NO, NOT THE OIL! #116 (2/3)
R Kym Horsell
Washington. America's most venerable television network has dropped a
series on Ronald Reagan after conservatives said its portrayal of the
former president was unflattering, unfair and inaccurate.
CBS said the series would be licensed instead to a pay-to-view cable
subsidiary, Showtime. "Although the miniseries features impressive
production values and acting performances, and although the producers
have sources to verify each scene in the script, we believe it does
not present a balanced portrayal of the Reagans for CBS and its
audience," it said yesterday. The network appears to have bowed to
pressure from critics, among them Reagan's son Michael, and the former
president's wife, Nancy, who have criticised CBS for
insensitivity. Reagan, 92, is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and
has not been seen in public since the mid-90s.
Michael Reagan said: "It's horrendous, it's absolutely horrendous''
after watching an 8-minute preview of the film, The Reagans, which
stars James Brolin as America's 40th president and Judy Davis as the
former first lady. "They paint my father as a buffoon. They also have
my dad taking God's name in vain in an angry, angry way ... They have
him calling another person in anger a [son of a bitch]. I've never
seen my dad that angry and I've never heard him use ...[God damn]."
CBS officials said last wk that sections of the 2-part series were
being re-edited. The decision followed criticism of a leaked part of
the screenplay in which Reagan's character says of Aids victims:
"Those that live in sin shall die in sin."
Ed Gillespie, the chairman of the Republican Party's nat'l committee,
wrote to Leslie Moonves, the CBS president, at the weekend asking for
a team of historians to be allowed to review the film before it was
broadcast this m.
He said: "If you're unwilling to do so, I respectfully request that
you inform your viewers via a crawl [at the bottom of the screen]
every 10 minutes that the programme is a fictional portrayal of the
Reagans and the Reagan presidency and they should not consider it
historically accurate."
That CBS was forced to back down shows Reagan holds a unique position
in the minds of many Americans. "He is very, very special," said
Stephen Hess, a snr fellow at the Brookings Institution, a think- tank
in Washington. "In many ways he is the first, pure conservative president.
The defeat of Communism is another thing he is remembered for. He
talked about the 'evil empire'. Who talks like that? But then the
Soviet Union collapsed on his watch.
"Then he reveals that he is suffering from Alzheimer's and that he is
leaving us. It is not just Republicans who have a warm, fuzzy
glow. You don't pick on someone who is dying. [The series] could not
be in worse taste. It's hard to imagine a commercial network doing this."
Lee Edwards, a fellow at the right-wing Heritage Foundation, said
Ronald Reagan had restored America's self-confidence, brought economic
prosperity and "won the Cold War without firing a shot. Any one of those
would be good for a president, so to do all 3 is exceptional," he said.
In Nov 1994 Reagan disclosed in a moving letter to the American people
that he was suffering from Alzheimer's and regretted the burden this
would bring to his wife. "I now begin the journey that will lead me
into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always
be a bright dawn ahead," he wrote.
Former minister to help UN identify security threats
NY (Reuters). Former Labor foreign minister Gareth Evans is among 16
people asked by the UN Sec-Gen Kofi Annan to identify looming threats
to global peace and security. After doing this, they will determine
how to adapt the UN system to best deal with them. The panel will be
led by former Thai PM Anand Panyarachun and will include former Russian
PM Yevgeny Primakov and former US nat'l security adviser Brent Scowcroft.
UN votes for end to 40-yo Cuba trade embargo
NY. The UN General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly to demand an end
to the more than 40-yo American economic embargo on Cuba for the 12th
y in a row. In what has become an annual roasting by US allies and
enemies alike, the assembly voted 179 to 3 with 2 abstentions. Only
Israel and the Marshall Islands voted with the US. Cuba has been
under a US trade and travel embargo since 1961. The US Admin is also
under pressure from farm states, senators and members to ease
restrictions. Both the House and Senate have voted to block
enforcement of US travel restrictions to Cuba next y. Today's vote by
the general assembly is not binding
Govt puts forward anti-terrorism bill
Canberra. The Fed Govt has stepped up the political fight over
terrorism, re-introducing proposed legislation that would allow the
A-G to ban terrorist organisations.
The Govt has also introduced a bill to outlaw the militant Islamic
group Hamas and a Pakistani organisation, Lashkar-e-Taiba, in AUS.
A-G Philip Ruddock wants to be able to ban groups even if the UN does
not list them as terrorist organisations.
Mr Ruddock says he knows of no other country whose power to outlaw
terrorist organisations is linked to the UN.
"We believe this to be a serious matter of nat'l security," he said.
"We won't allow the Opp'n's obstinence to paralyse us and prevent us
from doing what must be done to ensure the safety and security of
AUS's interests and that's why this bill is before the Parliament."
Opp'n leader Simon Crean says the Govt wants to take power from the
Parliament and hand it to the A-G.
He says that would be handing power to "a person that we've seen on
previous occasions manipulate the truth, manipulate the evidence and
manipulate the circumstances".
Brigitte's wife knew nothing: report
Sydney (AAP). The AUS wife of the French terrorist suspect Willie
Brigitte had no knowledge of her husband's alleged terrorist links,
she has said.
The woman told the SYD Morning Herald she knew nothing about
Brigitte's terrorist connections even though the fed govt had accused
him of plotting an attack in AUS.
Nor did she have anything to do with the activities of which her
husband had been accused, she said.
The unnamed woman, who converted to Islam more than a y ago and took a
Koranic name, said ASIO had been "professional" when dealing with her
and had not "used heavy-handed tactics".
The woman, who confirmed she once served in the AUS Defence Force, but
left and is now a student at a SYD university, wants to maintain her
privacy, the newspaper said.
The couple married under Islamic law in late Aug, signing a civil-law
marriage certificate later the same day, only wk before Brigitte was
deported.
The woman told the newspaper reports about Brigitte had been accurate,
"except for one thing; linking my husband to the Lakemba prayer hall."
"In fact my husband rarely went there; he preferred to pray
elsewhere. It is possible that many of the Lakemba prayer hall members
raided by ASIO for having association with my husband had in fact
never met him or heard of him," she told the newspaper.
ASIO has raided 7 properties looking for links to Brigitte, 6 of them
in the Bankstown-Lakemba area.
UN report calls for release of asylum seeker
NY. A new UN Human Rights Committee report calls on the AUS Govt
to release a female asylum seeker from detention in SA. The report
says Roqia Bakhtiyari should be released and that she and her children
should be paid compensation for the time they have spent in detention.
Her lawyer, Jeremy Moore, says it is now up to Immigration Min Amanda
Vanstone to respond to the UN report. "It's a damning report about
AUS, about how we treat women and children," Mr Moore said. "It's
going to be the Min's 1st test of decency, whether or not she's going
to do the decent thing and that is whether she's going to follow the
report and release Roqia Bakhtiyari so she can live with her 5
children in the AUS community." Mrs Bakhtiyari has been staying in an
Adel hotel under guard since she gave birth to her 6th child last m.
Asylum seekers identified as Turks
The asylum seekers' boat has been towed away from Melville Island.
Melville. Fed Immigration Min Amanda Vanstone says 14 suspected
asylum seekers who arrived at Melville Island north of Darwin
yesterday claim to be Turkish Kurds.
Sen Vanstone says the Navy has secured their boat, moving it further
away from Melville Island.
She says there are no details yet on the condition of the passengers
but more info might be available after a meeting of the Govt's
people-smuggling taskforce today.
Sen Vanstone says it is not surprising the boat was not detected well
before it reached Melville Island.
"The islands north of AUS number in their 1000s," she said. "A very
small fishing boat could easy come through those islands undetected.
"This [is a] very, very difficult area to monitor and the obvious and
sensible thing to do to take away the attraction to people-smugglers
is to excise those islands from the migration zone."
* Search
The community president of Milikapiti on Melville Island, Gibson
Farmer, says the community has been asked to prepare for a plane's arrival.
"There's a big plane coming over today ... I think a RAAF plane," he said.
