NO, NOT THE OIL! #127 (3/3)

Burmese junta building tourism tower
Bagan. Defying an internat'l outcry, Burma's military junta has begun
building a nearly 60-m viewing tower in the midst of the ancient
temple of Bagan.  Burma's military rulers have already been pilloried
for their alleged unplanned an inaccurate rebuilding of many ruins,
and their record in general of suppressing human rights and democracy.
Pierre Pitchard, a Banan expert at the French Research School of the
Far E, based in neighbouring Thailand, says the new project is a
cultural crime.  The junta says the tower will give tourists a
bird's-eye view of Bagan.

China sentences 2 to death for baby selling
Beijing. A Chinese court has sentenced 2 people to death and jailed
dozens of others for smuggling more than 100 babies in one of China's
poorest provinces.  State media says the case involved 118 babies who
were sold by medical staff from hospitals in the Guangxi prov city of
Yulin to local smugglers for around $A30 ea.  The reports say the
babies were doped and bundled into bags for cross-country journeys to
faraway provinces where they were sold for up to $A500.

Thailand bans mistresses in public
Bangkok. Thailand's ruling party says it plans to reject prospective
politicians who cheat on their wives.  Thai Rak Thai party rep
Suranand Vejjajiva says it has decided that party candidates must not
have a reputation as a playboy or a record of having mistresses.
[Note: all mistresses must be off the record. Check!]  In Thai society
it is common for married men to have mistresses.  PM Thanksin
Shinawatra is reportedly strongly supportive of the new idea.

Inquiry to probe military ties with US
Canberra.  A fed parliamentary inquiry is to examine AUS's military
relationship with the US.  The committee will consider the role of the
US in the Asia-Pacific region, the ANZUS military treaty, and the
value of intel sharing.  The chairman of the committee, Bruce Scott,
says the inquiry will also examine a proposal for AUS to join the US
missile defence program.  "Well we'll be looking at the implications
for AUS's dialogue with the US on missile defence," he said.  "We'll
also be looking at development of space-based systems and the impact
this will have on AUS's self-reliance."

Builders predict cooler housing sector
Sydney.  Builders are predicting nat'l activity in the housing market
will weaken in the coming ms.  A survey by Master Builders AUS
(MBA) has found members believe the housing sector will slow in the
Dec quarter.  The MBA's chief Wilhelm Harnisch says it indicates the
Reserve Bank does not need to raise interest rates further when the
board meets this wk.  "The Reserve Bank has expressed concern that the
housing market may be overheating, and what the survey is showing is
the buyers may be more cautious and the builders themselves have got
less work on the books," he said.  "[This] means the threat of the
housing market on the local economy is abating."

Scud hailed a hero
Melbourne.  Thousands of tennis fans have turned out to hail Mark
Philippoussis as a new nat'l hero at a civic reception for AUS's Davis
Cup-winning team in MEL today.
Fans crammed into Federation Square to see Philippoussis, Lleyton
Hewitt, Todd Woodbridge and Wayne Arthurs take the stage at the
hastily-arranged ceremony to honour AUS's weekend triumph over Spain.
Philippoussis gave his side a 3-1 victory over Spain on Sun afternoon
when he played through the pain barrier to seal an amazing 7-5, 6-3,
1-6, 2-6, 6-0 win over world number 3 Juan Carlos Ferrero.
The win marked the 28th time AUS has won the Davis Cup and sealed its
place as one of the pre-eminent tennis nations.
Today Philippoussis told the crowd that Sun's win had eclipsed AUS's
last Davis Cup final victory against France in Nice in 1999, when he
also won the decisive rubber.
"It was emotional for me too and for all of us definitely,"
Philippoussis said.
"I said before, Nice was an incredible feeling, but this can't touch it.
I was emotional, everyone was emotional and this was just a storybook ending."
Philippoussis had looked to be on the ropes on Sun after he lost the
3rd and 4th sets.
'The Scud' called an injury break for treatment to his shoulder, and
-- with Lleyton Hewitt warming up in the dressing room for what would
have been a decisive rubber against Carlos Moya -- came back out to
ace the final set 6-0.
Philippoussis was expected to face an MRI scan today to determine the
extent of the injury.
Earlier Davis Cup captain John Fitzgerald has revealed that
Philippoussis was in serious pain during the match and said he would
probably have retired if AUS finals hopes had not been on the line.
Fitzgerald said that if it had been any other event, the Williamstown
boy would probably have forfeited the match.
"I think there's very little doubt he would," Fitzgerald said this morning.
"I think by the end of the 4th he felt it was so debilitating and he
was in pain -- I could see it every time he sat down. He was pretty
brave about it, but he certainly let me know he had some problems there."
Despite the euphoria surrounding Philippoussis' win, Fitzgerald warned
that it was too early to be considering back to back wins in the
prestigious tennis event.
"I haven't given back to back [wins] a thought yet," he said.
"We have to start in Feb, we're making arrangements and [for] our
first tie of the next calendar y which in in Adel in Feb, but,
realistically, it's a long way to win another one."
But Fitzgerald was confident enough to predict that the tie would go
down in history as one of the great Davis Cup clashes.
"We had a common goal and there are some great tennis players sitting
up here," he said. "They are 4 magnificent tennis players and when
they come together as a team to commit to a common goal, special
things happen."

Vic man speaks after hostage drama
Ballarat.  A 27-yo man from Ballarat in W Vic has been freed after
being held hostage for 4 days in S Nigeria.
Josh Nijam and 6 other foreign workers were captured by a group of
rebels who demanded money from their employer, an Edinburgh-based pipe
coating company.
Mr Nijam says he was not harmed by his captors, who freed him as a
sign of goodwill.
He is hopeful his fellow workers will be released within the next 24 hrs.
He says he has been told not to go into detail about the ransom
demands until after the other men have been released.
"They had to give one person for goodwill so that they could get some
of the money they had been asking for," he said.
"They asked someone to write a ransom note and I had the pen and paper
so I was writing it while I was speaking, and then they pointed at me
and told me I'd be the one that would be going.
"I carried the ransom note and brought it back and the others are
okay, hopefully we'll get more of the boys if not all of them tonight."
Mr Nijam has spoken to his parents in Ballarat and told them he will
probably be home for Christmas.
"Probably [by] mid-Dec. As of now I don't want to leave here until all
the rest of the boys are out home for about a month," he said.
"I enjoy the work and it has its good and bad points. You've got to
take the good with the bad I suppose."
Mr Nijam's father, Jeremy, says he is relieved his son is safe and
coming home for Christmas.
"We're pretty close anyway, we talk to each other all the time and
we've got another son up in Bris and daughters in MEL and a couple of
kids at home," he said.
"We're a pretty close family anyway but you realise just how important
each one of them is when things like this happen."

Man arrested after rescue bid
Darwin.  NT police say an argument between the captain of a fishing
boat and a crew member has ended with a rescue operation on a remote
island 300 km NE of Darwin.  Police say the man took a dinghy from the
main fishing trawler and headed for New Year Island in the Arafura
Sea.  It is alleged he damaged the island's lighthouse in a bid to
attract attention.  Police from Arnhem Land flew to the island where
the man was arrested.  He has been brought back to Darwin overnight and
charged with criminal damage in relation to the vandalism of the lighthouse.

