The Hartford Courant

Connecticut Officials To Urge BRAC Panel To Keep Groton Base Open
10:49 AM EDT, July 6, 2005
Associated Press

BOSTON -- Faced with increasing pressure to save the Groton submarine base, Connecticut officials today unleashed harsh criticism of the Pentagon and the numbers it used in deciding to put the 137-year-old facility on its closure list.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell, members of the state's congressional delegation and military experts testified before the Base Closure and Realignment Commission in Boston Wednesday morning during a hearing that represented their best opportunity to convince federal officials to keep the base open.

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-06101451.apds.m0905.bc-ct--subbjul06,0,927810.story?coll=hc-big-headlines-breaking

In Defense Of Private Property
Hundreds In New London Oppose Seizure Of Homes For Development
July 6, 2005
By LAUREN PHILLIPS, Courant Staff Writer

NEW LONDON -- Hundreds of people - some from as far away as Texas - rallied Tuesday on the steps of city hall to oppose the U.S. Supreme Court decision affirming government's right to take private property for economic development purposes.
The outcry follows a national vein of opposition to the 5-4 decision two weeks ago siding with city officials who plan to use their eminent domain power to take 15 homes in the Fort Trumbull neighborhood, making way for a private waterfront development.

http://www.courant.com/news/local/hc-nlrally0706.artjul06,0,5240717.story?coll=hc-big-headlines-breaking

E85 Is Right Number At Pump
45 Cents A Gallon Cheaper Than Gasoline, Ethanol Mix Hooking Midwest Motorists
July 6, 2005
By STEVE KARNOWSKI, Associated Press

EAGAN, Minn. -- Like lots of motorists, Chuck Nye thought he had no choice but to grin and bear it as rising gas prices made filling up his minivan a painful experience.
But then he heard a radio ad promoting E85 - a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline - that sells for an average of about 45 cents a gallon less than regular unleaded. Inside his fuel door was a sticker saying Nye had a flexible fuel vehicle, which can burn the homegrown alternative.

http://www.courant.com/business/hc-ethanol.artjul06,0,3340149.story?coll=hc-headlines-business

State Challenging Tests For Depleted Uranium
July 6, 2005
By THOMAS D. WILLIAMS, Courant Staff Writer

Connecticut is now the second state in the nation to challenge the validity of the tests the federal government uses to check military personnel for ingested or inhaled depleted uranium dust from U.S. munitions explosions.
The new law requires the state adjutant general and the veterans' affairs commissioner to assist Connecticut guardsmen and veterans in obtaining "a best practice health screening test for exposure to depleted uranium." Last month, Louisiana passed similar, less detailed legislation demanding better depleted uranium testing paid for by the federal government.

http://www.courant.com/news/health/hc-dutestslaw0706.artjul06,0,7608199.story?coll=hc-headlines-health

MetLife Promise On Jobs Resolved
Acquisition Completed; Insurer Complies So Far On Local Hiring
July 2, 2005
By DIANE LEVICK, Courant Staff Writer

Connecticut's insurance commissioner said Friday she has resolved confusion over MetLife's job commitment in acquiring Travelers Life & Annuity, while the attorney general criticized MetLife for "playing games" on the promise at a hearing in June.
Despite the differing interpretations, MetLife Inc. Friday completed an $11.8 billion purchase of Hartford-based Travelers and flew one of its MetLife Snoopy blimps over Hartford to celebrate.