"I think they're going to try to search the whole island -- anybody
that got dropped off -- search the beaches."
Mr Famer says there were a large number of planes coming and going
overnight and the boat was gone this morning.
"They towed them in early hours of the morning I think," he said.
"[There's] no boat here, no Navy boat, everybody all quiet now.
"Nobody knows where they went .. they might have left maybe midnight
or early hours of the morning."
The boat was spotted shortly after midday yesterday.
Govt issues challenge on asylum seekers
A political fight is looming over the suspected asylum seekers' boat
off Melville Island.
Canberra. The Fed Govt has challenged Labor and the Democrats to put
up a plan better than its own to discourage asylum seekers from coming
to AUS.
The Opp'n says it will move in the Senate to overturn a regulation
passed late yesterday by the Govt, excising the Tiwi Islands north of
Darwin from AUS's migration zone.
The Govt moved to excise Melville Island after an Indonesian fishing
boat landed there about midday yesterday, carrying 14 asylum seekers
and 4 crew members.
Melville Island is 80 km north of Darwin.
The Govt's regulations would prevent the asylum seekers from applying
for visas to stay in AUS.
Immigration Min Amanda Vanstone says she will receive more info today
about 14 asylum seekers who have landed on the islands.
She has told ABC Radio's AM that Labor had previously rejected the
Govt's move to excise the Tiwi Islands from the migration zone.
"What we've done is found the appropriate procedure, put it in place,
the islands are excised," she said.
"Now Labor and the Democrats can play around at the edges if they want.
The simple question is: will they support the Govt in making sure that
people smugglers and other people who want to come in through the back
door can't simply land on some remote island and then claim valid visas."
"What we are asking for now is for the Senate to understand this boat
arrival demonstrates the need for these regulations and to leave them
intact," Sen Vanstone added.
"[It's] an absolute wake-up call to Labor and the Democrats that our
northern borders do need to be protected -- we want to make them
strong and secure and excluding these islands from the migration zone
will do that."
But the Fed Opp'n has accused the Fed Govt of over-reacting by
excising Melville Island from the AUS migration zone.
Labor's Nicola Roxon says the ALP will vote against the regulations in
the Senate.
"There really is no cause for hysteria -- if there is a small number
of people they can be dealt with through our normal migration program
and it isn't something we need to get into a panic about," she said.
"This is not the right thing to do. We don't think it's the right policy.
We don't think it's the appropriate time to protect our borders as the
Govt keeps saying and we just think it's a knee-jerk reaction."
The N Territory's Labor Sen, Trish Crossin, says the Govt has acted
with no info about who the people are nor their intentions.
She says they need to be processed as quickly as possible.
"This is a Govt that has acted in haste again to try to whip up a
frenzy in terms of asylum seekers, by moving to set up regulations
that are backdated 24 hours so these people aren't able to access
their rights under migration laws," she said.
Melville Island is excised from the migration zone until such time as
the regulations are struck down in the Senate, which could take
several ms.
The Darwin Refugee Action Network has accused the Fed Govt of being
cruel and inhumane by excising Melville Island.
The network's Anja Behlner says she is shocked at the Govt's
response. She says the immigrants should be welcomed into the community.
"They should be allowed to enter AUS and they should be allowed to
lodge a refugee claim and basically claim asylum," she said.
Christmas Is on alert for boat's arrival
Xmas Is. The Shire Council on Christmas Island is on standby for the
possible arrival of 14 suspected asylum seekers.
Immigration and Defence authorities have removed the men and their
boat from Melville Island north of Darwin in the N Territory, where
they washed up yesterday.
The Navy has confirmed it towed the ship away to an undisclosed location.
A wooden fishing boat with at least 14 men who claim to be from
Turkey, arrived at Milikapiti on Melville Island yesterday afternoon.
AUS Fed Police (AFP) and immigration authorities kept the boat under
guard overnight.
The Immigration Dept is refusing to say where the men have been taken,
but the Christmas Island shire president says authorities contacted
the council yesterday to request accommodation for the asylum seekers
at the local sports ground -- a request he says was refused.
The president says there is plenty of room at the island's detention
facility to house the men, and it is on standby for their arrival.
Authorities at the Port Hedland Detention Centre in W AUS say they
have had no such request.
* Turkish nat'ls
Fed Immigration Min Amanda Vanstone says the 14 suspected asylum
seekers claim to be Turkish Kurds.
Sen Vanstone says there are no details yet on the condition of the
passengers but more info might be available after a meeting of the
Govt's people-smuggling taskforce today.
Sen Vanstone says it is not surprising the boat was not detected well
before it reached Melville Island.
"The islands north of Australia number in their 1000s," she said. "A very
small fishing boat could easy come through those islands undetected.
[The people smugglers have asked Vanstone for details and a map].
"This [is a] very, very difficult area to monitor and the obvious and
sensible thing to do to take away the attraction to people-smugglers
is to excise those islands from the migration zone."
Inquiry urges nat'l bushfire approach
Fed inquiry criticises land management practices.
Canberra. A nat'l inquiry into bushfires has criticised state and
territory govts over land management practices.
The fed parliamentary bushfire inquiry spent 7 m investigating last
summer's bushfires.
The fires burnt out more than 4 mn hectares in SE AUS and W AUS.
The committee has recommended the Fed Govt implement a nat'l approach
to hazard reduction.
The committee's chairman, Gary Nairn, says agencies in NSW, Vic and
the ACT were inadequately prepared.
"Current land management failed to mitigate the threat of intense
bushfire by allowing fuel loads to accumulate to dangerous levels on
public lands," he said.
"They also made access to may areas of the nat'l park uncertain and
dangerous because of obstruction and poor maintenance of fire trail networks."
Mr Nairn says the bushfires were not tackled early enough and with
enough vigour.
"Fire suppression efforts were hampered by the dismissal of local
knowledge by some fire controllers," he said.
"The disregard for local knowledge meant some fires were allowed to
burn when there was opportunity both in terms of access, benign
weather conditions and resources to suppress them."
The inquiry recommends the Commonwealth implement a nat'l standard for
fire trails, water access and levels for fuel reduction.
It has also encouraged the Govt to set up a program that would
reimburse volunteer firefighters' employers if staff are away from
work for more than 5 days.
The committee says the Govt should have a nat'l education program
taking in schools and libraries, and start an event similar to 'Clean
Up AUS Day' where the community does hazard reduction work.
ASIC puts 29 behind bars for corporate crime: report
Canberra. The AUS Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
successfully jailed 29 people last financial y for white collar crime,
figures in the corporate regulator's annual report say.
ASIC jailed the 29 people for fraud, criminal breach of duties and
insider trading.
Some of the most high-profile cases last y included stockbroker Rene
Rivkin's conviction for insider trading, businessman John Elliot's ban
from being a company director, and One.Tel's director Bradley
Keeling's $92 mn compensation payout to creditors.
ASIC chairman David Knott says high-profile people are not being
targeted but the cases have boosted investor confidence.
"I think it's important that people understand that we won't be
dissuaded from taking action because someone is powerful or has a high
profile," Mr Knott said.
"Investors need to know that someone is there looking out for their
interests and I think we've been doing that successfully for the last
3 years."
ASIC's annual report also shows it stopped investment offers worth
almost $400 mn, because it felt the investment info was inadequate.
Almost 1,300 Govt computers missing over 5 y
Canberra. New figures reveal nearly 1,300 Commonwealth Govt computers
were stolen or lost over the past 5 y and that several govt depts were
the victims of computer hackers. Since 1998, 1,285 govt-owned
computers have gone missing. They have either been lost or stolen,
some left in motels or taken when public servants' homes have been
burgled. More than 520 computers went missing from the Defence Dept.
3 contained classified info but were later found. A number of depts
were attacked by computer viruses and hackers. One hacker stored
music files on the Family and Community Services computer system.
Another scribbled graffiti on the Civil Aviation Safety Authority website.
Army to probe E Timor torture allegations
Canberra. The AUS Army has ordered an inquiry into new allegations of
torture by AUS soldiers in East Timor 4 y ago.