One whale survived pod beaching
Scientists search for clues on whale stranding
Hobart.  Samples from 9 sperm whales washed up on a Flinders Island
beach over the weekend will be brought to Hobart this morning for
testing.  Scientists and rescuers from the Dept of Primary Industry,
Water and the Environment's Nature Conservation branch have spent the
weekend on the island after a fisherman reported the stranding on Fri
night.  Only one 17-tonne sperm whale survived the ordeal, with
rescuers using fishing boats and a net to tow him to safety.  The
whale has not been seen since it was released on Sat night.  Aleks
Terauds from the Nature Conservation Branch hopes the samples will
help determine a cause of the strandings.  "If they've got empty
stomachs obviously they might not have been in as good condition. We
take teeth for ageing, that can also give us an indication of what
sort of pod it was, and maybe the pod dynamics," he said.  "We get
blubber samples for contaminants, so there's a lot we can learn."

Manufacturing shows healthy signs
Canberra.  There has been another indication of solid activity across
AUS's manufacturing industry.  A Performance of Manufacturing Index
compiled by the AUS Industry Group and PricewaterhouseCoopers is now
consolidating at higher levels.  After a sharp rise in Oct, the Nov
reading published today has edged only a fraction lower to 57.3,
supported by a further strengthening in new orders.  11 out of 12
sectors have reported an increase in new orders.  The index points to
annual growth in the non-farm economy of close to 4%.

Public servants getting older, more skilled: report
Canberra.  A new report indicates the AUS Public Service is not immune
from the ageing of the general workforce.  The annual State of the
Service report says over the past y there has been a consolidation of
trends towards an older and more skilled public service workforce.
The typical new starter in the service is now a 31-yo with tertiary
qualifications and is more likely to be a woman than a man.  The
public service commissioner Andrew Podger says the changing nature of
the workforce will pose challenges for managing the future capability
of the service.  Mr Podger also acknowledged there was still
widespread unease among public servants about performance-based pay
and the handling of under-performance.  About half felt it did not
provide appropriate rewards for top performance.

"Miracle" dog saves family from fire
Melbourne.  A MEL family rescued from fire by a guide dog this morning
say their escape is a miracle.  Fire erupted in the ceiling of the
Taylors Lakes home around 2.00am, but the blaze failed to set off
smoke detectors.  Gina the guide dog began barking and pulling on a
curtain, alerting Jackie Saunders and her 3 children to the fire.
They escaped unharmed, but more than $150,000 damage was caused to the
house.  Darren Saunders says his wife's labrador guide dog was a hero.
"She's a guide dog, a fire dog and a police dog," he said.  "She's a
miracle dog and obviously it's the training, but also just the
instincts that dogs can pick up and it's really just a miracle."

Carr plays down Harbour Bridge security breach
Sydney.  The NSW Prem has played down the latest security breach on
the Harbour Bridge.  A man last night scaled the NE pylon of the
bridge and took an AUS flag from the summit.  He was later arrested
and fined $350.  The Prem, Bob Carr, has criticised the fine as too
small.  He has also attempted to deflect concerns raised by the Opp'n
about the threat it may have posed.  "There'll be a full security
review of the Harbour Bridge," he said.  "We'll look at access, but I
really wouldn't overreact to this.  "You can have some idiot defying
common sense with this sort of action at any time, but to regard it as
a security threat I think would be to overstate it."

Asylum seeker treatment a nat'l 'black spot': study
Canberra.  The author of a study of democratic rights has described
AUS's treatment of asylum seekers as a black spot.  Dr James Jupp from
the Centre of Immigration and Multicultural studies at AUS Nat'l
University says the situation for those seeking refuge has steadily
regressed over the past 12 years.  He says AUS differs from a number
of other countries by detaining asylum seekers without paperwork,
whereas prior to 1991 they were allowed to live in the community while
their claims were processed.  "Also the denial of welfare services
other than Medicare in the first 2 y and the severe cutbacks in family
reunions, all of those affect people who are not citizens of AUS," he said.

University funding tug-of-war continues
Canberra.  The Fed Govt has been given further time to negotiate with
the Independent Sens over its higher education legislation.  A vote
has been delayed, with the bills to proceed to a committee stage where
each proposed amendment to the legislation will be debated
individually.  3 of the 4 Independents have told the Senate further
changes are needed for the Govt to receive their vital support.
Independent Sen Meg Lees says she hopes further compromise is reached
so the industry can receive the additional funds.  "There is now at
least $1.7 bn of extra funding for our universities offered in this
legislation, and I believe $1.7 bn extra is something that is worth
fighting for," she said.

Labor rivals prepare for showdown
Canberra.  Kim Beazley and Mark Latham have just under 24 hr to
secure party support to become the next leader of the fed Labor Party.
Fed Member for Lingiari, Warren Snowdon, says Mr Latham is leading Mr
Beazley in the race for votes in tomorrow's fed Labor leadership ballot.
Mr Snowdon, who has flown in from NY especially for the vote, is the
1st caucus member to publicly say that the Shadow Treasurer is ahead.
"Mark Latham is in front as I speak," he said. "I think now there is a
very strong trend towards him."
Supporters of former leader Kim Beazley are confident he will get the
47 votes needed to get him across the line, but Latham supporter
Laurie Ferguson says it is too close to call.
"Most say that Beazley is well in front, well you ask me I don't care
what people say I say it's too close to call," he said.
Mr Ferguson says come the next election, Mr Latham will secure a large
number of votes in W SYD.
"Western SYD which has a larger population than SA, people should
remember that, we failed to win 4 seats in the last 2 elections out
there that we lost in 1996," he said.
"Latham comes from the region."
Mr Latham is advocating a generational shift and says once the vote is
taken the party must unite.
"After Tue, of cause will be getting together, rebuilding our culture
of solidarity and doing the very best we can to defeat the Howard Govt."
But Beazley supporter Mark Bishop says the former leader offers the
party the best chance of re-election.
"He just has in his heart and his mind and his eyes a burning desire
to win," he said.
Both sides have spent the weekend hitting the phones to shore up support.
Mr Beazley's backers think the former leader has as many as 43 votes
with around 20 undecided.
One time Labor leadership contender Kevin Rudd has appealed to his
colleagues to shift their focus to next y's election, as soon as
tomorrow's ballot is over.
Mr Rudd has withdrawn from the contest and will support Mr Beazley.
However the foreign affairs rep says it is what happens next that matters.
"The big challenge for us -- resolve the leadership tomorrow," he said.
"Get on with the business of presenting the alternative policy vision
for AUS, and have about us an attitude, a discipline and a posture
which says we're on about winning this next election."
Qld Prem Peter Beattie is tipping Mr Beazley to win the ballot.
"I think it's fairly clear now that Kim Beazley will win," he said.
"From there I'm keen for Kim to come to Qld to spend some time here.
"I want to make sure that Qld and Qld views get a very significant say
federally and therefore I would hope that Kevin would be in a snr position
in the Beazley Admin."

Pilots concerned over airspace breaches
Transport Min John Anderson says safety standards remain in line with
internat'l standards.
Canberra.  There have been 20 breaches of AUS's new airspace
regulations in just 4 days.
A passenger jet was forced to pull out of a landing at CBR airport
yesterday because a light plane strayed too close.
Under the new system introduced last Thu, light aircraft are able to
fly in the same tightly controlled airspace as domestic and internat'l
passenger jets.
Robin Beville Anderson from the AUS Federation of Air Pilots says the
CBR incident is a perfect example of the confusion surrounding the new rules.
He says the alarm system on the CBR to SYD flight warned the pilot a
collision would occur within 20 seconds if he continued on the same path.
"A TCAS [Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System] event as it's
referred to, is something that most pilots would experience once in
about 10 years," he said.
A rep for the Fed Transport Min John Anderson says people must expect
some problems as the new system is rolled out.
He has described the 20 breaches as minor.

