NO, NOT THE OIL! #37

[R Kym Horsell]

From the World-Wide Resourses of the Western Australia
Reserch Senter(*)
OIL THE NEWS THAT FITS MY VIEWS
===============================
In the Run-Up to World War III, Reliably Reporting the News Relevant
to Extreme Right-Wing Democratic Socialists Everywhere
(validated for RiteThink(tm) by the Office of Our Man in Can-berra).

Visit Our Home Page At:
http://www.chickenhead.com/loserscopes/

See the Undeniable Evidence At:
http://www.evil-doers.org/evidence

This Stuff Blogged At:
http://kymhorsell.blogspot.com/

Also Kindly Archived At:
http://www.kymhorsell.com/OIL/
[Issue this wk: packet filter in place allegedly out of control! ;-)]

Iraqi Body Count:
http://www.iraqbodycount.net/
[1,930+ as at 23 Apr 2003].

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Selecting latest news stories and other data for you...
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They took the aid... they ran with the aid... and they developed
nuclear weapons anyway.
-- Ari Fleischer, Washington, 29 Apr 2003.
The Whitehouse says they won't reward N Korea for "bad
behaviour". Again.

In was like defending the Alamo... ah... It was a mass attack of over
200 people... my soldiers were defending their lives.
-- US cmdr, Falujah, 29 Apr 2003.
US soldiers killed 13 protesters and wounded 75 others who
demanded soldiers leave a school being used as an HQ.

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Mon, 28 Apr 2003

Sharemarket follows wall street down
7 killed by lightning
11 injured in bombing
120 detained by Indon police
Iraqi opposition groups gather in Spain
Baghdad power-brokers meet to discuss new govt
Baghdad city govt in place within days: US official
"Spontaneous mayor" of Baghdad arrested by US
4 US soldiers wounded in downtown ambush
US commander plays down possible weapons find
Hill, Cosgrove meet Garner in Baghdad
Iraqi regime change offers hope to Aussie farmers
UN should lead hunt for weapons says IAEA chief
IAEA calls for selective "zero tolerance" on nukes
Terrorism conf
SARS vaccine at least a y away: US heath official
China quarantines 8,000
50,000 stay away from AUS
Missing SARS drugs located
People smuggling conference to consider impact of Iraq war
No sign of heightened people smuggling: Downer
Family court vows to become more ethnically responsive
$1 bn in Medicard funding
Govt not committed to medicare: ACA
Paintings worth mns stolen from Brit gallery
Peacekeepers start Burundi mission
Mag 6 quake: New Cal
Poly trampled by packy
Sailors inquest
Water restrictions: CBR
Water restrictions threaten: SYD
Markets
Continuous war news

Sharemarket follows Wall Street down
Sydney. Sharemarket investors returning from the ANZAC Day holiday
have taken their lead from Wall Street, pushing share values close to
1% lower this morning. The local All Ordinaries index was down 25
points around midday at 2,937, with stocks lower across the board. At
the end of last week, NY's Dow Jones index finished 134 points, or
1.6%, lower as investors fretted about weak US economic growth.

Calcutta. 7 KILLED BY LIGHTNING! 7 people have been killed and 12
seriously injured when lightning struck a house during a marriage
ceremony in E India. Officials say the accident happened about 600 km
from Calcutta, the capital of W Bengal state, when a thunderstorm hit
the town of Malbazar. A resident says the marriage ceremony was
cancelled after the tragedy.

Jakarta. 11 INJURED IN BOMBING! A bomb has ripped through a
restaurant area at Indonesia's main internat'l airport today --
injuring 11 people in what officials call a terrorist attack. The
blast nr a KFC restaurant is the 2nd in 3 says in the country. The
Indon govt says the blasts may be linked to current or pending trials
of terror suspects. Abu Bakar Bashir, the alleged leader of the
Jemaah Islamiyah terror group, went on trial this wk in connection with
a series of deadly blasts.

Jakarta. 120 DETAINED BY INDON POLICE! Indon police have stepped up
pressure against separatists in the E Maluku islands. The Kompas
newspaper quotes Maluku Gov Sarundayang as saying 120 supporters of a
Rep of S Maluku have been detained for questioning in the provincial
capital Ambon. About 1/2 of them were arrested around the 53rd
anniversary of the republic's proclaimed last Fri. Following the end
of Dutch colonial rule, separatists proclaimed the rep in 1950 and
staged a revolt against newly-indep Indonesia.

Iraqi opposition groups gather in Spain
Madrid. As aspiring Iraqi politicians prepare to meet in Baghdad,
Iraqi opposition groups have gathered in Spain. In their Madrid
Declaration, Iraqi political groups have agreed to work towards a fed
democracy, with a constitution guaranteeing fundamental rights. They
also want a provisional Iraqi govt urgently and Saddam Hussein brought
to trial for crimes against humanity. But until the final hours of
the conference it was uncertain there was enough consensus to even
make a declaration. There are major points of contention, like the
role of the US in the country's future and the form an Iraqi democracy
might take is far from clear. But Iraqi Kurds, Shiite Muslims,
constitutional monarchists and communists all say they want democracy,
with the help of the UN, Europe and United States.

Baghdad power-brokers meet to discuss new govt
Baghdad. A meeting is due to be held in Baghdad this afternoon
between prominent Iraqis and the retired American general appointed to
run the country, Jay Garner. The aim is to make progress towards
setting up an interim govt. The BBC's Claire Marshall reports, the
last US-organised meeting to try to gather Iraqi people together to
talk about the future of their country was a shambles. Held in
Nasiriya, only around 80 people attended, with groups fearing that
they would be pressured to accept the will of the US. However, Mr
Garner, the de facto governor of Iraq now installed in Baghdad, is
determined that today's talks should be a success. A broad spectrum
of more than 300 religious, ethnic and political figures have been
invited. The aim is try to find potential leaders who could play a
role in an interim Iraqi administration.

Baghdad city govt in place within days: US official
Baghdad. A senior US official said a team of Iraqis will be in place
in a few days to take over the day-to-day operation of Baghdad amid
mounting anger at the lack of basic services since the war. "There is
going to be a basic team of Iraqis running the city," Barbara Bodine,
the administrator for central Iraq said after a meeting with Baghdad
municipal officials of the former regime.

"Spontaneous Mayor" of Baghdad arrested by US
Baghdad. Mohammed Mohsen al-Zubaidi, an Iraqi exile who had proclaimed
himself Baghdad's mayor and begun issuing directives to city workers,
was arrested here on Sunday by the US forces, who accused him of
exerting authority he didn't have.
Zubaidi was arrested at 1300 GMT in downtown Baghdad "for his
inability to support the coalition military authority and for
exercising authority which was not his," US military spokesman Capt
David Connolly said in Baghdad.
Soldiers arrested seven others found with al-Zubaidi, Connolly said
without identifying them. He said he was unsure where the men were
taken but indicated they were in the US custody. Al-Zubaidi, who has
cast himself as a volunteer to help Iraq get back on its feet, never
discouraged widespread rumours that he was appointed by the US
military authorities. American forces, however, have become increasingly
adamant in recent days that they have no relationship with him.
"He was misrepresenting himself as mayor, a position which he was not
appointed to," Connolly said. Hours before the arrest, the US forces
interrupted an interview that al-Zubaidi was doing with several TV
networks, in which he said: "Our role will end once there is a
conference to elect a transitional government."