Chief of the Army, Lt-Gen Peter Leahy, says he is responding to claims
to be broadcast tonight by SBS TV that 6 militiamen arrested in Dili
in Sep 1999 were tied-up and beaten, and exposed to a nest of wasps.
"I've directed that an investigation into these new allegations, and I
would stress at this stage that these allegations are now made after
nearly 4 years," he said.
"They've not been raised through the Serious Crimes Unit in the United
Nations; they've not been raised through any other relevant authority."
The Defence Min, Robert Hill, spoke about the relative seriousness of
the claims.
"They're a bit revolting but they're not suggesting anyone has been
killed for example," he said.
One of the militia, Johnny Rohied, told SBS TV's Dateline program of
the alleged abuse by AUS Interfet soldiers.
Rohied alleges that he and other captured militia were told to lie
down on human faeces.
The Timorese militia also allege that one of the captured men was
never seen again.
Attorneys-General back away from defamation case
Brisbane. Attorneys-General from around AUS have refused to join the
Qld Govt in defending a defamation action from a whistle-blower who was
criticised in Parliament. Nurse Wendy Erglis is suing the Qld Govt
and some of her colleagues over an allegedly defamatory letter read
out by Health Min Wendy Edmond. If she is successful, the case could
be a persuasive judgement affecting parliaments throughout the country.
But counsel for the Govt told the Supreme Court today that no other
Attorneys-General wanted to take part.
Reserve Bank lifts interest rates
It's official: Interest rates are on the way up.
Melbourne. The Reserve Bank of AUS has made a surprise decision to start
raising official interest rates in AUS.
The bank this morning announced a lift of 0.25 of a pt, taking the
cash rate to 5%.
Official interest rates had remained unchanged since being raised in
June last y.
But after its MEL Cup-day board meeting yesterday, the Reserve Bank
has this morning pushed the cash rate up to 5%.
Among market economists, such an early move had been viewed as just an
outside chance.
But in a statement, the central bank has said the need for
expansionary monetary policy has now passed.
It says conditions in the internat'l economy are clearly improving,
the AUS economy is picking up and forecasts for longer-term inflation
are starting to tilt up.
It points to the US, Japan, East Asia and China as underpinning an
improvement in the internat'l economy.
* Picking up
It says the AUS economy is picking up after the earlier slowdown
caused by reduced exports and the drought.
The central bank is also worried about household borrowing, which it
says is growing at a much faster rate than would be consistent with
economic stability over the longer run.
Fed Treasurer Peter Costello says the rates move is a response to a
recovering world economy, which he says is positive for AUS's economic growth.
Mr Costello home mortgage rates will be at historically low levels
despite the rates rise.
"You need to factor in the fact that mortgage interest rates are low
by historical standards into the decisions that you make because
mortgages are taken out over a long period of time," Mr Costello said.
"So, not withstanding today's rise, the fact is that the mortgage
interest rate is still considerably lower than our historical experience."
* Buffer
Mr Costello says home buyers cannot expect rates to stay at current
levels over a long mortgage.
"Always factor in a buffer in your borrowing decisions," he said. "The
fact that interest rates are still low means that people will continue
to borrow but factor in a buffer."
Shadow Treasurer Mark Latham says the rise is a warning on home prices
and the Govt has been blind to the prospect of a housing bust.
"You can't just ignore, repeatedly, warnings from the Reserve Bank,
the head of Treasury, the IMF, most professional economists around the
country," Mr Latham said.
He says people should prepare for further increases.
HSBC chief economist John Edwards says the Reserve Bank is likely to
feel its way forward on further rate rises.
"It'll see the effect of this," Mr Edwards said. "It would no doubt
prefer if the announcement effect and consequently the response of
borrowers was quite pronounced.
"That might mean that it wouldn't need to actually raise rates quite
as much as it otherwise would."
* Borrowers
The Nat'l AUS Bank says it will announce this afternoon how it is
passing on the rates rise to borrowers.
The Commonwealth Bank and Westpac both say simply that they are
reviewing their rates.
ANZ Bank rep Paul Edwards says a flow-on to home lending rates is inevitable.
"We'll get to that during the next couple of days of this wk," he said.
"But that'll see a pass-on of about 25-basis points to housing rates,
which will add around $23-$24 to people's average monthly repayments."
* Dollar, shares
The AUD has retreated after hitting a new 6-y high on the back of the
rates announcement.
The currency rose as far as 71.18 US c in the aftermath of the
Reserve Bank statement.
With AUS's official interest rates now 4% pts above the fed funds rate
in the US, AUS assets have become more attractive to offshore investors.
The AUD is hovering just below 71 US c after soaring to a fresh
6-y high in the wake of the announcement.
The currency peaked at 71.18 US cents. By 1 pm AEDT, the dollar had
eased back to 70.94 US cents, still up about 2/3 of a cent on where it
had been just before the Reserve Bank move.
The share market, meanwhile, has fallen sharply, with the All
Ordinaries index down 33 points at 3,247.
* Stifling growth
Business groups are disappointed by decision to raise interest rates.
Peter Hendy from the AUS Chamber of Commerce and Industry says the
bank appears intent on stifling growth every time the economy starts
performing.
"It is very easy to dampen down an economy but it's very hard to get
it going again if you've made a mistake," Mr Hendy said.
"We think that last y when interest rates were increased, a mistake
was made and we saw a slowing down in the growth of the economy.
"We're worried the same thing will happen again," he said.
The Real Estate Institute of NSW says the rates rise should benefit
the property market by taking out some of the speculative heat.
It says rate increases will not deter home owners and long-term
investors from entering the market.
St George banks record profit
AUS's 5th biggest bank has turned in a record annual profit.
Melbourne. Saint George Bank announced this morning that its profit
after tax and significant items for the y to the end of Sep has come
in at $606 mn -- up 64% on the prev y's $369 mn result.
Shareholders will receive a final fully-franked dividend of 50 cents.
Saint George expects only a relatively modest slowdown in lending for
housing ahead. It says one of the key drivers of its profit
performance has been housing activity, with the total market for home
lending growing by about 20 per cent. It says the anticipated
interest rates rises over the next 6 m are likely to slow growth to
about 16%. Saint George says the robust economy, strong employment,
immigration and a fall in the number of people per household should
keep underpinning housing prices and activity.
Business groups criticise rates rise
Business groups and the farm sector have been disappointed by the
decision of the Reserve Bank board to raise interest rates.
Sydney. The Reserve Bank of AUS has raised official rates to 5%, an
increase of 0.25% after 17 m of steady rates.
Peter Hendy from the AUS Chamber of Commerce and Industry says the bank
appears intent on stifling growth every time the economy starts performing.
"It is very easy to dampen down an economy but it's very hard to get
it going again if you've made a mistake," Mr Hendy said.
"We think that last y when interest rates were increased, a mistake
was made and we saw a slowing down in the growth of the economy.
"We're worried the same thing will happen again," he said.
The Nat'l Farmers Federation (NFF) says today's increase in interest
rates is a huge blow to the farm sector.
NFF rep Charles Burke says it is further pressure on farmers still
struggling with the worst drought since Federation.
"Based on previous average farm debt figures, what this will cost will
be an increase of in the vicinity of $650 per y for the average farmer
to continue to finance his current debt level," Mr Burke said.
The Real Estate Institute of NSW says the rates rise should benefit
the property market by taking out some of the speculative heat.
It says rate increases will not deter home owners and long-term
investors from entering the market.
* Economy picking up
In a statement, the Reserve Bank of AUS has said the need for
expansionary monetary policy has now passed.
It says conditions in the internat'l economy are clearly improving,
the AUS economy is picking up and forecasts for longer-term inflation
are starting to tilt up.
It points to the US, Japan, East Asia and China as underpinning an
improvement in the internat'l economy.
It says the AUS economy is picking up after the earlier slowdown
caused by reduced exports and the drought.
The central bank is also worried about household borrowing, which it
says is growing at a much faster rate than would be consistent with
economic stability over the longer run.
