled to make a statement to Parliament
after reports Italian troops had sent POW's to an Iraq-run prison
where it's believed they were tortured. The Min said the concerns had
been officially reported to Iraqi authorities in charge of the prison.
It's a 2nd day of violence in N Nigeria. Police say 10 people have
been killed and 25 injured since Tue. The dead and injured were
attacked by groups of up to 1,000 hoodlums. The mobs also looted
businesses and burned vehicles. They were not specifically targeting
Christians, say Nigerian officials. The mob violence was sparked by a
protest against the killing of Muslims by Christians. A massacre of
at least 300 Muslims was allegedly carried out by Christians in the
region earlier this m.
0.30 am
19 hrs after a blast at a Scottish factory, rescue workers say they
still hold out hope of finding the trapped workers alive. At least 2
people are believed to be buried in the rubble. 7 people have been
confirmed dead. Rescuers say it's been known that people trapped in
ruins can survive for more than 1 wk. Relatives are still at the
site.
PM Blair has categorically denied there was any evidence of systematic
POW abuse in Iraq by Brit soldiers. [Denial that "any evidence"
exists is usually seen as a lie in the intel biz]. The PM is under
relentless pressure over Iraq. Every day, there are new claims of
abuse, and questions about the "morality" of the Iraq invasion.
1 am
The US military says 25 al-Sadr militants have been killed in fighting
around Karbalah. There have also been clashes between militants and
Coal'n forces nr Najaff, Kufa and in Baghdad.
In Najaff, Moqtada al-Sadr has called on his army to continue the
fight. He told supporters he wanted to die as a martyr.
US soldiers have meanwhile attacked a mosque only 4 km from Najaff's
holiest. US forces attacked after they reportedly found a weapons
cache. Reporters say the soldiers crashed a Bradley into a wall of
the
mosque and then fired 20 mm canon into the building for 2 hrs. 7 US
soldiers were wounded in exchanges.
There is also fighting in Najaff, where Sadr was speaking to
reporters.
There was also a demonstration. Many locals don't want anything to do
with al-Sadr, and are calling on him to quit the city or surrender to
the US.
The US want the al-Sadr militia to disband.
In Baghdad, the militias attacked US tanks on patrol over the past 2
nights.
4 am
For a 2nd day running Palestinians have blown up an Israeli military
vehicle in Gaza, killing several Israeli soldiers. The Israeli APC
was patrolling an Army-held rd nr the Rafah refugee camp . The
Israeli military has declined to state the cas. But Arabic language
TV said 5 Israeli soldiers killed by the bomb. [Islamic Jihad has
since claimed that 5 soldiers were killed. Local witnesses say at
least 5 Israeli soldiered were killed or injured]. Earlier in the
day,
5 Palestinians were killed and 50 injured when the Army broke into
homes, looking for the remains of the 6 Israeli soldiers killed
yesterday.
The German FM has called on the US to sign up to the Internat'l Court
of Justice. He says it would help to restore the US's internat'l
moral leadership.
POW abuse may be about to surface in Afghanistan. The US embassy in
Kabul says it's investigating claims an Afghan soldier was stripped
naked and beaten by US soldiers at a base 100 km from Kabul. The
incident reportedly happened last y. The embassy said it learned
about the case from a local newspaper.
A UN committee on torture is meeting in Geneva. Human rights groups
are calling for it to make a statement about the abuse of POW's in
Iraq and Afghanistan. But the agenda is set well before the meeting.
5 am
In a 2-day surge of violence 34 people, most of them Maoist rebels,
have
been killed in Nepal. Police and civilians have also died in the
clashes.
5.30 am
The Philippines is to review its deployment to Iraq following the
death of at least 1 Filipina and the wounding of several other
Filipino civilians when a US base N of Baghdad was shelled by rebels.
The Philippines has about 100 soldiers and 3,000 civilians in Iraq.
The Gen previously in charge of the Abu Ghraib prison says soldiers
accused of abusing prisoners were following orders from superiors.
She told a TV program she was given orders to place the prison under
the command of US military intel.
Officials in the Afghan govt are calling for access to US POW's in
Afghanistan. But the US is resisting, saying only the Red Cross will
be given access to those in custody. The Afghan govt wants to know
how many of its citizens are in detention, and details about their
living conditions. Human rights groups in Afghanistan say there have
been some complaints from prisoners released from US detention in
Afghanistan. But detainees released from Guatmo Bay say they
weren't tortured, but have been demanding compensation.
6 am
The US has announced 2 more courts martial connected with Iraqi POW
abuse. The US cmdr in Baghdad says 2 sgts will face multiple counts
of assault and sexual abuse of Iraqi POWs.