4 US soldiers wounded in downtown ambush
Baghdad. Four US soldiers, conducting a public-health assessment, were
wounded when their Humvees were ambushed in downtown Baghdad, a US
military spokesman said. The soldiers, in two Humvees, were stopped in
midmorning traffic when an assailant approached and fired at them from
a small-calibre weapon, said Capt David Connolly. One of the soldiers'
injuries was serious, he said without elaborating.

US commander plays down possible weapons find
Doha. The Commander of US forces in Iraq, General Tommy Franks, says
his troops will search several thousand sites in their hunt for
chemical and biological weapons. However he is playing down the
latest possible discovery of chemical weapons. General Franks says
information provided by local Iraqis has multiplied the number of
sites which now must be searched. US troops have found about a dozen
large drums in N Iraq, and initial tests have indicated one contained
a mixture of a nerve agent and mustard gas. But General Franks is
cautious about declaring any discoveries until analysis is complete.
"We do not want to come across like Baghdad Bob and say we have it
before we have it but we do believe that it is there," he said. US
officials say an additional 1,000 personnel will be added to the teams
trying to interview Iraqis with knowledge of weapons programs and
hunting for evidence.

Hill, Cosgrove meet Garner in Baghdad
Baghdad. AUS Defence Force chief General Peter Cosgrove and Defence
Min Robert Hill have visited Baghdad to discuss the nation's
rebuilding program. The pair held talks with retired US General Jay
Garner, who is overseeing the program to restore Iraq's civil
infrastructure and basic services. General Garner told them the
reconstruction is ahead of schedule. But he says more help is needed
to rebuild roads, reinstate power and water, restore law and order and
establish Iraqi govt ministries. AUS has already nominated specialist
areas in which it could contribute, such as niche military
capabilities and agriculture.

Iraqi regime change offers hope to Aussie farmers
Canberra. There are renewed hopes AUS farmers can recover $US100 mn
lost in the 1991 Gulf War. Wheat marketer AWB says the recent regime
change in Iraq has seen it begin a fresh push to reclaim the money,
which was never paid when Iraqi funds were frozen. Rep Peter McBride
says the downfall of Saddam Hussein represents the best chance it has
of recovering the money. The news has been greeted with cautious
optimism by farmers, with many having written off their chances of
ever being paid. SA West Coast farmer Leon Stott lost $AUD140,000
and says while he is not celebrating yet, his hopes are high.

UN should lead hunt for weapons says IAEA chief
Geneva. The head of the IAEA, Mohamed ElBaradei, says he sees no
reason why the US should take over the search for weapons of mass
destruction in Iraq. Dr ElBaradei was responsible for supervising UN
inspections before the war. There is no need, as he put it, "to
change horses mid course," he said. He urged that GWII be brought to
a closure by the international community and the UN. "We are the
people who are perceived to have the independence and impartiality
which will send our report with the same degree of acceptability
everywhere", he said.

IAEA calls for selective "zero tolerance" on nukes
Geneva. The head of the IAEA has called for zero tolerance for
countries developing WMD, in reference to North Korea. Mohammed el
Baradei says the world must send a uniform message to countries
developing such weapons. He has called for a resumption of intrusive
inspections in North Korea, which kicked UN inspectors out of its
Yongbyon nuclear facility late last year. Last week, North Koreans
confirmed to American negotiators in Beijing that they had produced
nuclear weapons. The exact nature of their arsenal remains a mystery.

Sydney. TERRORISM CONF! AUS's defences against terrorism will come
under the spotlight at a national security conf in SYD today. Robert
Cornall, sec of the Comm'th A-G's Dept, has opened the 2-day forum
that will bring together internat'l security experts, governments,
business and community groups. Mr Cornall says it's vital for the
private sector to take part in security planning because public
infrastructure such as transport and telecom are in the hands of
corporations -- not govts.

SARS vaccine at least a y away: US heath official
Atlanta. One of America's top public health officials says a vaccine
for SARS is at least a y away. US Centre for Disease Control director
Dr Julie Gerberding says wearing face masks in public is not an
effective way of stopping the spread of the disease. Dr Gerberding
says developing an effective treatment for SARS will take at least one
y and in an effort to reassure the public she says the disease is not
as communicable as the flu and can be contained. She says despite the
WHO warning not to travel to the Canadian city of Toronto she would
this week, adding that the disease was "very contained" there.
Worldwide, SARS has now killed more than 300 people and infected at
least 5,000.

Beijing. CHINA QUARANTINES 8K! About 8,000 people have been
quarantined in China's capital, Beijing, after having close contact
with SARS patients. The state-run Xinhua news agency reports that as
of midday Sun a total of 7,672 people had been quarantined while
1,384 had been discharged from quarantine. It says quarantine measures
are in place at a residential quarter of Renmin Hosp and resid'l
buildings at 3 universities. A construction site in Beijing's
Dongcheng district has also been isolated.

Brisbane. 50K STAY AWAY FROM AUS! New figures show the impact of the
war in Iraq and the SARS virus scare resulted in a drop of almost
50,000 visitors to AUS last m. The ABS' preliminary arrival figures
for Mar reveal a 10.7% decline in internat'l visitors compared with the
same m in 2002. With airlines cutting back services and people
reluctant to travel, the number of visitors from Brit was down nearly
20%, NZ was down 9% and Japan was down 13%.

Missing SARS drugs located
Melbourne. Police have just found a missing container of SARS-related
drugs, stolen from the MEL docks. The container has been found in
Footscray, and police will undertake an inventory to discover if any
of the drugs are missing. The drugs have been valued at more than
$300,000. The drugs were in a 7 m white refrigerated P&O
container, which was loaded onto a prime mover and driven away. It
came from the UK and was bound for SE Asia. Senior Detective
Adrian Smith says the drugs Salmeterol and Beclomethasone are only
used to treat respiratory illnesses. But he says due to the outbreak
of the SARS the value of the drugs could have increased significantly.
Police are hopeful the drugs are yet to move offshore as they need to
be kept refrigerated and the container would be quite difficult to
move without attracting attention.

People smuggling conference to consider impact of Iraq war
Canberra. A high level conference on people smuggling in Bali this wk
will consider the potential impact of the war in Iraq. The For Min
Alexander Downer, the Justice Min Chris Ellison and the Immigration
Min Phillip Ruddock will attend the week-long conference, with senior
officials from the Indonesian Govt. Mr Downer has told Channel Nine
it is a follow up to a similar conference held a y ago. "One of
things we want to do to is have a look at what kind of border controls
countries have put in place, how effective they've been in sharing
intelligence, how good the cooperation between police forces has been
and so on. "And then of course compare information on how we think
the people smuggling rackets are going, not only post-Afghanistan, but
of course now getting in to the post conflict stage in Iraq as well,"
he said.