Fed Treasurer Peter Costello says the rates move is a response to a
recovering world economy, which he says is positive for AUS's economic
growth.
Mr Costello home mortgage rates will be at historically low levels
despite the rates rise.
"You need to factor in the fact that mortgage interest rates are low
by historical standards into the decisions that you make because
mortgages are taken out over a long period of time," Mr Costello said.
"So, not withstanding today's rise, the fact is that the mortgage
interest rate is still considerably lower than our historical experience."
* Buffer
Mr Costello says home buyers cannot expect rates to stay at current
levels over a long mortgage.
"Always factor in a buffer in your borrowing decisions," he said. "The
fact that interest rates are still low means that people will continue
to borrow but factor in a buffer."
Shadow Treasurer Mark Latham says the rise is a warning on home prices
and the Govt has been blind to the prospect of a housing bust.
"You can't just ignore, repeatedly, warnings from the Reserve Bank,
the head of Treasury, the IMF, most professional economists around the
country," Mr Latham said.
He says people should prepare for further increases.
HSBC chief economist John Edwards says the Reserve Bank is likely to
feel its way forward on further rate rises.
"It'll see the effect of this," Mr Edwards said. "It would no doubt
prefer if the announcement effect and consequently the response of
borrowers was quite pronounced.
"That might mean that it wouldn't need to actually raise rates quite
as much as it otherwise would."
* Markets
The AUD has retreated after hitting a new 6-y high on the back of the
rates announcement.
The currency rose as far as 71.18 US c in the aftermath of the
Reserve Bank statement.
With AUS's official interest rates now 4% pts above the fed funds rate
in the US, AUS assets have become more attractive to offshore investors.
The AUD is hovering just below 71 US c after soaring to a fresh
6-y high in the wake of the announcement.
The currency peaked at 71.18 US cents. By 3.30 pm, the dollar had
eased back to 70.89 US cents, still up about 2/3 of a cent on
where it had been just before the Reserve Bank move.
The share market, meanwhile, has fallen sharply, with the All
Ordinaries index down 27 points at 3,252.2 at 3.30 pm.
Claim Aust troops tortured E Timor militiamen
Canberra. Members of an East Timorese militia group have made
allegations that AUS Interfet soldiers tortured them 4 y ago. The 3
former members of the militia group were interviewed separately in
East and West Timor by SBS television. One of the militia, Johnny
Rohied, told SBS TV's Dateline program of the alleged abuse by AUS
Interfet soldiers. The militia interviewed by the program allege that
6 militiamen were arrested in Dili in Sep 1999. The militia allege
they were tied up and beaten and exposed to a nest of wasps and
repeatedly stung in contravention of the Geneva Convention of the
rights of prisoners. Rohied alleges that he and other captured
militia were told to lie down on human faeces. The Timorese militia
also allege that one of the captured men was never seen again.
Claim proposed airspace system won't suit AUS
Canberra. The Fed Opp'n says just because an airspace management
system suits America, it does not make it right for AUS. The new
nat'l system is due to come into effect on Nov 27. Fed Labor Member
for Bass Michelle O'Byrne from Tasmania says a number of aviation
industry experts have safety concerns about the change, including
helicopter operators and several regional and interstate airlines. Ms
O'Byrne says the system is based on the US model, which is not a good
idea for AUS. "This system does work over there and a lot of people
agree that it would work well," she said. "Unfortunately in the US
it's based on having 85% radar control and in AUS we have about 15% on
the eastern seaboard."
Crocodile Hunter chooses reptiles over politics
Brisbane. Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin says he believes he is safer
with his reptiles than in politics. The AUS TV personality
and conservationist was reacting to criticism from Labor Sen Kerry
O'Brien of a Fed Govt payment for his role in a quarantine advertising
campaign. Mr Irwin says the money was donated to a koala hospital
fund. He says it seems Sen O'Brien is just "peeved" because he has
been seen rubbing shoulders with the PM. "That's just pathetic but
it's a funny little game they [politicians] play," Mr Irwin said.
"I've been seen to be siding with the Liberals -- I'm more green than
anything. Oh mate politics, give me a break -- I'm far safer in with the
crocodiles mate."
Govt defends "croc hunter" quarantine ads
Canberra. The Fed Govt says a quarantine advertising campaign headed
by the so-called "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin has been very
successful. The Opp'n has been critical of the $175,000 paid to Mr
Irwin for his role in a series of television advertisements, saying he
spent just one day in filming. But Fed Agriculture Min Warren Truss
has told the Parliament it has been the most successful quarantine
campaign ever. "Members opposite Mr Speaker, have been very critical
that the Govt has chosen to use Steve Irwin as the front for this
particular campaign -- his high internat'l status has certainly
provided a magnificent boost to this campaign," Mr Truss said.
HK steps up hunt for elusive crocodile
HK (Reuters). Armed with bait, cages and tranquiliser guns, HK
conservation workers are hunting a 5-foot-long crocodile, the 1st ever
sighted in the city.
Residents in a rural area of the New Territories alerted police after
they spotted the reptile on the weekend, but it has evaded several
attempts to trap it, using dead chickens as bait.
"We're still hunting for it," a govt rep said. "We will continue to
lay cage baits."
She declined to speculate where the beast came from, though experts
say it may have escaped from one of the many crocodile farms in
southern China, where people are fond of eating wild animals.
The crocodile is fast becoming a media star in a city better known for
its skyscrapers and financial activity than wildlife.
Residents who usually see reptile skin only on designer bags and boots
woke Tue to find themselves face to face with a huge picture of the
crocodile, jaws agape, on a newspaper front page. One TV station
broadcast hunt reports live.
Lugging cameras and powerful lenses, wildlife enthusiasts have flooded
the area over the last few days, hoping for glimpses of the
reptile. It delighted its fans when it basked briefly in the sun Mon.
DVA considers Gulf War contamination tests
Canberra. The AUS Veterans Affairs Dept says it will consider testing
veterans of the 1st Gulf War to see if they were contaminated by
depleted-uranium ammunition. The dept's director of research, Keith
Horsley [sic ;-)], says veterans of the Gulf War in 1990 to 1991 would
have to ask for the test. "In effect, if a person wants to have their
urine tested we will facilitate it," Dr Horsley said. "But we do not
have a formal testing program in place at the moment. Dept of Defence
does for those serving personnel returning from the current conflict
in the Gulf region." Dr Horsely told a Senate hearing in CBR that
contamination by depleted- uranium ammunition does not produce
symptoms. But he says the vast majority of Aussies in the 1st Gulf
War served on Navy ships so there was little chance of exposure to the
ammunition used by the US.
Disgraced magistrate struck off legal roll
Adelaide. The Chief Justice of SA has ordered the name of disgraced
magistrate Peter Liddy be struck off the roll of legal practitioners.
The Chief Justice and the Full Court refused to allow Liddy to
withdraw his name voluntarily. That was not good enough for the Chief
Justice, John Doyle, who described Liddy as infamous. He instead made
an order striking Liddy's name off the roll. He said Liddy became a
lawyer in 1967 and a magistrate in 1974. In June 2001, Liddy was
convicted of multiple child sex offences and of offering a bribe to a
witness. Chief Justice Doyle said Liddy exploited his position as a
magistrate to gain the trust of his victims' parents. The Full Court
was unanimous in finding Liddy guilty of unprofessional conduct and
his name was removed from the list of legal practitioners in SA.
Funding cuts threaten research progress, prize winner says
Sydney. The winner of one of AUS's leading science awards says
funding cutbacks are posing a threat to important research. SYD
neuroscientist Professor Mark Rowe was today awarded the Australasian
Science Prize. His research on the transmission of sensory info to
the brain has been described by other scientists as an important step
in understanding sensory distorting conditions like schizophrenia.
Professor Rowe says research is under threat as govts shed
responsibility for scientific funding, forcing institutions to find
their own sources. "Govts have got to understand that any commercial
research, any research driven for corporate goals can only be
successful if it's underpinned by a solid foundation of fundamental
basic research," Professor Rowe said. "Unless that support goes into
basic research then the whole research edifice is likely to crumble."