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-metlife0702.artjul02,0,2273283.story?coll=hc-headlines-politics-state

The Boston Globe

Connecticut officials to urge BRAC panel to keep Groton base open
By Matt Apuzzo, Associated Press Writer July 6, 2005
BOSTON --Faced with increasing pressure to save the Groton submarine base, Connecticut officials Wednesday unleashed harsh criticism of the Pentagon and the numbers it used in deciding to put the 137-year-old facility on its closure list.
Gov. M. Jodi Rell, members of the state's congressional delegation and military experts testified before the Base Closure and Realignment Commission in Boston Wednesday morning during a hearing that represented their best opportunity to convince federal officials to keep the base open.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2005/07/06/connecticut_officials_to_urge_brac_panel_to_keep_groton_base_open/

In reversal, police to allow G-8 march
Police officers check automobiles at the entrance of the G8 summit at the Gleneagles Hotel near Auchterarder, Scotland, Tuesday July 5, 2005. Scottish police on Tuesday promised zero tolerance for troublemakers at protests planned to coincide with the opening of the summit of leaders of the G-8 group of wealthy nations, which begins Wednesday. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
By Beth Gardiner, Associated Press Writer July 6, 2005
AUCHTERADER, Scotland --Scottish police on Wednesday said they would allow protesters to march to the edge of the G-8 summit venue, hours after they canceled a planned demonstration following outbreaks of violence.
After talks with organizers, Tayside Police said the march planned by G-8 Alternatives could go ahead. Earlier, police had called off the march in the village of Auchterarder after protesters smashed car windows, threw rocks and attempted to blockade one of the main approach roads to the exclusive Gleneagles resort hosting the summit.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/07/06/in_reversal_police_to_allow_g_8_march/

Angelina Jolie adopting Ethiopian girl
Movie star Angelina Jolie with her son Maddox at the Live 8 Africa Calling concert, held at the Eden Project in Cornwall, England, July 2, 2005. Jolie is adopting another child, an orphaned Ethiopian baby girl. (AP Photo/Ian West/PA)
By Anthony Mitchell, Associated Press Writer July 6, 2005
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia --Angelina Jolie, who has been romantically linked with her "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" co-star Brad Pitt, is adopting an orphaned Ethiopian baby girl.
Jolie visited the Horn of Africa nation last week to file her adoption request, accompanied by Pitt and her 3-year-old son, Maddox, whom she adopted in Cambodia, an official said Wednesday.

http://www.boston.com/ae/celebrity/articles/2005/07/06/angelina_jolie_adopts_ethiopian_girl/

Ex-Sen. Thompson to oversee court nominee
Police officers check automobiles at the entrance of the G8 summit at the Gleneagles Hotel near Auchterarder, Scotland, Tuesday July 5, 2005. Scottish police on Tuesday promised zero tolerance for troublemakers at protests planned to coincide with the opening of the summit of leaders of the G-8 group of wealthy nations, which begins Wednesday. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
July 6, 2005
GLENEAGLES, Scotland --President Bush has named former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson to help shepherd his yet-to-be named Supreme Court nominee through the Senate, White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Wednesday.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/07/06/ex_sen_thompson_to_oversee_court_nominee/

California wildfire gets close to homes
July 6, 2005
PALMDALE, Calif. --A wind-whipped brush fire crept close to several homes before crews got the upper hand, one of a handful of Southern California blazes that also sent campers scrambling, officials said Wednesday.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/07/06/california_wildfire_gets_close_to_homes/

Myanmar releases about 240 prisoners
By Aye Aye Win, Associated Press Writer July 6, 2005
YANGON, Myanmar --Myanmar's military government released about 240 prisoners on Wednesday, including political detainees and opposition politicians, an opposition spokesman said.
There was no indication, however, that pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi would be released from house arrest, and no sign that the government's action was a sign of future political liberalization.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2005/07/06/myanmar_releases_about_240_prisoners/

Gulf Coast braces for arrival of Cindy
Jocelyne Fouineteau, left, takes a picture as her daughter Nancy holds the umbrella in the French Quarter Tuesday, July 5, 2005, in New Orleans. The Fouineteau's are from Toronto, Canada and are not letting the approach of Tropical Storm Cindy spoil their visit to New Orleans. The , storm is expected to make landfall on the Mississippi or Louisiana coast later tonight or early Wednesday. (AP Photo/Bill Haber)
By Kevin McGill, Associated Press Writer July 5, 2005
NEW ORLEANS --A strengthened Tropical Storm Cindy moved its way toward the Gulf Coast on Tuesday with 70 mph winds and the potential for 10 inches of rain, forcing tourists and residents to head for higher ground and oil companies to evacuate rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.