No sign of heightened people smuggling: Downer
Canberra. The For Min says there is no sign of heightened people
smuggling activities, even though 2 boats carrying possible asylum
seekers from Vietnam are now in Indonesian waters. Alexander Downer
will join the Justice Min and the Immigration Min at an international
people smuggling conference in Bali this week. But he says it does
not appear the 2 boats from Vietnam have anything to with organised
people smugglers. Mr Downer says one of the boats has broken down and
will not be going any further, while Indonesian authorities are
investigating the other.

Family Court vows to become more ethnically responsive
Sydney. The Family Court has vowed to become more responsive to the
needs of ethnic communities. Family Court chief justice Alastair
Nicholson says clients and litigants from multicultural backgrounds
have raised a number of concerns about the operation of the court. He
says they have particular concerns about a lack of knowledge of AUS
Family Law and problems in understanding court procedures. Justice
Nicholson is meeting with representatives of multicultural communities
today. He says it is important their needs are taken into account.
"If you look at the 99 figures, 42% of divorces were granted to
couples where one or both partners was born overseas and that in
itself is a pretty good reason for us to be more culturally sensitive
about these things," he said.

Canberra. $1 BN IN MEDICARD FUNDING! The fed govt has announced a
$917 mn package in Medicare reforms to increase the availability of
bulk-billing and boost doctor numbers in the bush. PM John Howard and
Health Min Kay Patterson say the package will strengthen the
availability of bulk-billing and reduce the up-front costs of going to
the doctor for those who aren't bulk-billing. She says $562 mn will
go towards getting doctors into rural areas and another $80 mn has
been set aside for doctors to move to outer metro areas.

Govt not committed to Medicare: ACA
Canberra. The AUS Consumers Association (ACA) says the Medicare
reforms show the Fed Govt is not committed to rescuing bulk-billing or
Medicare. The ACA's health policy officer, Martin Goddard, says the
changes come nowhere nr meeting the costs of running a general
practise. "The message to doctors and patients from the Govt is that
they are not serious about saving Medicare, they are not serious about
saving bulk-billing or Medicare," he said. "I expect a lot of doctors
who have been holding off leaving bulk-billing are going to get that
message and we're going to see a further decline in bulk-billing,
maybe a dramatic one."

Paintings worth millions stolen from Brit gallery
London. Paintings worth $US2.5 mn were stolen over the weekend from
one of Brit's leading art galleries. The works that disappeared
included those by Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Paul Gaugin.
They were taken from Manchester's Whitworth Art Gallery some time
between late Sat evening and lunchtime yesterday.

Peacekeepers start Burundi mission
Bujumbura. A contingent of African Union peacekeepers has arrived in
Burundi amid worsening unrest. More than 100 troops from South Africa
have set up camp in the Burundian capital, Bujumbura. The soldiers
are the 1st of more than 3,500 African Union peacekeepers to be sent
to Burundi. The multi-national force will also include soldiers from
Ethiopia and Mozambique. The deployment comes after more than a m of
increasing violence between rebels and Govt troops. More than 300,000
people have been killed since Burundi's civil war began in 1993. The
peacekeepers will attempt to enforce a ceasefire signed in Dec last y.

Strasbourg. MAG 6 QUAKE: NEW CAL! An earthquake measuring 6 on the
Richter scale has struck nr Loyaute Is to the E of the French Pacific
terr'y of New Caledonia. France's Strasbourg Observatory of Earth
Sciences say the quake strick at 0203 AEST.

Lucknow. POLY TRAMPLED BY PACKY! A powerful politician who defined
the law by keeping a private zoo at his residence has been trampled
to death by his elephant. Police say Ram Lakhan Verma, a former govt
min in Uttar Pradesh state, was killed when the elephant gored and
then crushed him as he tried to control it. District police chief
Rajkumar says villagers responded by shooting and injuring the elephant.

Perth. SAILORS INQUEST! An inquest resumes today into the deaths of 4
young sailors in a fireball aboard HMAS Westralia off Perth almost 5
ya. W AUS coroner Alastair Hope is examining why the sailors died
when fire engulfed the engine room of the ship on May 5, 1998. It was
AUS's worst peacetime naval disaster since the 1964 Voyager incident.

Canberra. WATER RESTRICTIONS: CBR! Despite recent rain in the national
capital, Canberra residents face tougher water restrictions from
tomorrow. The ACT and the neighbouring town of Queaneyan will move
to Stage 2 restrictions at midnight because dam levels have dipped
below 45%. The mandatory restrictions mean they'll only be able to
use sprinkler system from 7 am to 10 am and 7 pm and 10 pm on
alternate days. All fountains must be switched off, incl fountains
that recycle water.

Sydney. WATER RESTRICTIONS THREATEN: SYD! The NSW govt says compulsory
water restrictions will be in force by the end of May unless more
rain falls in country areas. Energy and Utilities Min Frank Sartor
says it appears that very little of the heavy rain in SYD and other
coastal areas over the weekend fell in the water catchment areas. He
told ABC radio that if the trend continues towards mid-to-late May,
there will be compulsory water restrictions.

Sydney. MARKETS! The All Ords closed down 1% today. The Nikkei ended
another 1.2% lower, a new 20 y record. At 10 pm, the FTSE is up 11 pts.

{{ CONTINUOUS WAR NEWS
ITS DAY THIRTY-NINE.

8 pm
Another chem weapons find has cycled through the same stages as
numerous others. Initially, chemicals in drums found N of Baghdad
were believed to be a cocktail of sarin and VX nerve gas. Now the US
military says it's unlikely they are chem weapons. Nearby, they also
found a number of missiles and drums of rocket fuel. Many of the
missiles were still in their containers. At least one was on a launcher.
It's unclear what targets the missiles were intended to strike.

11 pm
China may close its Shanghai and Shanxi stock exchanges to help avoid
the spread of SARS. It would be the first time the Shankers exchange
has been shut in 13 y. World-wide there has now been 319 deaths from
SARS. More than 4,800 cases have been reported in 25 countries.

Baghdad. AUS Def Min Sen Robert Hill is visiting Iraq. In one of
Saddam's 72 palace, the Aussie SAS is in residence. Their quarters
are floored with Italian marble and lined with gold inlay work. AUS
def chief Gen Cosgrove told reporters the scale of Saddam's homes were
at the same time staggering and obscene. The palace will be the home
for Aussie companies who will shortly arrive to divide up remaining
contracts to rebuild the country.