Hearing starts for 34 accused heroin smugglers
Melbourne. A committal hearing has begun in MEL for 34 men accused of
smuggling heroin into AUS on board a N Korean freight ship. The 125
kg haul of heroin was found nr Lorne on Vic's Great Ocean Road in Apr
and May this y. AUS Fed Police say it is Vic's largest seizure of
heroin with a street value of more than $200 mn. Another 25 kg
were allegedly lost overboard. It is alleged the drugs were smuggled
into AUS on the N Korean freighter. The MEL Magistrates Court is
hearing the committal proceedings at the MEL County Court to
accommodate all 34 defendants. The hearing is expected to last 6 wk.
SYD council to boycott peace prize
Sydney. Palestinian activist and academic Hanan Ashwari has arrived
in AUS to receive the SYD Peace Prize amid controversy and complaints
from sections of the Jewish community. The SYD Peace Foundation says
the jury chose Dr Ashwari for her commitment to the peace process in
the Middle East. But the prize's sponsor, SYD City Council, has
decided to boycott the award presentation tomorrow night, disputing Dr
Ashwari's credentials as a peace-maker. NSW Prem Bob Carr has
rejected repeated calls to withdraw from presenting Dr Ashwari with
the prize. Dr Ashwari arrived in SYD this morning. She will deliver
the SYD Peace Prize lecture tonight.
Union stages blockade at Fremantle port
Fremantle. Port authorities at Fremantle in W AUS say a blockade of
container trucks has the potential to cause major disruption to
exports and shipping. Dozens of trucks are stopping cargo vehicles
from entering loading wharves at N Mole. The protest is being
organised by the Transport Workers Union after drivers complained they
were waiting long hours to unload cargo at the 2 cargo terminals run
by the container handlers P&O and Patrick Corporation. Only small
cars and emergency supplies are being let through. Fremantle Ports
chief executive Kerry Sanderson has offered to convene a meeting of
all parties to discuss the drivers' concerns but only if the protest
ends. "It's a very complex issue -- it requires working through and
people need to meet," Mr Sanderson said. "But you can't meet with a
gun at your head and that's where the blockade has to be lifted before
the industry will meet and have the detailed discussions."
Young driver weekend ban floated
Sydney (AAP). Cruising with friends on a Fri or Sat night could be a
thing of the past for some young drivers under a radical new proposal
by the NRMA.
The motoring group asked the NSW govt to investigate whether measures
preventing L- and P-plate drivers from driving on Fri and Sat nights
would reduce young driver deaths.
NRMA president Ross Turnbull said drivers aged 17-25 y make up 14% of
motorists but account for 25% of road deaths.
"Whether they are inexperienced or think they are invincible, or think
the law doesn't apply to them, the fact is that crash rates for young
drivers are 3 times higher than more experienced drivers," Mr Turnbull
told AAP.
The proposal is based on research conducted in the US and is included
in the NRMA Review of Novice Driver Road Safety Programs.
"In some N American states and districts, restricting L- or P-plate
drivers from driving between 10 pm and 6 am on Thu, Fri or Sat nights
has reduced crash involvement by between 20 and 30%," Mr Turnbull said.
Between 38 and 53 lives could have been saved if these measures were
in place in NSW last y, he said.
The report also found that restricting L- and P-plate drivers to only
one passenger could reduce the crash rate by between 7 and 42%.
However, Mr Turnbull said the proposal would have to be carefully
considered before any legislative changes were made.
"The NSW govt should examine these measures carefully so that no one
in the community is unfairly disadvantaged by changes to the law," he said.
"We know that rural communities are more likely to rely on private
vehicles as a means of getting around."
Other measures included in the report were increasing the minimum age
for obtaining a licence and speed and alcohol checks targeted at young drivers.
NRMA will meet with mayors from NSW councils on Fri to discuss
proposals for better and safer roads.
Global warming means snow for Great Lakes -- Report
Washington (Reuters). In theory, global warming should be a good
thing for the Great Lakes, right? Wrong.
Global warming means more snow, not less, for the snowbound region along
the eastern border between Canada and the US, researchers said on Tue.
Their study of snowfall records in the Great Lakes region and
elsewhere suggests there has been a significant increase in snowfall
in the Great Lakes region since the 1930s but not anywhere else.
The team, at Colgate University in Hamilton, NY, said that global
warming does not mean sunnier weather everywhere. Other researchers
have predicted that, as the climate gets warmer overall, it could mean
colder temperatures in some parts of the world and more severe weather
in general as weather patterns change.
For instance, warmer surface sea temperatures could fuel more violent
hurricanes and typhoons.
In the Great Lakes region, warmer temperatures mean more snow, Adam
Burnett, an associate professor of geography, writes in the Nov issue
of the Journal of Climate.
"Recent increases in the water temperature of the Great Lakes are
consistent with global warming," Burnett said in a statement. "This
widens the gap between water temperature and air temperature -- the
ideal condition for snowfall."
Burnett and colleagues compared snowfall records from 15 weather
stations within the Great Lakes region with 10 stations at sites
outside of the region and checked weather records dating as far back
as 1931.
"We found a statistically significant increase in snowfall in the
lake-effect region since 1931, but no such increase in the
non-lake-effect area during the same period," Burnett said.
US health system fails seniors half the time
Washington (USA Today). Older Americans with health problems get the
recommended medical care they need only half the time, and the problem
is worse when looking only at the treatment they get for age-related
illnesses, a study out Tue says.
Seniors who don't get the right health care for disorders like
Alzheimer's run the risk of losing their independence. They also may
become disabled or even die prematurely, says lead author Neil Wenger
of the RAND Health.
"The quality of care provided to the oldest Americans is not up to
par," Wenger says.
A previous study by the same group said that doctors provided the
appropriate health care to adults of all ages only half of the time.
The latest study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine,
suggests seniors are no different: The report found that seniors got
the recommended care for general medical conditions like heart disease
just 52% of the time.
But the drop-off in medical care worsened when the team homed in on
age-related diseases such as dementia or malnutrition. The study found
seniors got the appropriate care for these conditions just 31% of the time.
The RAND team looked at the medical records for 372 frail seniors who
had been treated by 2 managed-care organisations over the course of a
y. The researchers documented the medical care that each patient
received and then judged it using standard indicators of quality.
This study's findings suggest doctors and other health care providers
may overlook some common problems of old age a lapse that can lead to
multiple health issues.
For example, this report found that many seniors with an unsteady gait
don't get the help they need, like physical therapy to improve their
walking ability.
Without that therapy, seniors run a greater risk of falling and
breaking a hip. A broken hip can, in some cases, trigger an admission
to a nursing home, Wenger says.
The new findings fit with other evidence suggesting that the health
care system needs to improve, says Daniel Stryer at the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality, part of the Dept of Health and Human
Services.
Still, this study looked only at a small number of patients. It's not
enough of a sample to conclude that seniors across the nation aren't
getting the care they need, cautions Yank Coble, rep for the American
Medical Association.
He says that lots of factors go into health care quality, including
the amount of time doctors have: He says many doctors face a major
time-crunch that doesn't allow them to focus on more than the most
pressing medical problem of the visit.
Websites get legal place in nat'l archive
London. Mns of website pages, online magazines and CDs will be saved
for the nation under a private member's bill which became law last wk.
Today, the MP who sponsored the bill predicted that Guardian Unlimited
website pages would be preserved in the nat'l archive.
The Legal Deposit Law puts the growing number of electronic
publications on the same footing as printed newspapers, books and
documents which have been collected by law since 1911 for the use of
scholars by the Brit Library and 5 other deposit libraries.