http://www.boston.com/news/weather/articles/2005/07/05/tropical_storm_cindy_heads_toward_la/

Party sparkles on a grand scale
4th of July fete in city blends patriotism, fun
By David Abel, Globe Staff July 5, 2005
At first, they looked like shooting stars. Then they seemed to be clouds floating in the night sky. Later, at different points, they looked like planets, palm trees, and waterfalls shooting through the firmament.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/07/05/party_sparkles_on_a_grand_scale/

State on hunt for racial profiling
Police report adds context to road stops
By Michael Levenson, Globe Correspondent July 5, 2005
After a statewide review showed racial disparities in traffic citations issued by police in nearly 250 communities, the state has launched an initiative to determine whether racial bias is to blame for the disproportionate number of minority drivers stopped on the state's roadways.
Two hundred forty-seven police departments -- from Boston and Lowell to tiny Spencer and Upton -- have been urged to participate in the program, featuring a more extensive report that officers are being asked to fill out every time they make a stop.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/07/05/state_on_hunt_for_racial_profiling/

Military recruiters find the war a difficult sell
Youths shy away from future in Iraq
By Sarah Schweitzer and Peter Canellos, Globe Staff July 5, 2005
KINGSTON -- When military recruiters came to Marshfield High School last year, Joe Satterthwaite and Luke Auen were intrigued. The 16-year-olds both needed money to pay for college. Both had relatives who had served their country and who were urging them on, for Satterthwaite his father and for Auen his grandfather.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/07/05/military_recruiters_find_the_war_a_difficult_sell/

Comet crash brings a glow of optimism
By Guy Gugliotta, Washington Post July 5, 2005
PASADENA, Calif. -- NASA's Deep Impact spacecraft completed a flawless journey to oblivion early yesterday, slamming into an onrushing comet to vaporize itself in an Independence Day blaze of glory.
Scientists and engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory cheered as spectacular images taken by a second flyby spacecraft positioned nearby confirmed that the ''impactor" had scored a bull's-eye. The craft smashed into comet Tempel 1 at its lower edge at 1:52 a.m. EDT, spewing a column of debris that lighted up the heavens.

http://www.boston.com/news/science/articles/2005/07/05/comet_crash_brings_a_glow_of_optimism/

Aspirin may protect men from cancer but not women, opposing studies find
By Lindsey Tanner, AP Medical Writer July 5, 2005
CHICAGO --Men who took aspirin over five years slightly lowered their risk for prostate cancer, but women who took low doses over 10 years didn't reduce their risk of cancer, two separate studies indicate.
The conflicting results don't help settle the debate about whether aspirin and similar anti-inflammatory medicines could be used to prevent cancer. Doctors familiar with the research think different study designs and aspirin doses explain the contrasting findings.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/07/05/aspirin_may_protect_men_from_cancer_but_not_women_opposing_studies_find/

Congressional delegation says R.I. in good shape on base closings
By Richard C. Lewis, Associated Press Writer July 5, 2005
CRANSTON, R.I. --Rhode Island has fared well so far in the military base realignment process, but the state's congressional delegation said on Wednesday nothing is final, and the commission charged with deciding the bases' future nationwide could change its mind.
The state is scheduled to present its case on Rhode Island's military value in Boston on Thursday to members from the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, the panel that calls the shots on which military bases will close.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2005/07/05/congressional_delegation_says_ri_in_good_shape_on_base_closings/

Pope to say prayers in Hebrew at synagogue
Pope Benedict XVI delivers his speech in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican Monday, July 4, 2005, where the pontiff received faithful and pilgrims from Spain during a special audience. (AP Photo/Plinio Lepri)
July 5, 2005
VATICAN CITY --German-born Pope Benedict XVI will say prayers in Hebrew when he visits the synagogue in Cologne, Germany, that was destroyed by the Nazis, a cardinal organizing the trip said Tuesday.
Jewish representatives invited the pope to visit while he is in Germany in August for the Roman Catholic Church's World Youth Day and Benedict replied, '"I will come,"' said Cologne Cardinal Joachim Meisner.
The visit will include a prayer service in which the psalms will be "prayed," the cardinal said. "We have learned them in Hebrew."