Midair incident a false alarm: safety bureau
Canberra.  The AUS Transport Safety Bureau has revealed a midair
incident at CBR yesterday was the result of a false alarm.
A SYD to CBR passenger jet was forced to pull out of a landing at the
last minute because one of its alarms indicated a light plane had
strayed into its path.
However it has been confirmed there were no other planes observed on
radar in the vicinity of the jet.
Air traffic controllers say the incident highlights the confusion
surrounding new regulations allowing light planes to share the same
airspace as domestic and internat'l passenger jets.
But Mike Smith from the govt body set up to implement the new system
says there have been only 5 or 6 minor breaches of the new rules since
they were introduced on Thu.
"One of the reasons that we've introduced the new system is to improve
safety and we believe that's what's being achieved," he said.
Meanwhile air traffic controllers in NW NSW say they narrowly averted
a midair collision between 2 aircraft over the weekend.
A commercial plane carrying 30 passengers was on final descent into
Tamworth airport when controllers say they were unaware of a small
private aircraft which was also descending.
Under new regulations pilots are no longer compelled to call in their
position, which has sparked strong criticism from air traffic controllers.
Controllers in Tamworth say they were made aware of the impending
collision when the private pilot contacted them to advise of his
impending approach.
They issued an emergency traffic alert to the commercial plane which
took action and was given a priority landing.
They say the private aircraft was outside of Tamworth's radar coverage
area, and invisible to the system.

Call for aviation ombudsman to be set up
Canberra.  A fed parliamentary inquiry into regional aviation has
called for the creation of an industry ombudsman and a review of the
Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).  The inquiry also recommends
the Commonwealth subsidises regional airports in communities of less
than 30,000 people to help finance capital works, essential
maintenance and security upgrades.  Committee chairman Paul Neville
says if the subsidy scheme is not set up, the Govt should resume
ownership and funding of airports in those communities.  Mr Neville
says the Govt should also assist with management training for the
regional airline industry and ensure fed public servants make greater
use of regional airlines.  "The issues identified in this report
cannot be ignored any longer," he said.  "To put these issues on the
back-burner will guarantee in 4 or 5 years time regional AUS, its
airports and its air services will be facing an even greater crisis,
if not a terminal one."

Police to be interviewed over Schoolies claim
Brisbane.  3 police officers accused of inappropriate behaviour at the
Schoolies festival on Qld's Gold Coast are expected to be interviewed
in Bris today.  The Ethical Standards Command is investigating 2
separate complaints involving 6 teenage girls.  One of the officers, a
38-yo sergeant, has already been confined to desk duties for allegedly
taking 4 of the girls to his unit and offering them alcohol.  Qld
Police Min Tony McGrady says he is satisfied with the way the inquiry
is being carried out.  "If these allegations are correct, it just
spoils the image which the police had built up over a long time and
it's very regrettable I think," he said.  "I would certainly hope when
the inquiry is completed and if they find these people guilty, well
then they will be dealt with as soon as possible."

Police arrest Harbour Bridge climber
Sydney.  Police have arrested a man who scaled the SYD Harbour Bridge
and took the AUS flag from the top.  Police say he climbed the NE
pylon of the bridge about midnight.  The 26-yo was arrested and has
been issued with an infringement notice.  It is the 2nd time in the
past 10 days that there has been an arrest over climbing the bridge.

Perth mint swindle appeal begins
Perth.  Another chapter opens today in the long-running Perth mint
swindle case, with the 2 brothers jailed for the crime embarking on
yet another legal bid to overturn their convictions.  The brothers now
have a confession from a former detective who has claimed that he
helped frame them.  Peter and Ray Mickelberg have been fighting for
more than 20 y to clear their names of the theft of 68 kgs of gold
bullion from the Perth mint in 1982.  They have repeatedly lost
appeals against their convictions and their fight appeared over, until
last y when former detective, Tony Lewandowski, came forward and
admitted fabricating the confessions of the brothers.  He has already
given his evidence in this latest appeal.  But among the witness
expected to be called over the next 10 days is WA Govt minister, Bob
Kucera, who in 1982 was the officer-in-charge of the police station
where one of the brothers is alleged to have been bashed during questioning.

Howard, Carr trade blows over injecting room
Sydney.  The NSW Prem has accused John Howard of engaging in wedge
politics, over the issue of the Kings Cross injecting room trial.  The
PM has written to Mr Carr, warning that the trial may be in breach of
treaty obligations with the UN concerning drug control, and because of
that sanctions could be imposed on the legal opiate industry.  Bob
Carr says he is disappointed with John Howard's letter and argues that
the injecting room trial does not infringe AUS's treaty obligations or
breach any Commonwealth law.  "His own party leader voted for it in
the NSW Parliament, we briefed his minister," he said.  "It's some
small part of our drugs policy, I think he might be looking for a
little wedge issue in the lead up to the fed election.  "Well we can
take that in our stride and sit down and work with him in all the
things relating to drugs where we agree"

Cloud hangs over UN climate forum
Milan (AP).  Strong doubts that Russia will join the Kyoto pact on
reducing greenhouse gases are casting a cloud over a UN climate change
conference that starts Mon, with participants left to devise
pollution-battling strategies knowing that what was envisioned as a
global treaty might never get off the ground.
When organisers, scientists and environmentalists began planning for
the conference, which runs through Dec 12 in Milan and is expected to
draw 80 ministers, many had been hoping that Russia would have joined
the protocol.
The treaty, negotiated in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, sets a target of
cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 8% below 1990 levels by 2012.
To date, 119 parties have signed on to it, but together they account
for less than 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the threshold
needed for the treaty to go into force.
After US Pres George W Bush rejected the treaty and its mandatory
pollution reductions in 2001 as too harmful to the US economy,
Russia's support was needed to meet the 55% requirement.
But in Oct, Russian Pres Vladimir Putin predicted that the pact would
fail to reverse climate change, "even with 100% compliance." His
economic adviser, Andrei Illarionov, contended the Kyoto Protocol
would "doom Russia to poverty, weakness and backwardness."
Under the pact, if a country exceeds its emissions levels, it can be
forced to cut back on industrial production.
Since the US is the world's largest polluter, its refusal to join
Kyoto is already "a big drag" on the battle to fight global warming,
said Jonathan Pershing, a geologist who is heading the delegation of
the World Resources Institute, a Washington environmental think tank
at the conference.
A rejection by Russia will further present a dilemma to those
countries which have embraced the treaty, participants said.
"There's a number of forks in the road," said Pershing. "Those
countries who have said 'yes' go forward without a formal internat'l
treaty. But how do you do that?"
Pershing said back-room discussions at the conference will cover the
possibilities, including one option that nations could sign a series
of bilateral deals with other Kyoto members.
Up for discussion in Milan are rules under which industrialised
nations can earn credits toward satisfying their own emission-reducing
requirements by helping developing nations, which aren't required
under the protocol to reduce emissions.
Eligible projects range from making factories more energy efficient to
helping promote forests, which absorb carbon dioxide, a chief greenhouse
gas culprit.
"It doesn't matter where a carbon molecule comes from," in terms of
overall greenhouse gas buildup, said Alden Meyer, a conference
participant from the Washington-based Union of Concerned Scientists.
Meyer noted that the US is a successful pioneer in what's known as
emissions trading. Under a fed system, US power companies can sell
other companies credits they've earned for producing emissions linked
to acid rain that are under capped levels.
The US undersecretary for global affairs, Paula Dobriansky, who will
attend the conference's final, high-level sessions, said the
discussions will help illustrate "how promoting cleaner energy and
energy technology is certainly in the interest of developing and
developed countries alike."
The UN said the Milan conference will also evaluate efforts by govts
to tackle the climate change challenge.
"That 2003 is on track to be one of the warmest y on record should be
a warning that we must all take seriously," said Joke Waller-Hunter,
executive secretary of the UN Climate Change Convention.
This spring, the European Union warned that 10 EU countries, including
conference host Italy, are "way off track" for agreed targets on
cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
A rise in average temperatures has been blamed, at least in part, for
melting glaciers and rising water levels, prompting fears that coming
decades will witness floods, water shortages and hardships for many species.
Retired Vice Adm Conrad C Lautenbacher Jr, administrator of the US
Nat'l Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin, said some questions about climate
change are yet to be fully understood: the length of a carbon cycle,
the way the molecule circulates around the planet and what humans
contribute to global warming.
The US aims to cut emissions by 18% over the next 10 y.