}}

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Tue, 29 Apr 2003

Markets
5,000 die every day from work-related causes
1 killed, 7 wounded in chopper attack
Rebel leader killed by former allies
Arafat refuses to be side-lined
Iraqis sched next meeting
Hill goes to Rumsfeld
US warships arrive home
US cas reaches 137 KIA
Huge ammo dump found: Afg
NK offers deal
Korean talks stall at last min
HIV experts says SARS overblown
WHO says China is SARS key
Mongolia registers 1st SARS case
NZ has SARS case
Qld plans for SARS
Plant virus found in Adel
India & Pak hold phone talks
Record drug recall
Vic govt plans for female top cop
Key shuttle parts found
1/2 mn Aussies underemployed
Aussie rights to be weakened
Howard says death of Medicard exaggerated
20% of Qld govt fleet in prangs
Markets
Continuous war news

NY. MARKETS! The Dow Jones closed up 164 pts to 8,470 following good
data on domestic consumer sentiment. Gold was up 1.30 to
$US334.70/oz. [London Gold was trading around $330]. In Europe, the
FTSE is presently up 70 pts to 3,940. The German bourse has rocketed
up 116 pts to 2,954. The Nikkei is falling further, presently down 92
pts to 7,608. In HK, the Hang Seng is trading up 27 pts to 8,435.

Geneva. 5,000 DIE EVERY DAY FROM WORK-RELATED CAUSES! The ILO says
about 2 mn people die each y worldwide from work-related causes
ranging from disease to accident -- the equivalent of 5,000 workers
every day [about 10% of the daily death toll]. The organisation says
270 mn accidents are reported each year in workplaces around the
world, and 355,000 of them are fatal. 160 mn cases of work-related
illnesses are registered each y. The data is in a study released to
coincide with the World Day for Safety and Health at Work. The
report says fatal accidents are 4 times more likely in developing
countries that in developed nations. The ILO says the financial cost of
accidents and work-related disease is around $A2 bn pa -- about 4% of GWP.

Gaza City. 1 KILLED, 7 WOUNDED IN CHOPPER ATTACK! One person has been
killed and at least 7 others wounded when 2 Israeli attack choppers
fired rockets at a car nr the S Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. An
official says at least 7 other people were injured in the targeted
assassination, in which 2 rockets were fired from 2 Apaches. Earlier
today in the W Bank town of Bethlehem, 2 militants of the al-Aqsa
Martyrs' Brigade were killed by Israeli tank fire.

Abidjan. REBEL LEADER KILLED BY FORMER ALLIES! The handline leader of
Ivory Coast's 3 rebel factions has been killed during a flare-up in
fighting between rebels and their former battlefront allies from
savage W African wars. A rebel statement says Sgt Felix Doh, leader
of the Ivorian Popular Movement of the Far West, was ambushed nr the
Liberian border on Fri and was executed by men loyal to notorious
regional warlord Sam Bockarie. There's no suggestion that Doh's
killers were linked to Pres Laurent Gbagbo's forces.

Jerusalem. ARAFAT REFUSES TO BE SIDE-LINED! Despite agreeing on the
make-up of a Palestinian cabinet, leader Yasser Arafat has insisted he
won't be side-lined by the political shake-up. He says Israeli PM
Sharon is not ready to pay the price for peace. Arafat was speaking to
Maariv on the eve of a landmark session of the Palestinian parliament
that would confirm incoming PM Abu Mazen and his cabinet.

Baghdad. IRAQIS SCHED NEXT MEETING! 300 selected Iraqi leaders have
agreed to hold a general national congress within 4 wks to set the
rules for a post-Saddam transitional govt. The meeting was again
boycotted by several groups, incl a leading Shi'ite organisation. The
resolution came after a day-long meeting in Baghdad, which was opened
by Governor Lt Gen Jay Garner (ret). Meanwhile, Iraq's former Dep PM
Tariq Aziz -- who surrendered to American forces last wk -- has
reportedly told the US Saddam survived both attempts to assassinate
him. The US "decapitation attacks" killed at least 14 civilians and
wounded dozens more.

Canberra. HILL GOES TO RUMSFELD! Def Min Robert Hill is meeting with
US Def Sec Rumsfeld in Qatar today to discuss post-war reconstruction
in Iraq. A rep said Sen Hill would meet Rumsfeld for talks about the
best way to move ahead. Sen Hill has been in the Gulf for several
days, making a lighting raid on Baghdad on Sun.

Perth. US WARSHIPS ARRIVE HOME! 5 US warships which played a vital
role in the Iraqi war have arrived in WA with their 6,600 personnel.
4 of the vessels have docked at Fremantle, while the 5th has berthed
in Bunbury, in the state's SW. The flotilla incl the 84,000 tonne
aircraft carrier, USS Constellation, 2 guided-missile cruisers and a
combat support ship. US Consul-Gen in WA Oscar de Soto says military
planes from the Constellation flew 100s of sorties t'out the campaign.

Washington. US CAS REACHES 137 KIA! While US casualties still
continue, the Pentagon says a total of 137 American personnel have
been killed so far in GWII. 495 others were wounded. Of those KIA,
114 were killing in fighting or friendly fire incidents. 23 others
died in accidents. In addition to the wounded, 66 other personnel
were injured by accidents. The latest figures followed the Def Dept's
announcement that the remains of Edward Anguiano have been recovered.
He was killed on Mar 23 when the convoy he was part of took a wrong
turn at Nasiriyah and was destroyed by enemy forces.

Bagram AFB. HUGE AMMO DUMP FOUND: AFG! US Special Forces have
discovered a massive haul of explosives in a cave complex in NW
Afghanistan. A US military rep says Special Forces were acting on a
tipoff. They discovered 204 tonnes of explosive in 17 caves nr
Maimana, capital of Faryab prov. The heal incl 80 tonnes of high
explosives and the rest was from small arms ammo.

Washington. NK OFFERS DEAL! US Sec of State Colin Powell says N Korea
has offered to scrap its nuclear weapons and missiles programs, but
says it wants "considerable concessions" from the US in return.
Powell says the offer was made during the multilateral lite talks
between the US, NK and China last wk in Beijing. Powell didn't
indicate what concessions the N Koreans had asked for, but they're
believed to incl a signed non-aggression pact with the US. The Sec of
State says the Bush Admin is "examining" the plan with friends and
allies such as AUS, Japan, Russia and even SK.

Seoul. KOREAN TALKS STALL AT LAST MIN! Cabinet-level talks between
the 2 Koreas have stalled at the last min over SK's demand the North
scrap its nuclear ambitions. The 2 countries were to wrap up the 1st
inter-Korean ministerial meeting since Pres Ron Moon-hyun took office
in SK in Feb, by issuing a joint statement. However, diffs over
wording have hampered progress. NK has rejected SK's demand that the
statement contain Pyongyang's pledge to abide by a pact on
de-nuclearising the Korean peninsula.

Washington. HIV EXPERTS SAYS SARS OVERBLOWN! HIV/AIDS experts say
people around the world are over-reacting to the SARS virus, creating
a sense of panic that could overwhelm commonsense measures for
continuing the disease. Cal-based David Baltimore, who won the 75
Nobel in medicine for work on how viruses cause disease, says
sensational media coverage has fanned the flames. AIDS kills
virtually every untreated person it infects -- and 20 y into the AIDS
epidemic there is still no cure and no vaccine.

Bangkok. WHO SAYS CHINA IS SARS KEY! WHO says SARS has now peaked in
4 Asian countries, but is still a cause of concern in China. WHO's
chief of communicable diseases, David Heymann, has demanded better
cooperation from China after it reported a rising death toll and 100s
more cases. He says China is the key to the epidemic world-wide
because SARS couldn't be removed from the human population if it
can't be contained in China. Swiss health-care group Roche says it
aims to launch a lucrative diagnostic test for the virus by the end of Jul.