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/07/05/pope_to_say_prayers_in_hebrew_at_synagogue/

First it's Amelda's shoes and not they are rigging elections. What goes on in the Phillipines? It's not because of the USA influence, is it?

Philippine leader ready to face trial
In this photo released by Malacanang palace, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, left, greets patients during her visit at Philippine General Hospital Cancer Institute in Manila on Tuesday July 5, 2005. Arroyo is ready to face an impeachment trial if it is the only way to quiet an ongoing political crisis over alleged election fraud, her spokesman said. (AP Photo/Malacanang Palace, Michael Rey Baniquet, HO)
By Paul Alexander, Associated Press Writer July 5, 2005
MANILA, Philippines --Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is ready to face an impeachment trial and confident that she can refute the allegations of election fraud against her, her spokesman said Tuesday.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2005/07/05/philippine_leader_ready_to_face_trial/

The Cheney Observer

Diplomats From Bahrain and Pakistan Are Ambushed in Iraq
By EDWARD WONG
Published: July 5, 2005
BAGHDAD, Iraq, July 5 - Gunmen ambushed the top Bahraini and Pakistani diplomats in separate attacks as they drove through the capital today, spurring Pakistan to announce the withdrawal of its ambassador from Iraq.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/international/middleeast/05cnd-iraq.html?hp&ex=1120622400&en=1d7640073cc0e0c6&ei=5094&partner=homepage

In Seeking Unocal, Chevron Ruffles an Asian Partner
By JAD MOUAWAD and DAVID BARBOZA
Published: July 5, 2005
The last thing Chevron wanted when it made its $16.8 billion offer for Unocal back in April was to be pitted in a takeover battle against the Chinese government.
After all, one of the main reasons it went after Unocal, a California-based independent oil company with vast resources in Asia, was to sell oil and gas to the fastest-growing energy market in the world, China. But on June 22, when the state-controlled China National Offshore Oil Corporation, or Cnooc, countered with a higher bid for Unocal, Chevron found itself in a delicate position.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/business/worldbusiness/05chevron.html?hp

Another $27.5 Million Fraud by Halliburton-KBR
by CONSPIRACY PLANET
KBR, a subsidiary of Halliburton, charged the Pentagon $27.5 million to ship $82,100 worth of LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) to be used as cooking and heating fuel to Iraq, a Pentagon audit report revealed Monday.
Pentagon auditors were stunned. "It is illogical that it would cost $27,514,833 to deliver $82,100 in LPG fuel," officials from the Defense Contract Audit Agency noted in the report.
The audit report was released by Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., and Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., critics of Halliburton and its war profiteering contracts.
http://www.conspiracyplanet.com/channel.cfm?channelid=70&contentid=2001

Pentagon releases Halliburton documents
In the wake of a subpoena threat, the Pentagon has started turning over to Congress documents related to Halliburton Corp.’s disputed billing under a $2.5 billion contract for Iraqi oil-site repairs and fuel imports.
Rep. Christopher Shays (R-Conn.), chairman of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, intended to subpoena the Defense Department if the administration did not provide the long-requested documents.

