Turkey's Coast Guard intercepted a ship carrying 200 illegal immigrants from the country's predominantly Kurdish southeast and indicated that the vessel was headed to Italy. A passenger aboard the ship telephoned the coast guard to warn them that the ship's crew insisted on sailing despite a storm threatening to hit the ship. The three crewmen were arrested. Among the suspected would-be immigrants were 25 children, who reportedly paid 2,000 euros each.

***

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo said her government would take Hong Kong to court over a recent minimum wage cut on Filipino domestic helpers. Earlier in the week, Arroyo also announced a stop to all new employment contracts for the maids until the minimum wage was restored. Philippine officials are meeting with the governments of four other countries that send maids to Hong Kong - Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand - to discuss a joint

effort to protest the wage change.

***

The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) has called for governments worldwide to put a halt on the forced return of Iraqis who are refused asylum, for an initial period of three months. Previously, the commission has recommended a ban on those who would be returned to government-controlled areas of Iraq, but it is now extending the area as a precaution, because of the "tense situation and risk of armed conflict in Iraq." More than 51,000 Iraqis claimed asylum last year, by far the largest group seeking asylum in industrialized countries, and the largest number of those requests were in Britain and Germany.

***

A joint maritime surveillance effort by five EU nations, named Operation Ulysses, was not able to catch or stop one illegal boat during its first eleven days, even though some 300 people completed the crossing from North Africa in that period of time. The venture was designed to intercept boatloads of clandestine immigrants and send them home. The lack of success is blamed partially on the lack of a common language.

"It was a learning experience. The first time you mount something like this with five countries there is bound to be room for improvement. We'll learn from this for the next phase, to which we are committed," said a British official.