Postal workers in Vic, NSW and the ACT are walking off the job for 24
hrs. It's the first strike of its kind in more than 20 y. Unions say
the PO's plans to split sorting and delivery jobs is a prelude to full
privatisation of the organisation.
Oil has closed at new all-time high, passed the $US40 barrier earlier
this wk. O'night it reached a high of $US40.77/bbl on uncertainties
in the Middle E and low oil stocks in the US. OPEC is meeting next wk
to decide on new directions for action. The US trade deficit was $66
bn in Mar -- a new record. The Dow closed up 12 pts, but the Nasdaq
ended down 7. In London, the FTSE closed down 41. The AUD is trading
at 69.83 US c.
New jobs numbers due out for AUS today are expected to be slightly
higher after an unexpected dip last m. The avg expectation is 5.7%
unemp.
Midday.
Athens has been rocked by 2 more home made bombs that exploded outside
a bank.
A deal has been done to return bodies of Israeli soldiers killed in
Gaza City. The Israelis are pulling out, even after 5 more soldiers
were killed nr Rafah today. But reports say 2 Israeli missiles have
been fired into the camp since the latest Israeli deaths. Some
reports say 7 people were killed in the missile attack. 100
Palestinians have been wounded since the latest Israeli incursion
started 2 days ago.
Canberra. Aussie unemp has remained at 5.6%. Treas Costello says it's
the 8th m in row that unemp has come in below 6%. Employment was up
56,000 -- building on the 67,000 new jobs created in the prev m.
Small business owners are meeting in CBR today. The say they didn't
get everything they asked for in the Budget. Small businesses with
less than $50,000 revenue pa can now file GST returns once pa instead
of quarterly. But the ATO will spend its own budget increase to more
closely scrutinise those turning over between $2 and 100 mn pa.
The All Ords is flat -- presently down 0.5 pt. The AUD is trading at
69.92. Gold is at $US377.15/oz. Coles profits have surged. Sales are
up for the first half 24%.
Midday.
The Fed Govt might still pay for pneumococcal vaccinations for all
children under 5, even though the measure was not funded in last
night's Budget.
The Howard Govt is under fire from one of its own Liberal backbenchers
over Budget tax cuts.
The Fed Govt has rushed legislation into Parliament giving 2 mn
families an extra $600 for each child per year.
More than $500,000 will be spent turning SA's Baxter detention centre
into AUS's main facility for holding asylum seekers.
The Fed Opp'n says there is now further evidence that the PM will call
an election as early as Aug 7.
Fed Opp'n leader Mark Latham will reply to the Howard Govt's Budget
tonight and he is under pressure to unveil a substantial alternative
package to assist families.
10 pm
Terrorists have announced that Athens will be targeted during the
Olympic Games.
The BJP has conceded defeat in the Indian national elections. The
govt's "India Shining" hi-tech campaign has apparently caused a revolt
in rural communities, with the poor registering a massive protest vote
they were not receiving the benefits of the country's economic growth.
Also, the middle classes -- who were targeted by the BJP with SMS
messages on their mobiles during the run-up to the elections -- don't
usually bother to vote. While Congress has taken the majority of
seats, there's now speculation on whether or not Sonia will become
PM. Some of the Congress' coal'n partners are definitely against the
idea of a foreign-born PM.
Just hrs ago, US Def Sec Rummy and Joint Chief Dick Myers arrived in
Baghdad on a surprise visit. They met US Governor Bremer and then
headed to Abu Ghraib to check the POW abuses for themselves. It was a
"top level review of prison operations", said a regime mouthpiece. It
ended another day where the POW scandal dominated Congress. Earlier,
Don had been under more fire from Senators. Did the interrogation
plan violate the Geneva Conversions? Rumsfeld was asked. Rummy said
it had all been "checked by the lawyers" and was "deemed consistent"
with internat'l law. [I.e. he's implicitly acknowledged all the
photos
are part of a scheme he had knowledge of, and had signed off on]. Ah,
well... THAT'S OK then.
Guatmo detainee David Hicks' Aussie lawyer has held a press conf
today to reveal he has info about violations of the Geneva
Conventions at the US-run Cuba concentration camp. Stephen Kenny
said the treatment of prisoners at Guatmo would "constitute criminal
offences". He has also exact info on the treatment of US POWs in
Cuba. He said Paul Wolfowitz's definition of "humane treatment" must
differ from the accepted norm. [Later, Wolfowitz was forced to
concede the US POW policy was not humane]. FM Downer has again said
the AUS govt had been re-assured by Def Under-sec Wolfowitz that
Guatmo
detainees had not be abused or coerced.
=== end 2/4 ===