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/070605/pentagon.html

Bush Cheney Uses Patriot Act To Confiscate Assets
by AL MARTIN

It’s important for US citizens to understand that the Bush Cheney regime is becoming ever more confiscatory, regarding citizens’ offshore assets, and that, in fact, it is now impossible for US citizens, domiciled in the United States, to enjoy absolute protection of their assets offshore.
The only way that can now be done is complete expatriation, i.e. you have to give up your US citizenship and take the citizenship of another nation, which would be involved in moving to that nation or some other jurisdiction. But that is the only way you can now garner complete protection of your
assets.
http://www.conspiracyplanet.com/channel.cfm?channelid=49&contentid=2400


“Extreme Distrust between North Korea and the U.S.,” Says Unification Minister Chung
Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young is said to have failed to draw an agreement on a new message to North Korea from U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and other high level officials of the U.S. administration. Chung had visited the U.S. to discuss resuming the six-party talks aimed at resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.

http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?bicode=050000&biid=2005070509788

Bush Unspikes The Ball
John Brummett
The Morning News
The fellow providing instant television analysis of President Bush's speech said the headline would be George W.'s assertion that the sacrifice of more than 1,700 American lives to his falsely justified invasion of Iraq was "worth it."

http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2005/07/04/opinion/54opbrummett.txt

Option Players Lay Bets on $80 gallons per barrel

Buyers are betting that oil prices could climb to $80 (U.S.) a barrel this year, according to options contracts on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
That pessimism is based on concern the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries won't produce enough oil to compensate for any disruption to supplies.
New York Mercantile Exchange data indicate 6,900 options contracts outstanding that allow buyers to purchase oil for December delivery at $80 a barrel, compared with an average of 77 contracts in January.
The probability that oil will top $75 a barrel when the December crude contract expires is 21 per cent, up from 5 per cent at the start of the year, according to strategists Adam Sieminski and Michael Lewis at Deutsche Bank AG.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20050705/IBOIL05/TPBusiness/International

Oil futures rise in London as G8 nations prepare to meet
By EDITH BALAZS
Associated Press
BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - Brent oil futures edged higher Monday in listless European trading, with the New York Mercantile Exchange and other U.S. markets closed for the Independence Day holiday.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/business/3252450

China angered by US oil sale intervention
By David Litterick in New York (Filed: 05/07/2005)
The Chinese government has angrily responded to calls by US politicians for Washington to block the $18.5billion (£10.5billion) bid by China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) for US oil group Unocal.

"We demand that the US Congress correct its mistaken ways of politicising economic and trade issues and stop interfering in the normal commercial exchanges between enterprises of the two countries," the foreign ministry said yesterday.

http://www.money.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2005/07/05/cnchina05.xml&menuId=242&sSheet=/money/2005/07/05/ixfrontcity.html

BP Says Oil, Gas Production Increased in the Second Quarter
July 5 (Bloomberg) -- BP Plc, Europe's largest publicly traded oil company, said oil and gas production rose 3.5 percent in the second quarter as the pace of growth at its Russian joint venture slowed.
Second-quarter production averaged 4.11 million barrels a day, compared with the 3.97 million barrels a day reported for the year- earlier period. The gain was larger than a 2.1 percent increase in the first quarter. Excluding Russia, BP's production was 3.135 million barrels a day last quarter.
``We know the big ramp-up in production is going to be in the fourth quarter,'' Jonathan Copus, an analyst at Investec Henderson Crosthwaite in London, who has a ``hold'' recommendation on BP, said yesterday.

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000006&sid=aNx_3JwMwK7M&refer=home

The Sydney Morning Herald

Contaminant in Snickers bar 'similar to pest poison'
July 6, 2005 - 6:48PM
A contaminated Snickers bar sent to its manufacturer had been laced with a substance similar to pest poison and could be harmful to children, NSW Police said today.
A scientific report on the chocolate bar, which was sent to Masterfoods along with extortion threats, couldn't identify the contaminant.
But analysis revealed the substance appeared to be similar to a number of commercial pest poisons, a police statement said.
Masterfoods recalled all Snickers and Mars Bars in NSW last Friday after the company received extortion letters claiming seven bars had been contaminated.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/contaminant-in-snickers-bar-similar-to-pest-poison/2005/07/06/1120329494373.html