Ulan Bator. MONGOLIA REGISTERS 1ST SARS CASE! 2 Mongolians who visited
N China have become the N Asian country's first confirmed SARS cases.
Health Ministry rep B Tumortogoo says the 2 patients are among 8
people quarantined in Ulan Bator, the Mongolian capital, after showing
symptoms of SARS. Tumortogoo says the 2 confirmed cases are members
of a family who were hospitalised in early Apr after visiting a
hospital in the N Chinese city of Hohhot.

Wellington. NZ HAS SARS CASE! NZ has had its first case of SARS. The
Health Min'y says a woman, discharged yesterday from the isolation
unit at Hawke's Bay Hospital after 10 days in seclusion, fitted the
criteria for having the disease. Ministry director of public health
Colin Tukuitonga says that following discussions with the SARS technical
advisory group, details of the case have been forwarded to the WHO.

Brisbane. QLD PLANS FOR SARS! Qld police have been given powers to
detain SARS sufferers who refuse treatment. The Qld govt has declared
SARS a notifiable disease under the Public Health Act. Health Min
Wendy Edmond has told state parliament the move, which follows NSW's
lead, is part of a broad approach to tackling the deadly disease.

Adelaide. PLANT VIRUS FOUND IN ADEL! A devastating plant virus with
the potential to slash wheat production in AUS has been found in a
wheat plant breeding C in Adel. The discovery of the wheat streak
mosaic virus in crops at the SA R & D Inst's Waite Campus has prompted
govt officials to place the entire area under quarantine. The same
virus was found in a CSIRO research lab in CBR earlier this m.

New Delhi. INDIA & PAK HOLD PHONE TALKS! The PM's of India and
Pakistan have discussed ways to improve their bilateral relations.
Their phone conversation marks the first high-level talks between the
nuclear-armed rivals since they came close to war last y. A Pakistani
govt statement says PM Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali also invited Indian
PM Atal Behari Vajpayee to visit Islamabad. India and Pak have not
held formal talks since Jul 2001 and came close to war over Kashmir,
India's only Muslim-majority state.

Sydney. RECORD DRUG RECALL! In what is AUS' largest-ever drug recall,
people who take vitamin or nutritional supplements are being advised
to stop because of action by medical authorities. More than 200
products made by Pan Pharmaceutical are being immediately withdrawn
from sale. The action's been taken by the Therapeutic Goods Admin
which suspended Pan's license for 6 m. It also makes some
over-the-counter medicines incl paracetamol, codeine, antihistamines
and pseudoephedrine.

Melbourne. VIC GOVT PLANS FOR FEMALE TOP COP! The Vic govt has backed
a bid by the state's top police officer to gain exemption from
anti-discrimination laws to attract more women to the force. Prem
Steve Bracks has told MEL 3AW chief commissioner Christine Nixon's
affirmative action plan to lift the proportion of women in the force
from 17.4% is "appropriate". Vic Police is hoping an exemption from
the laws will allow them to have separate male and female recruitment
lists, allowing more women into the academy.

Cape Canaveral. KEY SHUTTLE PARTS FOUND! Investigators have found
pieces of a key seal from the leading edge of Columbia's left wing
that could revise an emerging theory on what caused the orbiter to
break up during the last mins of its return to earth. Florida's
Orlando Sentinel newspaper says it's obtained NASA documents showing
2 parts of a T-shaped seal thought to have filled the gap between a
pair of critical reinforced carbon-carbon panels were ID-ed last wk.
The find narrows the possible location of a breach in Columbia's
protective heat armour.

Canberra. 1/2 MN AUSSIES UNDEREMPLOYED! More than 1/2 mn Aussies are
now working fewer hrs than they want to. The ABS says there were
574,300 employed people who worked less than 35 hrs during the survey
wk in Sep last y. The vast majority -- 526,400 -- were working PT and
said they were available to work additional hrs. Another 47,900
worked PT for economic reasons, such as being stood down or there
being insufficient work for them.

Sydney. AUSSIE RIGHTS TO BE WEAKENED! Key welfare bodies say the
national human rights watchdog will become lame if changes being
considered by the fed govt are implemented. A Senate committee is
examining possible changes to the Human Rights and Equal Opp'y Comm'n
-- incl limits on its power to intervene in court cases only with the
prior approval of the A-G. Other changes, under consideration, will
limit HREOC's power to recommend compensation payments and cut the
number of commissioners.

Canberra. HOWARD SAYS DEATH OF MEDICARD EXAGGERATED! But PM Howard
says comments from the Opp'n that govt reforms would lead to the death
of Medicard are "absurd". [Probably squinting to the right at the
time, as is his wont]. The govt plans to pay doctors almost $500 mn
in incentives to bulk-bill concession card-holders although they'll
remain free to charge other patients what they want. Mr Howard says
the pillars of Medicard have been "enhanced" by his announcement of a
17% increase in hospital funding and the reinforcement of the
universal availability of the Medicard rebate. While the AUS Dems
have indicated they are willing to do a deal with the govt over the
parts of the complex legislation they like, the Greens and Labor plan
to block it in the Senate. That would provide the govt with another
potential double-dissolution trigger at a time when the ALP is plagued
with leadership troubles, incl record low polling for leader Simon
Crean and an undeclared challenge from former leader Kim Beazley.

Brisbane. 20% OF QLD GOVT FLEET IN PRANGS! More than 1 in 5 cars in
the Qld govt's fleet were involved in accidents in the past FY.
Figures released by Public Workers Min Rob Schwarten show there were
2,675 accidents reported for insurance claims in 2001/02. The govt's
QFleet has 12,600 cars and 69 of them were written off last FY. The
total cost to QFleet's insurer in the period was $5.1 mn, with the
organisation spending $1.1 mn on replacements.

Sydney. MARKETS! The All Ords ended the day 37 pts (1.2%) higher at
2,971. It closed strongly based on leads from most O/S markets. With
Pam shares suspended, rival Blackmores' has benefited. The AUD was on
the slide, falling well below 62 c at 61.84 US c. Gold is trading
around $US332.60/oz. In Japan the Nikkei was closed for a holiday.
HK was relieved at the SARS conference statement, and the Hang Seng
rocketed up to end the session 309 pts (3.6%) higher at 8,4744.

{{ CONTINUOUS WAR NEWS
IT'S DAY FORTY.

3 am
Der Spiegel reports that 22 tonnes of aluminium tubes were intercepted
Sat, believed to be on their way to NK. The tubes could be used to
make up to 400 gas centrifuges for use in the enrichment of uranium.
Originally, the tubes were to be delivered to China, but
Investigation revealed the recipient might be a front for NK. The
German govt vetoed the deal just as a French ship carrying the tubes
left Germany. It was subsequently halted. The Germany company that
makes the tubes says it is not involved in exporting prohibited items,
and indicated another German company was responsible.