The existing print legal deposit arrangements have enabled the Brit
Library alone to collect and save, in perpetuity for the nation, more
than 50 mn items. In the past y, the library has acquired 95,286
books, 248,686 journal issues, 1,994 maps and 2,357 newspaper titles
through legal deposit. But that is likely to be dwarfed by the scale
of potential electronic deposits: a study last y forecast a massive
increase in online publications, predicting a nr quadrupling (from
52,000 to 193,000) in the number of electronic journal issues
published in the UK between 2002 and 2005. There are nearly 3 mn
websites with ".uk" in their titles and although many are of merely
passing interest, many will be fascinating to future historians -- the
websites that sprang up after the Sep 11 attacks but have not
disappeared, for instance.
Chris Mole, Labour MP for Ipswich, who introduced the bill in Dec,
said he was thrilled. "This new legislation will now mean that a vital
part of the nation's published heritage will be safe and accessible as
an important resource for business and education users in the future."
He said the Brit Library, the Nat'l Library of Scotland and the Nat'l
Library of Wales; the University Library, Cambridge; the Bodleian
Library, Oxford; and Trinity College Library, Dublin, would have to
use their judgement in "harvesting" websites and electronic publications.
Will Guardian Unlimited be there in a century's time? "With the vast
scope of electronic publications they will have to be judicious about
how many and what exactly they collect from that world, but I would be
confident that some examples of Guardian publications would be sampled
in the nat'l archive," said Mr Mole.
The new legislation will build on the strengths of a voluntary scheme
introduced in Jan 2000 that was designed to capture offline material
for the Nat'l Published Archive before legislation was achieved.
Administered by the Joint Committee on Voluntary Deposit (JCVD) --
comprising representatives from the legal deposit libraries and 4 of
the main publisher trade bodies -- the scheme saved many non-print items.
Lynne Brindley, chief executive of the Brit Library, said: "This is a
historic piece of legislation and puts the UK among the 1st countries
which will be collecting, by law, their electronic published
output. This has been achieved by interested parties working together
successfully to clear all the major legislative hurdles."
Publishers have negotiated reassurances from govt that they would not
be forced to disclose valuable info free of charge -- for example
short life financial forecasts will not be made available for 3 m, by
which time they will no longer be commercially valuable.
Apart from websites, important local and nat'l govt documents, such as
the Home Office series of online-only research reports and web-based
govt consultation papers, which are an important resource for lawyers
and researchers in tracing the origin of legislation, and the minutes
of the Nat'l Assembly for Wales, will be archived.
US-Canada blackout report to focus on many causes
Washington (Reuters). A report due out next wk from US and Canadian
investigators into last Aug's massive power blackout will focus on
multiple causes rather than a single reason, Energy Secretary Spencer
Abraham said on Tue.
The US Energy Dept and its Canadian counterpart are probing what
caused the Aug. 14-15 electricity outage that left 50 mn people in 8
NE states and Canada in the dark.
The interim report, likely to be released next wk, will point to
multiple events that spurred the massive cascading outage that began
with the collapse of the transmission grid in N Ohio and eastern
Michigan, Abraham said.
"It will not be the case that there is simply one answer, one cause or
one singular event that alone is responsible," Abraham told
reporters. "There will be several things."
A final report recommending ways to avoid future outages is not
expected until the end of the y.
On Wed, the Michigan Public Service Commission will be the first state
to release a report on what happened on its grid during the Aug blackout.
US congressional investigators released transcripts in Sep showing
chaos in the control room of Ohio-based FirstEnergy Corp and
communication problems with the Midwest-area grid co-ordinator hrs
before the blackout began.
Abraham refused to say whether the upcoming report will focus on
actions of individual companies and utilities during the blackout.
A wide-sweeping energy bill under final negotiations in the US
Congress would set mandatory reliability standards for utilities,
which fed energy regulators would enforce.
Wolf leftovers benefit other animals -- US study
Washington (Reuters). Leaving leftovers may be a good thing, at least
if you are a wolf, US researchers said on Tue.
2 studies from researchers at the University of California, Berkeley
suggest that gray wolves benefit other carnivores by leaving behind
half-eaten carcasses.
The studies, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology and Ecology
Letters, may help support the controversial decision to release wolves
into Yellowstone Nat'l Park in 1995, the researchers said.
Bears and mountain lions will hang out on top of their prey,
protecting it from scavengers while they make a leisurely meal, the
researchers said. But not wolves.
"What happens is that wolves can only eat about 20 pounds [10 kg] of
meat before they need to lie down and let the food digest," said
Christopher Wilmers, a doctoral student in ecosystem sciences who
worked on both studies.
"So while the wolves move away from the carcass to sleep off their
meal, scavengers move in to consume the leftovers," Wilmers added in a
statement.
Wolves, once found everywhere in N America, were nearly wiped out by
1970. When the US Fish and Wildlife Service 1st proposed the
reintroduction of wolves into Yellowstone in 1987, opponents predicted
the predators would decimate elk, deer and moose populations.
Wilmers and colleagues studied gray wolves in Yellowstone -- a large nat'l
park that spans parts of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho -- from 1998 to 2001.
They tracked packs to their kill sites and watched what and how they
ate. They analysed 200 carcasses -- from a safe distance, using a scope.
The worse the weather, the more scraps the wolves left for others to
share, they found.
"The deeper the snow, the harder it is for prey animals like elk,
moose and deer, to get to vegetation on the ground," said Wilmers.
"They get weaker, making them easier prey for top predators like
wolves. So food becomes plentiful for wolves during the winter,
particularly harsh ones. And when food is plentiful, wolves tend to
leave more meat for others to share."
Wilmers said before the wolves were reintroduced to the Yellowstone,
elk and deer would starve to death toward the end of winter, leaving a
glut of carcasses that often would rot.
"The wolves are doing their job as top predators by culling out weak
individuals gradually throughout the year," he said.
[Now, a little story to gladden the hearts of all the potato-lovers].
Elderly neo-Nazi loses bid to become Idaho mayor
Boise, Idaho (Reuters). White supremacist Richard Butler, 85, lost
what may be his last political stand on Tue in an effort to become
mayor of the small Idaho town of Hayden.
The former head of the neo-Nazi Aryan Nations, Butler never contested
that Hayden, population 9,000, is a well-administered city. Yet he
hoped the campaign would further his political views, which include
launching a race war, separation of races, anti-immigration and anti-Semitism.
"I'm not really anxious to become mayor," he said recently. "I'm just
anxious to get my word out."
With more than 80% of the votes counted, he had won just 38 votes, or
2% of the total. Incumbent Ron McIntire led by more than 90% of the vote.
Butler handed over the leadership of the Aryan Nations in 2001, a y
after he sold his 8-ha compound to pay a $6.3 mn court verdict in
favour of a woman and her son attacked by Aryan Nations guards. He now lives
in the town of Hayden with his supporters, who have dwindled to a handful.
White supremacists have not had much luck running for office in
northern Idaho. Several y ago, Butler supporter Vincent Bertollini ran
for mayor of the nearby resort town of Sandpoint and got just 30 votes.
Far-right candidates have also had little success nat'lly. Former Ku
Klux Klansman David Duke was elected to the Louisiana legislature in
1989, but he lost bids for governor, US Senate and president.
Far-right groups such as the Brit Nat'l Party and the Nat'l Front in
France have had more success in Europe.
Markets
Sydney. The All Ords closed down 24 pts at 3,256 after the RBA
increased the cash rate today. The Nikkei has closed down 10 pts, led
by falls on Wall St o'night. The Hang Seng lost 2 pts to end at 12,439.
{{
6 pm
The Fed Govt has challenged Labor and the Democrats to put up a plan
better than its own to discourage asylum seekers from coming to AUS.
A new UN (UN) Human Rights Committee report calls on the AUS Govt to
release a female asylum seeker from detention in SA.
Bank SA has recorded a before-tax profit of $143 mn for the y to the
end of Sep.
}}
----------------------------------------
Thu, 06 Nov 2003.
Markets
NY. The Dow has lost 18 pts to close at 9,821. New data showed
expansion in the services sector and factory orders. But investors
seemed to think the market has risen too far too fast. But the Nasdaq
gained 1.4 pts. Gold is again higher as the greenback continues to
decline against the JPY. It added 2.65 to trade around $US382.25/oz.