Charges may be laid over airline passenger's 'threat'
July 6, 2005
A Hobart airline passenger could be charged under Australia's strict new aviation safety laws, for allegedly making a threat against an aeroplane.
The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions is considering laying charges against the man, who flew from Hobart to Melbourne last Friday.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/charges-may-be-laid-over-airline-passengers-threat/2005/07/05/1120329449000.html

Airport jokers warned: bomb quips 'not funny'
July 6, 2005 - 3:40PM
Travellers have been warned not to indulge in typical Aussie humour at airports, with jibes like "never mind the bomb in my bag" now likely to land jokers in hot water.
The Australian Federal Police said more than 70 people had been detained and questioned for making such comments since new aviation safety laws came into effect in March, with five convictions recorded.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/airport-jokers-warned-bomb-quips-not-funny/2005/07/06/1120329493992.html

Abducted woman raped five times
July 6, 2005 - 7:27PM
A woman was kept bound and gagged in a cupboard for six days and brought out to be raped five times, once at knife point, a Sydney court has been told.
Joseph Roy Omega, 23, and his 16-year-old girlfriend allegedly kept the 20-year-old woman prisoner in a unit at Concord in Sydney's west from June 27 to July 2 in a bid to obtain money.
The teenager threatened the woman with a knife and demanded her bank card and PIN after she was lured to the unit by Omega, who knew the woman, Bidura Children's Court was told during a hearing for the girl.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/abducted-woman-raped-five-times/2005/07/06/1120329497126.html

Death of the 'social X-ray'
July 6, 2005 - 2:45PM
The self-deprecating Nan Kempner ... her father told her: "You'll never make it on your face, so you'd better be interesting."
Nan Kempner, the New York society hostess who has died aged 74, inspired the novelist Tom Wolfe to coin the term "social X-ray" when describing, in Bonfire of the Vanities, the skeletal ladies-who-lunch on the Upper East Side.
Addicted to haute couture, she entertained on a grand scale, while fitting in regular trips to London, Paris, Gstaadt, Venice and the Caribbean for fashion shows, parties, skiing and sun-bathing.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/people/death-of-the-social-xray/2005/07/06/1120329491888.html

Disney kicks out the dwarfs
By Jonathan Watts in Beijing
July 6, 2005
The wicked Queen will not know what hit her. Snow White is about to be transformed into a martial arts epic with Shaolin monks replacing the seven dwarfs of the original fairytale.
In a sign of the times, Walt Disney is behind the kung-fu retelling of its 1937 animated classic, part of an intensifying strategy to make inroads into the Chinese cinema market.
Yuen Woo-ping, the fight choreographer for the Matrix trilogy, Kill Bill and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, has been recruited to direct the film, to be shot in China later this year.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/film/disney-kicks-out-the-dwarfs/2005/07/05/1120329451426.html

Don't lower G8 bar, Geldof tells UK
July 6, 2005 - 1:17PM
Britain today lowered expectations for a summit of rich nations aimed at fighting poverty in Africa and combating global warming but activists kept up the heat on the eve of the gathering.
Finance minister Gordon Brown said Britain's room for manoeuvre on fighting poverty at the Group of Eight summit that begins in Scotland tomorrow was limited by leaders of the other G8 countries.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/dont-lower-g8-bar-geldof-tells-uk/2005/07/06/1120329488725.html

Corby's legal team 'unrealistic': Ruddock
July 6, 2005 - 1:05PM
Schapelle Corby's legal team has placed unrealistic expectations on the Australian Government, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock says.
Bali's High Court has given approval for Corby's lawyers to present new witnesses backing the former Gold Coast woman's claims she did not know about 4.1 kilograms of marijuana found in her luggage at Bali airport last year.
But Mr Ruddock today said the Australian Federal Police had already done everything it could to assist Corby's defence team.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/corbys-legal-team-unrealistic-ruddock/2005/07/06/1120329488031.html

Schapelle Corby's letter
July 5, 2005 - 6:36PM
The full text of Schapelle Corby's letter to faxed to Prime Minister John Howard today:
The Honourable John Howard MP
Prime Minister of Australia
Parliament House
Canberra
I, Schapelle Leigh Corby, currently a prisoner of Kerobokan Jail, was recently sentenced to 20 years by the Denpasar District Court.