Russia looms over climate change meeting
Rome (AP).  Indications that Russia will reject the Kyoto pact on
greenhouse gas reduction has participants at a UN conference worried
that the global treaty might never get off the ground.
When organisers, scientists and environmentalists began planning for
the conference, which begins Mon and runs through Dec 12 in Milan,
many had hoped that Russia would have joined the protocol.
The treaty, negotiated in 1997 in Kyoto, Japan, sets a target of
cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 8% below 1990 levels by 2012.
To date, 119 parties have signed on, but together they account for
less than 55% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the threshold needed
for the treaty to go into force.
After Pres Bush rejected the treaty and its mandatory pollution
reductions in 2001 as too harmful to the US economy, Russia's support
was needed to meet the 55% requirement.
But in Oct, Russian Pres Vladimir Putin predicted that the pact would
fail to reverse climate change, "even with 100% compliance." His
economic adviser, Andrei Illarionov, contended the Kyoto Protocol
would "doom Russia to poverty, weakness and backwardness."
Under the pact, if a country exceeds its emissions levels, it can be
forced to cut back on industrial production.
Since the US is the world's largest polluter, its refusal to join
Kyoto is already "a big drag" on the battle to fight global warming,
said Jonathan Pershing, a geologist heading the delegation of the
World Resources Institute, a Washington environmental think tank.
A rejection by Russia will further present a dilemma to those
countries which have embraced the treaty, participants said.
"There's a number of forks in the road," said Pershing. "Those
countries who have said 'yes' go forward without a formal internat'l
treaty. But how do you do that?"
Pershing said back-room discussions at the conference will cover the
possibilities, including one option that nations could sign a series
of bilateral deals with other Kyoto members.
Up for discussion in Milan are rules under which industrialised
nations can earn credits toward satisfying their own emission-reducing
requirements by helping developing nations, which aren't required
under the protocol to reduce emissions.
Eligible projects range from making factories more energy efficient to
helping promote forests, which absorb carbon dioxide, a chief greenhouse
gas culprit.
"It doesn't matter where a carbon molecule comes from," in terms of
overall greenhouse gas buildup, said Alden Meyer, a conference
participant from the Washington-based Union of Concerned Scientists.
Meyer noted that the US is a successful pioneer in what's known as
emissions trading. Under a fed system, US power companies can sell
other companies credits they've earned for producing emissions linked
to acid rain that are under capped levels.
The US undersecretary for global affairs, Paula Dobriansky, who will
attend the conference's final, high-level sessions, said the
discussions will help illustrate "how promoting cleaner energy and
energy technology is certainly in the interest of developing and
developed countries alike."
The UN said the Milan conference will also evaluate efforts by govts
to tackle the climate change challenge.
"That 2003 is on track to be one of the warmest y on record should be
a warning that we must all take seriously," said Joke Waller-Hunter,
executive secretary of the UN Climate Change Convention.
This spring, the European Union warned that 10 EU countries, including
conference host Italy, are "way off track" for agreed targets on
cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
A rise in average temperatures has been blamed, at least in part, for
melting glaciers and rising water levels, prompting fears that coming
decades will witness floods, water shortages and hardships for animals.
Retired Vice Adm Conrad C Lautenbacher Jr, administrator of the US
Nat'l Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin, said some questions about climate
change are yet to be fully understood: the length of a carbon cycle,
the way the molecule circulates around the planet and what humans
contribute to global warming.
The US aims to cut emissions by 18% over the next 10 y.
"The current Admin has a policy to reduce greenhouse gas emission,"
said Lautenbacher. "Whether the world accepts that or not is another
issue. We are not being irresponsible" by rejecting Kyoto, he contended.

Englishman discovers he's a Canadian native chief
London (Reuters).  A 59-yo retired builder from Yorkshire, northern
England, was shocked to discover he is in fact a tribal chief with a
claim to 1000s of acres of land in Canada, Brit newspapers reported on Fri.
Mick Henry, the son of an English mother and a Canadian soldier over
in Brit during World War II, was recently tracked down via the
Internet by his long-lost Native Canadian relatives from the Ojibway
tribe in the province of Manitoba.
"I never thought something like this could happen to anyone, certainly
not someone like me," Henry told the Daily Mail newspaper.
"They are still looking for a proper ceremonial name for me. I thought
they still lived in tents and went hunting for their food.
In fact they all have lovely houses and enjoy a wonderful lifestyle,"
he said.
Henry's father was an Ojibway who returned to Canada soon after his
son was born. He never maintained contact and died in 1998.
The Daily Mail published recent pictures of Henry reunited in Canada
with some of the 70 members of his tribe, all dressed in ceremonial
clothing and head-dresses.
Henry is also apparently hoping to cash-in on his new-found heritage
and sudden celebrity status.
When contacted by telephone by Reuters, a Henry family rep said: "He
is not speaking to the media about his story any more without a fee."

{{
11 pm
Labor For Aff rep Kevin Rudd told ABC's "Lateline" he designed to pull
out of the leadership race and support Kim Beazley so the voting
tomorrow morning would be "decisive".  It appears the decision will be close!
}}

----------------------------------------
Tue, 02 Dec 2003.

Gough Whitlam was elected to power 31 y ago.

Markets
NY. The Dow has closed sharply higher on factory data that's reached
20-y highs.  The DJIA closed at an 18-m high of 9,899.  The Nasdaq
also closed up.  Gold broke the 400 barrier, and was trading in NY up
4.45 to $US402.80/oz.  In London, the FTSE added 67 pts to close at
4,410.  The German Dax also closed sharply higher, adding 75 pts to
end at 3,821.

Rain hampers rescue efforts
Beijing. Bad weather is hampering rescue efforts in China'a NW
Xinjiang region where a powerful earthquake has killed 11 and injured
73.  Heavy snow has fallen on the worst-hit Zhaosu county nr China's
rugged border with Kazakhstan, making road travel treacherous and
delaying the arrival of rescue staff.  Temps have plunged to -17 C,
although those made homeless by the 6.1 mag quake have been relocated
to houses with heating.