Vietnam appears to be the first Asian country to contain the outbreak
of SARS. The WHO warns the sit'n in China is far from controlled.
Experts put Vietnam's success down to an early start, and the govt
actively supporting health services. Speed and transparency -- a
"third world" Communist country sets an example!

US Def Sec Donald Rumsfeld has addressed US troops at Centcom, Doha,
telling them the world was entering an era when the US must actively
seek out and preemptively attack terrorist groups and states.

At a news conf in London today, Tony Blair said France remained an
important ally of the UK. Europe should be a partner with America,
and not see itself as a competitor. If Europe saw itself as a
superpower, the world would return to an era of Cold War. He said
Brit was prepared to work with the US and do whatever it wanted. I'm
reading between the lines again!

3.45 am
The Fin Times has revealed a resurgence in francophobia. People were
asked which country was the most reliable ally of the UK. 73%
nominated the US. 4% said AUS. When it came to the least reliable
ally, more than 1/2 nominated France. Men were more likely than women
to say France. No other country reached double digits as the UK's
least reliable ally. Elsewhere, in France, a similar poll found last
y that 63% of Freedom said the US was France's most reliable ally.
But earlier this m the same question found only 31% of the population
still thought the US was their most reliable ally.

The FTSE is up 1.8% led by the banks. There was also some good news on
American consumer sentiment.

4 am
BBC World News. The Brit Astronomer-Royal, Sir Martin Reith, has written
a book -- "Our Final Century" -- about the end of the world. He gives
civilisation a 50/50 chance of surviving the C21. Like others, he
says the main threats are from bio- and cyber-technology and the
increasing ease with which individuals can wield significant
destructive power. He says the risk of surviving the C20, in
retrospect, at 20%. We were lucky to escape a nuclear holocaust, he
says. Wreath says he has a special perspective on the topic. As an
astronomer he knows the time ahead is far greater than the time back to
the start of the universe, and it was therefore important not to close
the possible "bright future" off.

Def Sec Don Rumsfeld has revealed the N Koreans not only made threats,
but offered a deal. He says the conditions were being examined.
China, the host country in the meetings last wk, says NK offered to
scrap nuclear weapons, allow back UN weapons inspectors, and cease
missile testing. In return, it wanted the normalisation of relations
with the US. The offer has been confirmed by Sec of State Colin
Powell. He says NK wanted something substantial in return for their
offer, but it's not clear yet what.

NY. The SEC has fined 10 firms of market analysts a total of almost
$US1.4 bn for misleading investors. The Commission found, using
company emails, companies were hyping shares in companies they knew
were worthless. It found so-called independent research had been
bought and paid for in deals with the companies they recommended.
Other measures incl a re-structure of the 10 firms to separate their
research arms and marketing. Special observers will be installed to
ensure business advice is objective.

BBC World News. Fallujah. 13 Iraqi civilians were killed last night
when American troops opened fire on a crowd. The incident happened in
a town 50 km W of Baghdad.
Local officials say at least 75 people were wounded in the firefight,
which lasted several hrs.
The victims were all unarmed civilians.
The Americans say they were fired on first. Centcom says men armed
with AK-47's attacked a US base set up in a school.
Locals say a crowd of 300 was protesting against the US occupation of the
school at around 8 pm local time.
A US military rep says in general American soldiers have the right to
defended themselves, incl the use of deadly force as they see fit.
That didn't mean US troops would open fire on protesters, said the rep.
There was already significant anti-American feeling in the town,
but the killings are bound to increase the hostility presently growing
against what some see as an occupying force.
Centcom says 4,000 more troops are being sent into Baghdad to end
lawlessness there. A Brit Gen says imposing security was a priority
in the capital.

An Aussie patrol has come under fire during a patrol in Baghdad. A rep
says they were fired on by a group of unknown gunmen. The patrol
managed to break away without injury. They suspect the group was a
gang of common criminals.

11.15 pm
Baghdad. There's been another massive blast reported in the Iraqi
capital. A black plume of smoke is rising into the sky. There are no
details of injuries or damage at present.
}}

----------------------------------------
Wed, 30 Apr 2003

Markets
US troops kills 13
At least 15 injured in suicide bombing
AUS wants Iraq note job
Netherlands wins aid gong
Koreas pledge solution
SARS battle plan
Milosevic charged with attempted murder
AUS schools suspend Asian links
Drug co rejects it's done wrong
Continuous war news

NY. MARKETS! The Dow closed up 32 pts (0.4%) to 8,503. It was buoyed
by good consumer sentiment data. Gold was trading in NY at $US334/oz.
Europe ended their sessions generally down. The FTSE lost 13 pts
(0.3%) to 3,928. The German Dax was down 45 pts (1/4%) to 2,909.

Falluja. US TROOPS KILLS 13! American soldiers have killed at least
13 people during a demonstration W of Baghdad, in bloodshed sure to
escalate anti-US anger. Witnesses in Falluja, 50 km W of Baghdad, say
US troops opened fire without warning on 300 unarmed demonstrators who
were demanding the soldiers quit a local school they were using as a
barracks. [If it's Iraqi troops using a school as a military HQ it's a
war crime!] The Falluja hosp dir says 13 people were killed and at
least 75 injured in the tragedy. US military cmdrs said they came
under fire from the crowd. They say they reserve to use deadly force
in any way they see fit.

Tel Aviv. AT LEAST 15 INJURED IN SUICIDE BOMBING! A huge explosion
has wrecked a Tel Aviv restaurant nr the US embassy win an apparent
suicide bomb attack. Rescue services say at least 15 people have been
hurt, while other sources are saying dozens have been killed and
wounded. Witnesses say the bomb blew the front off the restaurant on
Herbert Samuel street along the TA beachfront. Police cmdr Yossi
Sedbon told Army Radio the explosion was apparently set off by a
suicide bomber.

Canberra. AUS WANTS IRAQ NOTE JOB! PM Howard says he'd like AUS to
get the contract to re-print Iraq's new bank notes. The current,
highly devalued bank notes carry Saddam Hussein's portrait. Which is
now banned! In an interview with The Bulletin, Howard says AUS is
very good at printing money and has done this for about 20 other
countries. The PM says AUS expects to be consulted on all major
decisions over the US government of Iraq, incl the selection of the govt.

Canberra. NETHERLANDS WINS AID GONG! Foreign Policy and the Centre
for Global Development have release their first annual Commitment to
Development Index. It grades 21 developed nations on whether their
aid, trade, migration, investment, peacekeeping operations, and
environmental policies help or hurt developing nations. The
Netherlands finished in first place this y, followed by Denmark,
Portugal and NZ.

Seoul. KOREAS PLEDGE SOLUTION! N and S Korea have pledged to seek a
peaceful solution to their differences. The Yonhap news agency reports
the pledge was in a joint communique issued after 3 days of meetings.
The cabinet-level talks in the NK capital, Pyongyang, stalled over
SK's demand the N immediately cancel its nuclear weapons program. The
2 countries are scheduled to meet against next m to discuss economic
cooperation and press ahead with projects such as reconnecting roads
and rail links.