Oil jumped $1.55 to $US30.30/bbl on renewed fears of winter supply
shortages in the US. In London the FTSE followed Wall St, closing
down 27 pts at 4,303. The German Dax also closed down 24 pts to
3,718. The AUD is higher, trading around 70.81 US c.
Share market picks up
Sydney (close). The AUS share market clawed back early losses,
scraping into positive territory in the last few minutes of trade.
The All Ords Index picked up 2-points to 3,258.
Westpac dragged the major banks lower, falling 37 c or 2% to
$15.45; the ANZ lost 18 c to $16.95; the Commonwealth shed 16
cents to $27.54 and the NAB tumbled 42 c to $29.84.
Resource stocks bounced back despite the higher AUD.
BHP Billiton advanced 2% or 23 c to $11.68, Rio Tinto rose 11 c to
$35.62 and Woodside Petroleum gained 13 c to $13.70.
News Corporation jumped 22 c or almost 2% to $12.97 after posting a
quarterly net profit of $644 mn, double the result for the
previous corresponding period.
Elsewhere in the media sector Fairfax lifted 6 c to $3.57 while PBL
retreated 4-cents to $11.95.
Telstra rose 1 cent to $4.76.
Shares in TAB Limited surged more than 8% or 30 c to $3.98 after Vic's
Tabcorp launched a takeover bid for the NSW gaming group.
The move has hurt Tabcorp shares, which closed 4% or 46 c lower to $11.12.
Shares in the Qld base UNitab also suffered, tumbling 4% or 30 c to
$6.50, a condition of Tabcorp's offer is that TAB drop its merger
talks with the Qld company.
In Japan, the Nikkei dived 285 pts to close at 10,552, wiping out most
of its recent gains.
The Hang Seng also lost 289 pts to end the session there at 12,150.
The AUD moved higher after the release of the strong jobs data,
trading at 71.12 US c at the close of local trade.
Spot gold was worth $US382.50/oz and West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil
was at $US30.29/bbl.
5 killed by contaminated water: Manila
Manila. 5 people have been killed and several 100 make ill by
contaminated tap water in the Philippines capital. The health dept
says sewage might be seeping into the tap water system. Health
authorities and the private utility Maynilad Water Services suspect
the contamination may have been caused by people illegally tapping
into Maynilad's water distribution system. Manila mayor Lito Atienza
has put the death toll at 5, while press reports put the number of
hospitalised people since late Oct at more than 300.
3 killed in Mosul attacks
Mosul. Insurgents have attacked US military convoys in Iraq, killing 3
civilians and wounding 5 Americans. The attacks have occurred in
Mosul, a city long considered relatively safe for US troops, compared
with Baghdad and the cities and towns of the so-called Sunni Triangle
to the S. Elsewhere, the military says paratroopers of the 82nd
Airborne Division have captured 2 former Iraqi Army generals in an
early-morning raid in Fallujah.
Bomb kills 2 in Urals
Moscow. 2 people have been killed and 5 others injured in a car bomb
explosion in Russia. The blast happened in Ufa, the capital of the
republic of Bashkortostan in the Ural mtns. The Interfax news agency
says the bomb, planted in a parked car, was detonated by remote
control as 2 other vehicles were passing. 2 people were killed and 5
others hospitalised. One of the wounded has been released from
hospital with only minor injuries.
2 passengers die on P&O gastro ship
London. 2 passengers have died of heart-related causes after
travelling on the luxury Brit liner Aurora, that was hit by a
highly-contagious stomach virus last wk. The cruise ship was
scheduled to return to England on Thu with its 1,800 passengers and
800 crew after more than 500 people came down with a fierce strain of
gastroenteritis. A P&O rep has confirmed that 2 people have died during
the cruise, but stresses that they both were unrelated to the norovirus.
US bus station shooting claims 1
Boston. A shooting at a bus stn in the US city of Boston has killed 1
person, wounded 4 others and sent bystanders screaming and running for
cover. Boston Police Supt James Hussey says the shooting appears to
have been random. He says it started outside a convenience store nr
the Dudley Sq bus stn in Boston's Roxbury neighbourhood, then ended up
inside the stn. He says the gunman continued into the stn and officers
wrestled him to the ground.
5 US soldiers wounded in Iraq attack
Mosul (Reuters). Guerrillas mounted a series of attacks on US troops
in the N Iraqi city of Mosul killing 3 Iraqis and wounding at least 12
people including 5 American soldiers.
In a raid in the volatile town of Fallujah, west of Baghdad, US troops
captured 2 former generals in Saddam Hussein's army, the American
military said.
It said the 2 were seized in a raid on Tue that also netted a large
weapons cache.
"The 2 generals were suspected of being key financiers and organisers
of anti-coalition fighters operating in and around the city of
Fallujah," the US Army said in a statement.
In Mosul, a hand grenade was thrown at 2 US vehicles in the centre of
town on Wed afternoon (local time).
Hospital officials said the blast killed a boy and wounded at least 7
Iraqis.
The US military said one soldier was wounded.
A doctor who treated the victims at Arazi says at least 7 people were wounded.
"One 10-yo boy died from head wounds before he arrived," he said.
A RPG (RPG) was fired at a US convoy in S Mosul later in the day.
Witnesses said the grenade fell short of the convoy and killed 2 Iraqi
men in a civilian car.
The US 101st Airborne Division said one soldier was wounded.
A separate RPG attack wounded 2 US soldiers in the city, and another
soldier was wounded in a roadside bomb attack, 101st Airborne Sgt
Robert Woodward says.
US plans to down-size force in Iraq over next 6 m
Washington. The Pentagon has announced plans to reduce American troop
strength in Iraq to from 130,000 to about 100,000 in the next 6
months. The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Peter
Pace, has told politicians in Washington that there will be a
reduction from 4 to 3 divisions, which will be accommodated by an
increase in the size of Iraqi security forces. General Pace also said
call-up orders would be issued immediately for 1000s of Marines and
reserve troops to serve in Iraq as part of a troop rotation early next y.
He sees it as part of a gradual decline in the presence of US troops.
"We think that the spike in need for ground troops will in fact
continue to go down -- that it is not a new plateau," he said.
US plans for Marines to return to Iraq
Washington (AP). The Marine Corps, which played a central role in
toppling Saddam Hussein last spring, will return to Iraq as part of a
US troop rotation approved by Def Sec Donald H Rumsfeld on Wed,
officials said.
Since the Marines' departure from Iraq in Sep, the military effort to
stabilise and rebuild Iraq has fallen almost entirely to the Army,
plus multinat'l units led by Brit and Poland.
The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit recently began anti-smuggling
operations in the Persian Gulf coastal area in S Iraq. But no Marines
have been doing stability operations, such as working with Iraqi
civilians on rebuilding projects or hunting for fugitives loyal to
Saddam, since the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force departed
south-central Iraq in Sep.
Also included in the next US rotation will be 1000s of newly mobilised
Nat'l Guard and Reserve troops as well as active duty Army units such
as the 1st Cavalry Division from Fort Hood, Texas, and the 1ID in
Germany, according to officials who discussed the matter on condition
of anonymity.
No Nat'l Guard combat brigades will be called on, beyond the 3
already mobilised from N Carolina, Arkansas and Washington state to
prepare for deployment to Iraq next y. The extra Guard and Reserve troops
to be mobilised will be combat support forces such as military police.
Instead of relying almost exclusively on the Army to provide reserve
forces for support, the Pentagon intends to mobilise specialists from
the reserve components of the Air Force and Navy, too.
On Capitol Hill, Gen Peter Pace, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, said troop orders were being issued Wed and Pentagon officials
planned to publicly release details on Thu.
Pace said members of Congress were being briefed on the plan Wed. He
declined to give reporters details.
Pace said that by May the Pentagon expects to have just over 100,000
US troops in Iraq, a drop of 30,000 from present levels. The Pentagon
also hopes to have about 170,000 Iraqi security forces by then --
compared with about 100,000 now -- and 2 multinat'l divisions of about
12,000 each.