UN calls for help for AIDS program
Washington. The UN has asked for help in its ambitious program to
bring AIDS medication to 3 mn poor patients in 2005.  The WHO and
UNAIDS have pleaded for assistance with the so-called "3 of 5"
initiative, which is expected to cost $A7.6 bn.  Antiretroviral drugs
prevent the onset of full-blown AIDS in people infected with HIV and
make such infections manageable.

US to continue aggressive tactics
Baghdad. The US military in Iraq says it will continue using
aggressive tactics after killing 54 people, 8 of them said to be
civilians.  US cmdrs, who prev said they killed 46 Iraqi insurgents,
have upper the Samarra death toll to 54, without ID'ing the additional
dead.  The deaths follow what the US says was a coordinated ambush of
its troops in the N Iraqi town of Samarra.  Mysteriously, reports say
no bodies have been discovered.

Moscow calls for speedy Iraqi hand-over
Moscow. Russian Pres Vladimir Putin has urged his US counterpart Pres
Bush Jr to speed up the hand-over of power in Iraq to an elected govt.
Putin has also called for the US to allow the UN to play a more active
role in post-war reconstruction.  Russia has long argued for the UN to
be given a greater role in Iraq.  Last m it urged the world body to
hold a conf to draft a peace plan that would boost its role in Iraq
and authorise the deployment of internat'l peacekeepers.

Armed gang kill 5 in S Mexico
Gutierrez. A gang armed with automatic weapons have attacked a ranch
in S Mexico, killing 8 people and wounding 5 others.  Police say the
attack happened at the JR ranch nr the village of Rosario Izepa, close
to Mexico's border with Guatemala and about 10 km NE of Tapachula.
The motive remains unclear, although the region has suffered a wave of
violence this y due to gangs fighting over the smuggling of people and
drugs across the border.

Explosion rocks Karachi garment district
Karachi. A large explosion has rocked a building housing a garment
market in Karachi in S Pakistan.  It's not clear if anyone has been
injured in the blast that went off as shops were being closed for the
night.  City police chief Tariq Jamil later said the explosion
shattered windows but caused no injuries.  Karachi is Pakistan's
largest city and has been the scene of bomb blasts, incl terrorist
attacks and other bombings linked to business disputes.

33 killed in Congo crash
Kinshasa. Congo has revised upward the death toll from a plane crash
over the weekend. The govt now says 33 were killed in the
crash. Initially it said 22 had died.  Congo's Info Min says the
military An-26 ploughed into market sellers at the end of a runway nr
the town of Boende after a tyre burst.  13 people in the market were
killed by the crash.

Colombian rebels kill 6 police
Bogota. At least 6 police officers have died and 5 others are missing
after being attacked by suspected left-wing guerrillas in N Colombia.
Police sources say the officers were ambushed in Galeras on the way to
a farm to follow up a report that a local administrator had been
murdered.  They say the FARC operates in the area.  They're now trying
to locate the 5 missing officers, amid concerns they might have been
kidnapped by their assailants.

Human Rights Watch accuses Commonwealth of hypocrisy
Abuja. A human rights group has accused the Nigerian govt of using
violence and intimidation on its own population, to silence critics.
The US-based group Human Rights Watch has accused the Commonwealth of
hypocrisy in honouring Nigeria's regime while condemning Zimbabwe's
Pres Robert Mugabe.  Nigeria is hosting a Commonwealth summit this wk.
Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth 20 m ago after Mugabe was
re-elected in a poll which observers say was tainted by fraud and violence.

Zimbabwe to revise land laws
Harare. Zimbabwe's govt plans to amend controversial land laws to
allow it to take more land and more easily away from white farmers.
The state-run Herald says a major change would be the scrapping of a
requirement that a preliminary notice of acquisition by the govt is
served personally on the farm owner.  The paper also says that the
total land the govt initially said it wants to compulsorily acquire
from whites for blacks was only its minimum requirement.

Milosevic to stand in Serbian elections
Belgrade. It's been reported indicted former Yugoslav Pres Slobodan
Milosevic will run for parliament in up-coming elections in Serbia
this m.  Milosevic is presently on trial for war crimes before the UN
court in Den Hague.  A snr party official in Serbia says Milosevic
agreed to be first on the ticket of the Serbian Socialist Party of
Serbia.  SPS official Ivica Dacic says if they win enough votes to
enter parliament, Milosevic can be deputy.

N Ireland power-sharing prospects look dim
Belfast. Hopes of reviving N Ireland's power-sharing govt look bleak,
with the big winner of last wk's legislative elections saying he'll
never share the table with armed terrorists.  Brit's N Ireland Min
Paul Murphy has met with reps of the hard-line Democratic Unionist
Party after it clinched 30 seats in the Assembly.  However firebrand
DUP leader Ian Paisley has made it clear he won't form a coal'n govt
with the IRA's political wing and leading RC party, Sinn Fein.

Mark Latham elected Labor leader
Canberra. In a shock move, deputy Mark Latham has been elected to the
leadership of the fed Labor Party.  Labor's returning officer Bob
Sercobe says Mr Latham won today's caucus ballot against Kim Beazley
47 votes to 45.  Mark Latham says he's deeply honoured to be
opposition leader and he wants to do good things for Australia.  The
42 yo MP from W SYD now takes over as Opp'n Leader from Simon Crean,
who stood down after losing the support of snr colleagues and faction
leaders last wk.
[A Ch 9 phone poll after the decision found 49% of respondents
preferred Latham as PM, compared with 51% for staying with PM Howard].

RBA to decide in rates
Canberra. The RBA decides today whether to raise int rates.  The
board, at its last meeting of the y, is expected to consider whether
to increase rates by 25 basis pts.  There is plenty of data to
support the move, but home owners and many businesses are urging
restraint.  But a surge in the AUD o'night -- which briefly touched
73 US c -- may be the final decider. The Board will announce its
decision tomorrow morning.  The RBA raised rates last m by 1/4 pt --
the first increase in 16 m.  Another 25 basis pts would take the
monthly repayment of the average $190,000 mortgage up by another $30
pm.  Analysis are predicting there will be another 1/4 pt hike toward
the middle of next y.  Some pessimists are predicting a 50 basis pt
rise this time.

[More grist for the RBA mill:]
Aussie economy powering along
Canberra. Official data confirms the economy continued to steam ahead
in Oct, with rises in retail trade and building approvals increasing
the chances of another int rate hike before Xmas.  The ABS says
building approvals rose 1.6% in the wks before the RBA raised rates
for the first time in nearly 17 m.  The rise was driven by an increase
in apartment and townhouse approvals, although approvals remained
5.7% below the same time last y.

Vic fires under control
Melbourne. Firefighters have managed to contain a number of blazes
burning across Vic.  However a fire chief has warned that lighting
storms forecast in the state's NE could ignite dry areas.  The Dept of
Sust and Env's state fire coordinator, John Lloyd, says fire crews
overnight contained a fire in Buldah in Vic's far E that's burned out
about 20 ha.  Mr Lloyd says another 2 spot fires sparked by lightning
yesterday nr Shepparton in the state's N have been contained.