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/07/05/1120329442466.html

Bono wins hat battle
July 6, 2005 - 11:59AM
U2 has won a court case to recover singer and activist Bono's Stetson hat and a pair of trousers taken by their former stylist in 1987.
The rock band, who opened Saturday's Live 8 concert in London's Hyde Park, said they took Lola Cashman to court on a point of principle rather than for the estimated €5000 ($8000) value of the goods.
Bono's iconic hat, a pair of black trousers, a green sweatshirt and a pair of metal hooped earrings were taken without permission during the group's Joshua Tree tour.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/people/bono-wins-hat-battle/2005/07/06/1120329485069.html

For around $100,000, the force can be with you
July 6, 2005 - 3:14PM
Two of the most famous props in US film history - light sabres belonging to Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader of Star Wars fame - will go under the hammer this month.
Dozens of objects from George Lucas's celebrated sci-fi saga will go the highest bidders at the July 29 auction in Beverly Hills organised by Profiles in History, which specialises in the sale of film props.
The Jedi knight's light sabre, owned by Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz, is expected to sell for between $US60,000 and $US80,000 ($80,000 and $A108,000).
The light sabre used by the evil Darth Vader character in The Empire Strikes Back is estimated to go for up to $US60,000.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/entertainment/for-around-100000-the-force-can-be-with-you/2005/07/06/1120329492831.html

Trafficked women 'being raped, starved'
July 6, 2005 - 6:04PM
At least 1,000 women are kept in debt-bonded prostitution in Australia, where they are raped, beaten and starved, a new paper shows.
The women, usually from Thailand and Burma, are brought into Australia by human traffickers who force them to work as prostitutes - often in legal brothels - for free until they pay off "debts" of up to $50,000.
The paper, published this week by the Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault (ACSSA), reviews research and developments in trafficking in women for sexual exploitation since the early 1990s.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Trafficked-women-being-raped-starved/2005/07/06/1120329497809.html

Hundreds protest Bush visit to Denmark
July 6, 2005 - 5:54AM
About 200 demonstrators, mostly black-clad youth, have marched in downtown Copenhagen to protest a brief visit by US President George W Bush on his way to the G8 summit in Scotland.
The demonstrators, some shouting "Death to Bush, death to imperialism", were surrounded by about an equal number of police officers in riot gear.
Organisers had urged demonstrators to "come angry", but there were no signs of violence as they started marching from a square where they had gathered in pouring rain.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Hundreds-protest-Bush-visit-to-Denmark/2005/07/06/1120329470833.html

Bush defends treatment of detainees
July 6, 2005 - 6:54AM
US President George W Bush has defended the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo, saying they will be given fair trials.
Bush, speaking at a news conference during a visit to Denmark, said Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen raised concerns about the US detention camp in Cuba.
"The prisoners are well-treated in Guantanamo. There's total transparency. The International Red Cross can inspect anytime, any day," Bush said.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Bush-defends-treatment-of-detainees/2005/07/06/1120329473120.html

Clinton shifts New York bid up a gear
July 6, 2005 - 7:24AM
New York has wheeled out US Senator Hillary Clinton as the race to host the 2012 Olympics enters the final straight, counting on the famous former first lady to make a strong case for the Big Apple.
"This is a great bid from a great city for the greatest international event there is," Clinton told a news conference across the road from the Raffles City Convention Centre where International Olympic Committee (IOC) delegates will vote on Wednesday.
The wife of former US President Bill Clinton landed in Singapore early on Tuesday but was whisked away from her breakfast - even before she could take a bite - to meet an IOC delegate.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/Sport/Clinton-shifts-New-York-bid-up-a-gear/2005/07/06/1120329473782.html