The Pentagon has struggled to set the troop rotation for 2004 because
of the Bush Admin's inability so far to persuade its internat'l
partners to contribute significant troops. Turkey had offered to send
1000s but has balked in the face of Iraqi political opp'n.
The Army has shouldered most of the burden of attempting to stabilise
Iraq. It has been stretched thin by multiple overseas commitments,
including anti-terrorism efforts Afghanistan as well as Iraq.
The 1st major Army unit to be replaced in Iraq next y is the 101st
Airborne Division, which played an important role in the march to
Baghdad and has operated mainly in N Iraq since then.
When the Army announced in July an outline for the next troop
rotation, it said the 101st would be replaced by a multinat'l division
to be identified later. Because that internat'l force has not
materialised, the Pentagon has been forced to call on other US forces
to fill the gap.
It appears the Pentagon will replace the 101st with a smaller group of
forces, in part because the area in which it operated -- N Iraq -- has
been relatively stable and peaceful.
Some units that will return home in the next rotation will not be
replaced. This includes a brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division, as
well as the 173rd Airborne Brigade. As a result, the total number of
US troops in Iraq is likely to fall to nr the 100,000 mark next
spring. That compares with about 130,000 there now.
Also coming home in the next rotation will be the 4th Infantry
Division from Fort Hood, Texas, and the 1AD from Germany.
Congress doubles troops' death benefit
Washington (AP). As the US death toll rises in Iraq, Congress has
approved doubling the death benefit for the families of fallen troops
and more tax breaks for military personnel involved in the war against
terrorism.
Wed's 420-0 vote in the House sends the package of enhanced military
benefits to Pres Bush just a few days ahead of Veterans Day.
"It's long overdue," said Rep Sam Johnson (R-Texas). "It's been a long
time since 9-11, and we are trying to take care of our military."
Under the bill, families of soldiers killed while on active duty would
get a $12,000 tax-free payment, up from the current $6,000.
The increased death gratuity, meant to offset the cost of a funeral
and other immediate expenses, combines with benefits already available
to the survivors of soldiers killed in war. Families typically get
payment from a $250,000 life insurance policy.
Families do not pay fed income taxes for the y the service member
died. Surviving spouses, while still unmarried, and surviving children
get a monthly dependency compensation payment. They are also eligible
for full Social Security death and survivors' benefits.
"We made modest improvements to help the families of the members of
the military who have given the supreme sacrifice," Rep Amo Houghton
(R-NY) said.
Active duty and reserve personnel on standby and on their way to war
would benefit from the bill's other changes, which lower taxes on
military benefits and expenses.
Soldiers deployed away from home would find it easier to take
advantage of tax breaks on capital gains when they sell their
houses. The bill suspends a rule that requires homeowners to live in
the house during 2 of the past 5 y to qualify for the tax
break. Lawmakers said military men and women on the move often cannot
meet that requirement.
Nat'l Guard and Reserve forces who travel overnight for training could
use a new tax deduction for travel and lodging costs. Those who do not
itemise their tax deductions, and instead use a standard deduction,
could still use the benefit. Soldiers in contingency operations that
support combat zones also would get an extension to file their tax
returns already available to soldiers in combat.
The bill ensures that child care and homeowners assistance provided by
the military are un-taxed benefits. Families with children bound for
military academies would be allowed to use savings held in
tax-advantaged education accounts without penalty.
Other changes relieve the families of astronauts who died in the space
shuttle Columbia from income and estate taxes. It also allows the govt
to lift the tax-exempt status of groups deemed terrorist organisations.
The bill balances new tax cuts with an extension of customs fees, so
it has no cost to the US Treasury.
US suspends NK power program
Washington. Diplomats in N Korea say the internat'l consortium
building nuclear power stns there is close to a formal agreement to
suspend the project for 1 y. The diplomats say the period of
suspension will be used to try to persuade Pyongyang to abandon its
nuclear weapons programs. The consortium is know as the Korean
Peninsula Energy Development Organisation. It includes Japan, S
Korea, the EU, and the US. Some analysts say the latest US-backed
move will simply spur the North's weapons program.
N Korea will block US from nuke sites
Seoul (AP). N Korea said Thu it will block US efforts to remove
equipment and technical data from 2 nuclear power plants under
construction in the communist state, a news agency reported.
The US and its allies said this wk they want to suspend construction
of the $4.6 bn power plants project.
"We will never allow the transferring of equipment, facilities and
technical documents out of the Kumho district unless compensations for
the stopping of construction of light-water reactors are made," the N
Korean rep told Pyongyang's state-run news agency KCNA. KCNA was
monitored by S Korean news agency Yonhap.
The Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organisation, a US-led
consortium based in NY, has been building 2 light-water reactors in
Kumho, a remote village on N Korea's NE coast, as part of a 1994 deal
with Washington.
The 4-member executive board of the KEDO met in NY on Mon and Tue and
said they would make a final announcement about suspending the project
before Nov 21.
Halting the project looked inevitable, as all 4 board members favoured
pulling out 100s of workers, many of them S Koreans, who have been
digging and pouring concrete at the Kumho site to build the reactors.
The State Dept said it sees "no future" for the project. KEDO's 3
other members -- S Korea, Japan and the European Union -- favour
suspending the project for 1 y, instead of nixing it completely.
Under a 1994 deal, N Korea promised to freeze and eventually dismantle
its suspected nuclear weapons development. But the deal went sour in
Oct 2002 when US officials said N Korea admitted to running such a
weapons program.
US officials have been increasingly unhappy with the project, saying
they cannot provide N Korea with a cheap and steady source of energy
unless it dismantles its nuclear weapons program.
Other KEDO members, notably S Korea, had wanted to keep it alive,
fearing that any suspension might further provoke N Korea in its
yearlong confrontation over the nuclear issue.
Last week, N Korea agreed "in principle" to return to multinat'l talks
aimed at ending the crisis.
Blast rocks aid agencies in Afghanistan
Kabul (AFP). A bomb has exploded nr the offices of the internat'l aid
agencies Oxfam and Save the Children in Afghanistan.
No casualties have been reported.
An Oxfam official says the device exploded late in the morning, local
time in Karte-Se, SW of Kabul, damaging both buildings.
It is not known who is responsible for the blast but suspected Taliban
militants have increasingly targeted aid workers in the country's
S and SE areas.
Attacks on aid workers have forced the UN to suspend road missions
across much of S Afghanistan while other organisations have also
halted or scaled back their operations in the S and SE.
Top UN envoys have visited 2 of Afghanistan's most powerful warlords
telling them to end their bloody rivalry and unite behind the govt of
Pres Hamid Karzai.
The diplomats have met the ethnic Uzbek cmdr, General Abdul Rashid
Dostum, and his main opponent for power in the north, the ethnic Tajik
leader Ustad Atta Mohammad.
Forces loyal to the rivals have been responsible for a series of
clashes in and around the key N city of Mazar-i Sharif since the fall
of the Taliban regime 2 y ago.
In the latest flare-up last wk, at least 5 troops from the 2
factions died in what one cmdr described as fierce fighting SW of
Mazar City while more than 60 people were killed or injured in a clash
last m involving tanks and artillery.
FBI identifies possible Sep 11 hijacker
Washington (AFP). The FBI has reportedly identified an Al Qaeda
member suspected of being the 20th hijacker in the Sep 11 attacks.
The USA Today newspaper reports the Al Qaeda suspect is believed to
have tried until Aug 2001 to take part in the operation but had to
leave the US just before the strikes.
There were 5 hijackers on each of the 3 jets used in the attacks.
US investigators say the 4th airliner which crashed in a field at
Pennsylvania had 4 hijackers on board, but was to have a fifth.
The FBI and Justice Dept officials said they do not believe the man is
Frenchman Zacarias Moussaoui who was arrested in the US in Aug 2001,
nor Ramzi Ben Al-Shibh, an Al Qaeda official arrested in Pakistan in
Sep 2002.
Moussaoui is the only person who has been charged over the attacks.
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