Former Qld magistrate serves sentence
Brisbane. Qld's former Chief Magistrate, Di Fingleton, will be
released from jail tomorrow.  She'll leave prison under circumstances
vastly different from the state's other high-profile female prisoner,
Pauline Hanson.  Fingleton will have to wait until a High Court
application next y for another chance to clear her name.  She's
already served her full 6-m sentence.  The last 4 m have been spent at
the Helena Jones Correct'al Centre -- a halfway house at Albion, in
Bris's inner-N.
[Later reports say Fingleton whimsically compared herself with Pauline
Hanson. She'd received about 1,000 letter while in jail, said
Fingleton, probably because she was not as famous as Hanson].

3rd "improper conduct" Schoolies case
Brisbane. More fallout from Schoolies Week is set to emerge, which
police revealing they're investigating a 3rd incident involving police
officers and under-aged girls.  Officers interviewing Public Safety
Response Team members have turned up another case of alleged
"unprofessional conduct".  The latest scandal involves PSRT officers
allegedly inviting teen girls to a unit on the GC last wk.  And it's
understood the girls involved in this incident are not party of either
of 2 prev-reported episodes.

Women smokers face greater risks
Chicago. A new study shows women smokers face twice the risk of
developing lung cancer as their male counterparts.  The study,
presented in Chicago at the annual meeting of the Radiological
Society of N Am, also found women smokers face a much higher risk than
men of developing lung cancer no matter how often they smoke or how
old they are.  The American Cancer Society says lung cancer is the
leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women and men [what? not
old age?]  across the US.

NSW rail workers to strike Fri
Sydney. 1000s of rail workers will walk off the job on Fri over a
klong-running pay dispute with their employer, Pacific National.
Unions say the company wants to pay freight drivers in NSW a lower
rate until they begin a new system where the driver is the only
workers aboard the train.  The Rail Tram and Bus Union's nat'l Pres
Bob Hayden says the NSW Rail Safety Regulator is not willing to
approve the system until the McInerney Inquiry into the Waterfall
disaster is handed down later this m.

Bumper winter crops expected
Canberra. Australia's chief commodities forecaster says farmers will
bring in a near record winter crop of 37.6 mn tonnes.  The ABARE says
there's been a dramatic turnaround in conditions in most states,
prompting the 2nd largest winter crop on record.  In its last crop
report for the y, ABARE says wheat production will be up 138% on last
y's drought-ravaged crop, hitting 23.9 mn tonnes.  Production is also
up for barley, canola and pulses.
[Cotton farmers say their crop has been decimated by continuing
drought conditions. ABC TV reports cotton crops are down 67% this y,
compared with last y].

Animal welfare monitors harassed seal
Melbourne. Animal welfare officers have set up a 24-hr watch on a
beached elephant seal on Vic's W coast to protect it from being
harassed by the public.  The 500 kg seal first appeared at popular
Geelong fishing and walking spot Point Henry 3 wks ago.  However the
Geelong Animal Welfare Soc says curious onlookers have since poked
it, ripped fur from its skin, and harassed it.  Soc mgr Robin Stewart
says people are risking their own safety and upsetting the animal.

Music festival a money spinner
Sydney. NSW Tourism Min Sandra Nori says the Tamworth Country Music
Festival -- in its 31st y -- has become an event ingrained in the
nation's psyche.  She made the comment as some of the stars who will
head to Tamworth in Jan gathered in SYD to begin the countdown.  Jan
16 is expected to attract more than 80,000 visitors and generate
around $40 mn for Tamworth, in N NSW.

Markets
Sydney (close).  The ASX ended firmer today as resources powered
higher and lifted the indexes despite an overall choppy market.  The
All Ords added 16 pts to end at 3,197.  In Japan, the Nikkei gained
only 7 pts to close at 10,410.  The Hang Seng lost 45 pts to end at 12,412.

{{
Midnight.
The US says the enemy death toll is at least 54 after a pitched battle
in Samara.  2 US convoys were targeted.  They were carrying supplies
and new currency.  The rebel group had good intel, say US cmdrs.  They
fired from alleys and rooftops.  Lt Col Wm McDonald said the attackers
wore black uniforms.  The same ones worn by Saddam's Fedayeen.  The
Fedayeen have apparently re-organised and are now confident enough to
re-ID themselves.
[US ABC says there's another report that the death toll is lower, but
involves many Iraqi civilians who were not trying to steal the new
banknotes. Local witnesses say US tanks fired indiscriminately during
the attacks by uniformed Saddam Fedayeen.  They say even an empty
kindergarten was hit by US tank shells].

3.30 am
DW Radio.  An Indon court has overturned Abu Bakar Bashir's treason
conviction.  An appellate court dismissed the charge and reduced the
sentence of suspected JI leader Bashir from 4 y to 3.  It found the
prosecution had not proved the charge that Bashir had been involved in
an attempt to overthrow the Indonesian govt.

A former Bombay police chief has been charged with involvement in a
$646 mn fraud.

3.30 am
The head of Boeing, Condit, has unexpectedly resigned at a time the
company last lost its foothold in the market to Airbus.

An opinion poll has found 2/3 of Spaniards want their troops to come
back home.

5.30
A US soldier has been killed when his convoy came under attack in C Iraq.

The US flu season has opened early, with Colorado already recording 4
fatalities. Officials have been warning for wks it could be the worst
season in decades, with 37 states already recording significant
levels of infection.

Israeli troops have shot dead 4 Palestinians, incl a young boy, just
hrs after officials headed out to Geneva to sign up to an informal
peace agreement.  Israeli troops say they also destroyed a bomb
factory in a raid.  [SBS TV says soldiers blew up a 5-storey building
when an alleged militant inside refused to come out].  A 2nd building
was also bulldozed during the raid.  Yassar Arafat has reportedly come
out against the Geneva Accords.  A Palestinian rep said the agreement
still doesn't specify the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

6 am
A furore has been sparked by a home video that shows Vic police
ramming a knife-wielding suspect with a police car to end a siege.  An
internal investigation will determine whether excessive force was used.

6 US police officers have been suspended after they were caught on
video beating a suspect in Ohio.
[Later reports say the black suspect was beaten to death by police,
who continue to say their actions were justified].

A new report has found NSW regional airports are "virtual launching
pads for terrorist attacks".

The AUD is trading around 72.69 US c.  It briefly touched 73 US c
overnight as the greenback dived.  Gold his reached 7-and-1/2 y high,
breaking the $400 barrier.  Oil is down 58 c to $US29.89/bbl.  The Dow
was at an 18 m high, after factory data showed US conditions better
than in the prev 20 y.

Qld police are investigating a 3rd case of misconduct involving young
girls on the GC.  Yesterday, a 2nd officer was accused of having
sexual relations with several under-aged girls.

6.30 am
250 Aussie police are going to PNG to restore order.

10.30 am
In a shock move, Mark Latham has been elected Labor leader.  The
voting was close -- 47 to 45.  There were gasps of surprise from the
press when the announcement was made.  Reportedly the Liberal Party is
delighted with the decision.

Samarra. While US cmdrs have told reports they support the actions of
their men, locals continue to dispute the US version of events
yesterday.  One cmdr insisted his men "direct their fire" when under
attack.  TV pix seem to show otherwise.  The American forces claim
they fought off attacks on a currency shipment and killed 54
guerrillas.  [Mysteriously, says Aussie SBS TV, not one of the bodies
was retrieved.  The US military estimated the enemy dead from the
reports of soldiers. US cmdrs also say at least 60 enemy were involved
in the attack].
Locals say only 8 people were killed -- most of them civilian bystanders.
TV pix have shown pock-marked cars, others crushed by tanks, and
bullet-riddle buildings.
A sacred mosque was also hit by heavy fire.
Locals say an empty school building was hit by tank fire.
Civilian estimates of the death toll have varied from 6 to 20. The
local hospital is treating a number of wounded, incl young children,
old men and women.