Bangkok. SARS BATTLE PLAN! Asian leaders have unveiled a 6-pt battle
plan to combat the deadly SARS virus, as the outbreak in China shows
signs of escalating. The 10-member ASEAN and China have revealed the
measures after the Bangkok meeting, as the region attempts to halt the
spread of SARS. The new measures incl the screening of internat'l
travellers in the region on departure and arrival, greater exchange of
info and the setting up of an internat'l hot-line network.

Belgrade. MILOSEVIC CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTED MURDER! Former Yugo Pres
Slobodan Milosevic has been charged with attempting to kill an opp'n
politician, while dozens of his loyalists were indicted in the Mar 13
killing of Serbia's PM. Milosevic was charged with organising a
criminal gang that tried to kill Vuk Draskovic in Jun 2000. Police
have also charged Milosevic's secret police chief and former army
chief of staff, who allegedly organised the gunmen's escape in a
military chopper.

Canberra. AUS SCHOOLS SUSPEND ASIAN LINKS! Several Aussie unis have
suspended courses and engagements in countries at high risk of SARS.
AUS VC's Comm'ee chief exec John Mullarvey says the committee's
surveyed unis on how they're responding to the outbreak of SARS. He
says unis have taken appropriate precautions to ensure the continued
safety of both students and staff.

Canberra. DRUG CO REJECTS ITS DONE WRONG! A dir of suspended drug
company Pan says it has yet to be established it's done anything
wrong. The TGA suspended Pan's license for 6 m after safety and
quality fears triggered AUS's biggest medical recall. Pan non-ex dir
Colin Henson says the board has yet to ID anyone in the origination
that's at fault. [Of nothing?] He told ABC that Pan's problems are
only "alleged" at this stage.

{{ CONTINUOUS WAR NEWS
IT'S DAY FORTY-ONE.

0.30 am
BBC World News. London. Museum officials from key countries are
meeting to develop strategies to recover 1000s of looted Iraqi
artefacts. The meeting has heard from local eyewitnesses relating the
damage done and the pieces lost. Following a call from religious
leaders, some artefacts were returned to the Museum. But some famous
pieces were returned in badly damaged condition. Leading Museums
around the world plan to co-operate with internat'l police agencies to
recover stolen items. The Brit Museum has promised to provide the
Baghdad Museum with high-quality casts from its own collection from
the history of writing. In Brit, archaeologists have been critical of
what they see as the poor efforts of US and Brit troops in protecting
artefacts, which were protected under the articles of war. There are
also plans to make it an offence in the UK to deal in any of the
stolen artefacts.
[Later reports said one Museum official had camped out at the building
to try to protect it. He said some "looters" had taken items,
promising to bring them back. And they had done so. Effectively, they
had taken the items into safekeeping during the period of pillage
suffered by Baghdad. He said about 50 items a day are presently being
returned. Fewer items than previously believed may have been
stolen. But the number is still in the 10s of 1000s of artefacts
missing or destroyed].

1.15 am
Fallujah. More people are now on the streets, demanding the US leaves
Iraq. They are calling for the death of any Americans they find. US
helicopters are overhead, an implicit threat if the crowd decided to
act. Locals say the Americans fired on a student protest. The demo
follows the killing of 13 civilians by US troops in a demonstration
Mon night. Centcom has confirmed the deaths.

Riyadh. Donald Rumsfeld has announced the US will withdraw all its
forces from Saudi Arabia. About 10,000 US troops would pull out by
the end of summer.
The US has had at least 5,000 troops in the country since GWI, 1991.
Rumsfeld said there was no need for the troops to remain. He said the
Saudi govt had not applied pressure for the withdrawal. It was a
"very mutual agreement", he said. The move has already begun, with
air operations moving to Qatar.
The American presence has always been a sore point with the majority
of the Saudi population.
While this had been a key demand of Osama bin Laden, reps for the US
military deny the terrorist network has won. They point out more US
troops are in the region than ever before. Analysts say while OBL had
been prev focused on his homeland, his network has expanded his
operations to opposite all secular Arabic countries.
US officials say that talk that the US doesn't need Saudi oil now it's
conquered Iraq are "rubbish".

Colombo. Asian heads of govt meeting in Bangkok to thrash out a
regional strategy to combat SARS. China says it's now taking "tough
measures" that would bring the disease under control.
In the Maldives, there's another gathering. 7 SE Asian nations
meeting there say they will intro quarantine and other measures to
combat the spread of SARS. Delegates warned the meeting not to be
complacent about the virus.
The countries plan to adopt a common strategy, involving screening and
quarantine of patients. They would pool their resources. Not all nations
have measures in place at immigration points. Some say they can't
scan people for fever because equipment is not in place. Some still
have air links to HK and other virus hot-spots.
The meeting was told Sri Lankans are going home from other countries
in the region, because of fear of the disease.
Experts warn the threat is very real. Many of the S Asia population
of 1 bn live in crowded cities. It's imperative to combat the virus
immediately, the meeting was told.
Some delegates warned that poor health service in some nations may not
cope with an outbreak of SARS cases.

BBC World News. Moscow. Brit PM Blair has come to Russia to meet
Putin. The meeting, at Putin's residence, is a mission to mend links
broken by the row over GWII.
Putin had backed only a political solution to the Iraq problem. He
had predicted a US attack would destabilise the world situation as a whole.
Reporters say the meeting went on much longer than expected. It was a
positive sign, they said.
Some bridges need to be rebuild. There have been warnings in Moscow
in the couple of days before Blair arrived. Many writers warned Putin
not to give concessions to Brit, since Russia had opposed the war.
There is local confusion over what Blair exactly wants from Putin.
There have been no details released ahead of time about the agenda.
Lots of newspaper articles are telling Putin not to give way.
It's an unscheduled meeting. Putin was to visit the UK in early
summer on a state visit.
The Kremlin says Brit requested the meeting in "a unilateral way", and
Russia had been only short notice of Blair's intended visit.
It's believed that Blair has come to put his POV to Putin over
sanctions and the shape of the UN as an organisation post-Iraq, and
how the world will be operated in the future.
Russia says it wants a multi-polar world. But Blair said last wk that
would be a "fatal mistake".
Following the meeting, Putin apparently had not changed his position.
The Russian Pres told reporters he would not allow extensions of the
food for oil program. [Such proposals would allow the US Admin of
Iraq's resources to release large quantities of oil onto world
markets, possibly driving the price lower and affecting a resurgent
Russia oil industry].
Putin said Russia opposed the lifting sanctions unless the US could
prove there were no WMD in Iraq. He indicated only UN weapons
inspectors would be acceptable to Russia. The UN would also have a
role in distribution humanitarian aid, the Russian Pres said.
WMD had been a major plank in the Coalition's case for war against
Saddam Hussein.
Analysts say Russia may shift on this 2nd issue. But today the line
was renewed by Putin.
Some observers warn that France and Germany may adjust their policies
post-GWII, and isolate Russia.
Others say Russia still has considerable impact in the UNSC, and could
hold out.