Subsidies aggravate poverty: Wolfowitz
July 6, 2005 - 8:44AM
World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz says phasing out agricultural subsidies in rich nations would be an important part of tackling poverty in the world's poorest ones.
Wolfowitz, speaking ahead of this week's Group of Eight industrialised nations (G8) summit in Scotland, said poor farmers lose their opportunities to become self-sufficient because of subsidies and market barriers.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Subsidies-aggravate-poverty-Wolfowitz/2005/07/06/1120329476522.html

Alliance wants US out of central Asia
July 6, 2005 - 9:19AM
A regional alliance led by China and Russia wants the US and its coalition allies in Afghanistan to set a date for withdrawing from several states in Central Asia, reflecting growing unease at America's military presence in the region.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which groups Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, urged a deadline be set for withdrawal of the foreign forces from its member states in light of what it said was a decline in active fighting in Afghanistan.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Alliance-wants-US-out-of-central-Asia/2005/07/06/1120329477707.html

Al-Qaeda chief labels Iraqi army enemies
July 6, 2005 - 9:25AM
The reputed leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq says the country's fledgling army is as great an enemy as the Americans.
He also brushed aside calls for him to abandon the insurgency in favour of peace talks with the Iraqi government and the Americans.
In an audiotape found on the internet, a man claiming to be Abu Musab al-Zarqawi also announced the formation of a new terror command to fight Iraq's biggest Shi'ite militia.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/AlQaeda-chief-labels-Iraqi-army-enemies/2005/07/06/1120329477874.html

Jordan arrests al-Zarqawi's mentor
July 6, 2005 - 10:59AM
Jordanian police have arrested the spiritual mentor of the leader of the al-Qaeda in Iraq militant group as he was being interviewed on Al-Jazeera television, his first public appearance since his release last week, the Arab satellite channel said.
Isam al-Barqawi, also known as Sheikh Abu-Mohammed al-Maqdisi, had just been released from prison.
Al-Jazeera said he was detained during the interview with its correspondent in Jordan, but gave no details.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Jordan-arrests-alZarqawis-mentor/2005/07/06/1120329482219.html

Indonesians name 11 militant suspects
July 6, 2005 - 2:20PM
Indonesian police have formally named 11 recently arrested militants as terrorist suspects, but said six other men detained in the same series of sweeps had been released.
Two of the men are accused of providing detonating devices and explosives used in the 2004 suicide bombing outside the Australian embassy that killed 10 people, said Colonel Zainuri Lubis.
Three others will be charged with harbouring fugitive Malaysian terror suspects Azahari bin Husin and Noordin Mohd Top, who are believed to be key figures in the regional al-Qaeda linked terror group Jemaah Islamiah.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Indonesians-name-11-militant-suspects/2005/07/06/1120329491205.html

Rare eagles halt wind farm plan
July 6, 2005 - 1:14PM
Rare wedge-tailed eagles could force the abandonment of plans to build a $150 million, 70-turbine wind farm west of Melbourne.
Victorian Planning Minister Rob Hulls has refused a permit to build the farm at Yaloak, near Ballarat, after an independent panel raised concerns that it posed an unacceptable risk to the local wedge-tailed eagle population.
The site and design of the farm, by developer Pacific Hydro, would also have adverse environmental impacts, Mr Hulls said.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/Rare-eagles-halt-wind-farm-plan/2005/07/06/1120329488555.html

Giant panda gives birth to twins
July 6, 2005 - 2:20PM
A giant panda at a Chinese reserve has given birth to twins and mother and offspring are doing well, the China Daily says.
Pandas normally only rear one cub at a time and Ying Ying, who lived in the Wolong panda reserve in southwest Sichuan province, had chosen one of her new babies to care for, the paper said without specifying the twins' sex.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/Giant-panda-gives-birth-to-twins/2005/07/06/1120329491202.html

continued . . .