11 am
Kim Beazley has given a press conf, saying he will support
newly-elected Mark Latham. Although Beazley indicated he would
continue on as an MP, analysts are saying he will probably retire
before the next elections. Kim's been defeated twice as leader of the
Opp'n and now defeated twice in bids to regain the ALP leadership.

4.30 pm
DW TV.  The hospital in Samarra says it has received only 7 or 8
bodies.  Local US cmdrs say they speculate the enemy removed the
bodies of their dead comrades. There are still no explanations why
none of the dead have been ID'ed as members of the attacking Fedayeen.

Research has confirmed a long-suspected link between asthma and
mental illness.  It's unclear why those suffering from asthma are more
prone to depression and other mental disordered, but some doctors
speculate simply suffering from a sometimes debilitating condition can
lead to depression.  1/10 Aussie adults are asthma sufferers.

Ch 7. Some news services report many locals in Samarra grabbed weapons
and joined the fight with black-clothed Saddam Fedayeen against 2 US
military columns carrying a shipment of newly printed currency.
Locals were reportedly upset about on-going night raids and what they
see as insulting and unfair treatment at the hands of US soldiers.
Knowing they were a target for thieves, the US column was reinforced
with 8 tanks.  US cmdrs say the attacks against them were planned,
with rebels planning fall-back positions and laying down explosives
ahead of time.

10 pm
London.  Don Rumsfeld has been awarded a gong by UK-based Plain
English.  The US Def Sec has won the 2003 Foot In Mouth Award for his
famous "There are no knowns...  that is really the known knowns and
the known unknowns" speech earlier this y, explaining why no Iraqi WMD
had been found.  There were many contenders for the least clear
statements of the y.  Governator Arnie reportedly came 2nd, with his
"Gay marriage should be something between a man and a women".  Pres
Bush has learned to laugh at his own numerous mistooks. E.g. "More of
our exports are coming from overseas this year".  Many MJ3 statements
had a solid chance. But the judges dismissed the entries as an obvious
collaborative effort.

New Labor leader Mark Latham has already pissed off the media,
reportedly refusing to talk with ABC Lateline. He apparently has
agreed to make comments today only to Packer's PBL Ch 9.
[Later reports on Ch 7 indicate journalists there have also been
locked out. Analysts say their advice would have been to get his
message out to as many media outlets as possible].
}}

----------------------------------------
Wed, 03 Dec 2003.

Markets
NY. Following a triple-digit hike yesterday, the Dow has closed down
45 pts to 9,854.  As the greenback reached an all-time low against the
euro, gold has added 95 c to $US403.33/oz.  Oil was also higher, at
$US30.75/bbl.  In London, the FTSE followed the Dow down, losing 31
pts to close at 4,389.  The German Dax also lost 12 pts to close at 3,809.

AUS int rates rise another 25 basis pts
Canberra. The RBA has raised the cash rate another 25 basis pts.
Homeowners and the fed govt have been bracing for the disappointing
Xmas present in the last Reserve Bank move of the y.  It's the 2nd
successive m of rate hikes after around 17 m of stability.  The
latest rise will add around $30 pm to the average home loan.  Analysts
are predicting another 25 basis pt rise is likely to follow in 1H04.
[Following the official announcement, the AUD jumped again.  It's now
trading around 73.26 US c. The lil Aussie battler has soared 30% over
the y -- and 4% since the start of Nov].
[A rep for the Nationals has called for the RBA Board to be sacked,
saying it must be stale if its only strategy was to lift interest
rates (?!). I don't know where that fella went to school].

12,000 US troops hunt Saddam deputy
Kirkuk. US troops have encircled the town of Hawijah for 12 hrs in a
swoop for Saddam Hussein's deputy Ibrahim al-Douri.  But a US rep
says the massive manhunt, involving 12,000 troops across N-C Iraq,
has failed to find the wanted man.  Meanwhile, at least 1 US soldier
has been killed in 2 bomb attacks on military convoys S of the tense
Iraqi town of Samarra that saw a massive firefight yesterday.

US warns of terror attacks
Nairobi. US embassies have warned of possible terrorist attacks
against 2 hotels in Kenya and a housing compound for Westerners in
Saudi Arabia.  2 banks have been evac'd in the Kenyan capital because
of a bomb threat.  US officials say Seder Village compound in Riyadh
has been under active surveillance by terrorists and other housing
complexes may also be targeted.  In Kenya, the US Embassy says the
US govt recently received an anonymous warning detailing terrorist
threats aimed at American and other Western interests in downtown Nairobi.

UN schedules 1-day summit on Israeli barrier
NY. The UN Gen Ass'y will hold a special session next wk to discuss
Israel's construction of a controversial W Bank security barrier.
Ass'y rep Michele Montas says the 1/2-day session has been scheduled
at the request of the UN's Arab Group.  Israel has ignored an earlier
UNGA Res on Oct 21, which deemed the construction of such a barrier
illegal under international law.

[As the US warns of the worst flu season in 30 y:]
Flu season hits France hard
Paris. Parts of W Europe have been hit by a mass outbreak of influenza
with up to 2 mn cases expected in France by the end of the wk.  The
epidemic comes amid warnings of a SARS-style worldwide pandemic of
flu, thanks to the ease of global travel.  In France, questions have
again been asked about the capacity of the country's health system to
cope with a crisis.  The country's latest health crisis comes 4 m
after the heat-wave that killed more than 15,000 people.

Mugabe announces "unholy anglo-saxon alliance"
Harare. Zimbabwe's Pres Robert Mugabe has named Australia, New
Zealand, and Britain as an unholy anglo-saxon alliance against his
country.  He says Zimbabwe supports China as an alternative world
power.  Mugabe says China is increasingly becoming an alternative
global power point indicating a new direction, which could be the
foundation of a new global paradigm.  On Fri, Mugabe indicated
Zimbabwe was ready to quit the Commonwealth permanently after he was
left out of the wk's Commonwealth Heads of Govt Meeting in Nigeria.

120 mm hit MEL over 3 hrs
Melbourne. Boats have been used to rescue people stranded on top of
their cars in MEL's E after severe thunderstorms hit the city
overnight.  The storms centres on the W, N and inner E subs, with 120
mm of rain recorded at Doncaster between midnight and 2.30 am.  A
Metro Fire Service rep says 12 people had to be rescued after their
cars became submerged by the storm-water on the Eastern Freeway.
Weather Bureau snr forecaster Ken Dickenson says the storm was "freakish".
[Other analysts say it was a 1-in-50 y event].

PM doesn't rule out early DD election
Canberra. As new Labor leader Mark Latham hits the airwaves to canvass
support for his party, PM John Howard has left open the option of
calling an early double dissolution election early next y.  But Mr
Howard says it's more likely the election will be held in 2H04.  The
Howard govt holds a handful of DD triggers -- with legislation
repeatedly modified by the Senate.  These incl bills on IR and
removing 1000s of islands from Australia's migration zone.
[Ever the opportunist, Mr Howard said unless a "special event" sent
him to the polls early, the election would be in the 2nd half of 2004].