Brussels. There's a breeze blowing through Western Europe. And it's
set to turn up the heat. 4 anti-GWII EU countries -- Luxembourg,
France, Germany and Belgium are meeting to plan joint "future military
co-operation".
After a 2 hr mini-summit, the 4 say they will launch a joint military
planning system by next y and NATO would not be involved.
The 4 countries plan to develop their own rapid reaction force. They
would set up a new military union other European countries would be
invited to join.
The 4 say they want the EU to have a stronger def capability and say
they will go it alone if they have to. Officials say the meeting is
not anti-US or anti-NATO, and they want to strengthen the NATO alliance.
Other nations not invited to the pow-wow, like Italy, are special.
Brit and its allies in GWII say they do not want to undermine NATO, either.
Brit analysts say any scheme that excludes Brit will have little
credibility.

2 am
The wires are reporting the surrender of the governor of Basra. Prev
the Brits had claimed at least twice he'd been killed in attacks on
his residence in the opening days of GWII.

Sirens sounded in Israel today, signalling 2 mins of silence for Memorial Day.

2.15 am
DW Radio. Toronto. A meeting of key nations is to meet in Toronto on
Wed to discuss the SARS crisis. The meeting will come despite a WHO
travel advisory over travel to the Canadian business capital Canadian
officials say they hope the UN health body will drop their advisory,
which is expected to have a significant impact on the Canadian
economy. They say the disease is well-contained in Canada.

Berlin. The German conservative opposition are vehemently opposed
to the creation of a military alliance between France, Germany,
Luxembourg and Belgium. It says Germany doesn't have the money
to spend on creating the new organisational structures, which would
duplicate NATO functions anyway. Reps said the long-standing agreement
between European nations had been to use NATO facilities for
self-defence.
The most significant criticism of the idea has come from Brit.
Tony Blair has warned a new def pact could spark a 2nd Cold War.
Other US allies have also called on the 4 nations to abandon the
plan to create a mutual self-defence force.
Reps for the 4 nations deny anyone was excluded from the mini-summit,
saying an invitation had even been sent to Brit. But it had been declined.
Analysts say the real issue is the relationship between Europe and
the US -- between uncritical support of US policies, and mutual
co-operation based on freedom of opinion and constructive criticism.

4 am
The Dow is down 0.1%. The Nasdaq is up 0.3%. And the FTSE is up 0.1%.

BBC World Service. Toronto. Within the past 30 mins the WHO has
withdrawn its Toronto health advisory. The travel advisory had only
been announced last wk. The organisation says it's satisfied the
measures in place are adequate to control the spread of the disease.
There have been 21 deaths from SARS in Toronto in the last 2 wks. The
announcement has been welcomed by Canadian officials and business
leaders. They feel vindicated. But they worry people still may be
put off following the WHO announcement.

Oslo. Around 3,500 Iraqis in Norway have been told to go home. The
Norwegian govt says if they don't go home quickly repatriation
measures will be put in place. A govt rep said 2,000 of the group had
applied for asylum and been refused. They were mosley Kurds from N
Iraq, she said. They should have left y ago, but Norway had not been
able to deport them, the rep said. 1,500 other Iraqis had applied for
asylum, but their cases had not finished. These are from N and S Iraq,
The rep denied Norway had pre-judged these last cases by including
them in the total they govt announced. In an argument familiar to
tory-watchers everywhere, she argued no plans have been announced or
dates set. They will benefit by going back to their home country, she
concluded.

Washington. The US says it will not make economic concessions in
return for NK's abandoning its nuclear program. Bush regime
mouthpiece, Ari Fleisher, says NK will not be rewarded for "bad
behaviour". He says NK had received aid, "ran with the aid", and then
developed nuclear weapons anyway. [So he means "rewarded again" ;-)].

London. Cadbury says it's going to encourage children to get fit by
issuing tokens when they purchase chocolate and other sweets which can
later be redeemed to buy sports equipment. Health groups are up in
arms, saying the idea is contradictory and stupid. They say to buy a
basketball under the scheme a child would have to eat 2 kg of fat, and
it would take weeks to work off the calories. Cadbury says they are
tackling obesity in the UK.

London. Analysts have been expecting it. You can't run a Hollywood
studio from Paris. Vivendi is to sell off Universal studios. At the
height of the 90s tech bubble, Jean-Marie Mercier transformed a French
water utility into the a global media empire, but incurred crippling
debts to do it. About 11 bn euro is owed at present. But that's down
from 20 bn euro at its height. Mercier was ousted last y. The
company will now concentrate on French TV and telecom.

5 am
London. The FTSE has ended down 0.35% at 3,928 pts. BP announced 5%
growth. Profits were $3.7 bn in the Q -- a record.

Leicester. The political future of the city is being decided in local
election. And it may be bad news for Blair. The former Labour
stronghold could be another casualty of GWII. Labour has been in
control of the council for 24 y, but its fortunes have been declining.
It only has a 1 seat majority at present. Local elections on Thu will
elect councils across the country. 38 mn will choose their local
reps. Issues, in theory, should be local. But it will be the first
opportunity for a GWII protest vote. One former Labour rep has set up
a new 1-issue party -- the "no-war protest vote" party. She says
people should be given a chance to express their views about the
policies of her former party. Labour had chosen to ignore them in the
run-up to GWII. It would be a "lesson in democracy", she said. She
said a door-knock shows people under 40 are overwhelmingly against the
war. Elsewhere, the Liberal Democrats opposed the war. They were
charged with political opportunism before the war. But they think
they stand a good chance and are unapologetic for their anti-war stance.

5.15 am
A team of US experts has concluded the vast Iraqi marshes, once 1/2
the size of Switzerland, can be re-created. Saddam drained the
marshes as part of a campaign against the so-called "marsh Arabs" of S
Iraq. The marshes are now only 5% of their former size. The rest is
a desert wasteland. A report has been published by "Eden Again". It
says the project is technically feasible and worthwhile. It could be
done step-by-step with the co-operation of local people, who would
divert some of their water into what is now desert.

6 am
A previously-unknown Iraqi resistance group has announced Saddam
Hussein will make a statement within the next 2 or 3 days.

As companies squabble for the lucrative contracts, the cost of
rebuilding Iraq has been estimated at more than $200 bn. Delegations
from Aussie companies are presently in the US trying to land their
share of the spoils of war.

The Bulletin claims ASIO is severely under-staffed. There are only
600 full-time staff to monitor 20 mn people. The organisation has few
Arabic speakers and lost the confidence of the Islamic community after
it conducted raids last y. The mag says the peak intel organisation is
headed by career diplomats and a scientist, not intel experts.

The global death toll from SARS has passed 330.

6.20 am
Oil is travelling around $US25.21/bbl.

}}

========================================

(*) Who is responcible for W.A.R.S? A small group of dedicated
sandgrubbers, bannana-lickers and 5th columnists on the run from
support payments and sundry legalese in their home countries. Mention
us at any Uncle Harry's Suburban Bunker and get a 10% discount on cop-killers!

All speling macroizated for correctitood by Mcrosotf Speelchek.

*** WATCH OUT! THEY'RE UGLY! ***