Sheep report delayed until tomorrow
Melbourne. A report on the contamination of sheep at a Portland feed
lot has been put back until tomorrow.  The export of 70,000 live sheep
has been stalled as authorities investigate the contamination of their
feed by Animal Liberation at a feedlot at Portland, in Vic's SW last
m.  Animal Lib activists said they wanted to make the sheep
unacceptable to Muslim markets in the Middle E.

{{
Midnight.
Something unusual for MEL -- continuous thunder and continuous
lightning!  A continuous roll of thunder started around midnight and
continued for around 2 hrs.  There were also long periods of
cloud-to-cloud lightning and almost no sound.

1 am
Savage hail has hit MEL. Damage is likely to be extensive, with golf
ball-sized chunks of ice falling intermittently for around 2 hrs.

6 am
Severe storms hit N and E MEL o'night, Around 100 mm fell in 3 hrs.
The Met Bureau says it was a 1 in 50 y even.  Roads are blocked for kms.
There were 1,000 emergency calls o'night.  More storms are forecast
for SE MEL this morning.

The AUD has continued to 73.12 US c as the greenback hit record lows
against the euro. After a triple-digit rise yesterday, the Dow has
taken a breather is presently up only marginally.  Gold is settling in
about 400/oz.  It's presently around $US402.25/oz.  Oil rose more
than 90 c to $US30.75/bbl.

Disgraced supplement maker Pan Pharmaceuticals has reportedly applied
for a manufacturing licence in Vietnam.

A man is in satisfactory condition after being shot by Bris police
o'night. Reportedly, 2 police on a meal break at a McD's restaurant
spotted men in the car park "acting suspiciously". They approached them
men, and police allege they attempted to run over one officer in their
car. Police fired 3 rounds. A car with blown-out passenger and river
windows was later found at a nearby house. A man inside had bullet a
bullet wound in the stomach.

Fed parliament is set to pass stronger ASIO powers today.  The laws
will allow the intel organisation to question foreigners for up to 48
hrs with the use of an interpreter, compared to a max of 24 hrs for citizens.

More Aussies than ever before a choosing to live alone. The ABS says
there are 1.6 mn Aussies living by themselves -- up more than 40% over
the past 10 y.

Henry Kaye has apologised to investors, saying he never meant to cause
people to lose their money.  The Kaye empire collapsed suddenly last
wk, leaving 100s who wanted to learn how to make money fast in the
property market demanding refunds. Regulators say Kaye's 2 main
companies have gone into administration, but there appears to be a
complex of up to 100 others involved. People paid up to $50,000 to
attend Kaye seminars, leaning about "no money down" and "even an idiot
can make money in the property market".

Under intense cross-examination the accused killer of 2 English school
girls has admitted he didn't "give them a chance" but has maintained
he didn't mean to kill them.  According to the suspect, he
accidentally killed one girl while attending to her nose-bleed. The
other girl died when he tried to stop her screaming.  He later burned
the bodies and their clothing because he thought police would not
believe his story of a series of "accidents".

7 am
Wall St and London have both closed down after the greenback crashed
o'night.

To the tune of "Bats Out of Hell" Mark Latham is stalking the halls of
parliament house, looking for errant arse-lickers and suck-holes.

The UN climate conf in Milan has been told Aussie snow-fields could be
a thing of the past by 2070. While the Russia has signalled it will
not ratify Kyoto, and the US has defended its decision to refuse to
ratify the climate treaty, the latest research predicts avg global
temps will increase up to 6 C over the next C.

The marine response unit of the Fire Brigade had to save 12 motorists
on the E Freeway where water got to chest height, around midnight.
Firefighters donned life jackets and complained their charts weren't
accurate for navigation of the waters of the freeway.  The Met Bureau
says 112 mm of rain fell over N MEL in the space of 2 hrs o'night.
There are now reports of looting in Fairfield.  There are 30 reports
of theft in the area of a shopping centre that was damaged by hail o'night.

The govt has made 119 more amendments to its education bill in an
attempt to get it through the Senate by the end of the y.  Under
pressure from the Greens, the hike in fees has been limited to 20%.

A survey has found Aussie GP's wrote 9 mn fewer prescriptions last y
than 5 y ago.

SYD. A 19 yo man is in hospital after being stabbed 5 times during a
home invasion in N SYD. NSW police say 4 people were in the home in
Weaver St Ryde when 2 men armed with a knife and gun entered the
property around 7.30 pm.  A 19 yo man who lived in the home attempted
to stop the men breaking in, and was stabbed in the arm, chest and buttocks.
The offenders then escaped and the victim sought aid from a neighbour.

10 am
MEL's community TV channel has been knocked out by the o'night storms.

There's another consequence of 9/11. Firefighters in NY are leaving
their wives and shacking up with the widows of their fallen comrades.
It's a century-old tradition for NY firefighters to look after the
families of dead colleagues, but wives say their husbands are taking
it to new heights by leaving them for the widows of other firefighters.

MEL.  A charge of riotous behaviour against ATSIC boss Geoff Clark has
been dismissed.  17 of 19 charges against Clark have now been either
dismissed or withdrawn by police.  But the magistrate has said Clark
must face trial on a charge of obstructing police.  The charges stem
from an incident in a hotel, where Clark say he was asked to leave
because he is aboriginal.

MEL. 2 people have been charged with looting a shopping strip
following the city's once-in-a-century storms o'night.

11 am
The AUD has jumped after the RBA announced the rate hike.  It's now
trading at 6 y highs around 73.26 US c.  Gold is also on the rise,
partly because the greenback is continuing to decline.  It's trading
around $US404.00/oz.

11.30 am
There are rumours Saddam's deputy al-Douri may have been captured or
killed in a massive operation in N Iraq overnight.  The US military
has declined to confirm the rumours. The Iraqi Governing Council has
jumped at the story, saying it would be major coup for the occupying
forces to eliminate a major source of resistance.

2 US Mars probes are due to attempt a landing on the Red Planet early
next y. But NASA now says it's having concerns about the success of
the mission. Mars is having a lot of bad weather that could wreck the
delicate landers.

GDP data for the Sep Q show AUS grew at 1.2% -- for an annualised rate
in the range of 4-5%.

Midday.
The Dems have just announced they will vote down the govt's Medicare
safety net measures. Andrew Bartlett said his party was disappointed
they could not assist people with bulk billing and health. The govt
will now have to turn the independent Senators, incl Meg Lees, if they
want the measures to pass.

In France, 3 people have been killed in flooding in S France.  As
villages around Marseille were flooded by heavy rain, people had to be
rescued from their homes in boats.  2 nuke reactors had to be shut
down because of the high levels of the Rhone.  More rain is forecast
over the next 2 days.

12.30 pm
The Fed govt says it's increasing the protection of the GBR from 3% to
30% of its area. Env Min David Kemp said around the world other reefs
had been damaged, some beyond recovery, by misuse and pollution. The
govt admits some users will lose out under the new regime, but says it
must move to protect the $4 bn tourism ind'y.

Sydney. The ASX dropepd 10 pts on the news of an interest rate hike
this morning, but has now recovered.  At 12.14 AEDT the All Ords was
up 21 pts to 3,218.
}}
========================================

(*) 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.

*** Please stand by for further orders from The Leader ***
=== end 3/3 ===