Fed: Gillard says put the nation first

AAP General News (Australia)
02-08-2009
Fed: Gillard says put the nation first

CANBERRA, Feb 8 AAP - Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Costello have been told to put their
political ambitions on hold and think of the nation first.

The federal government is pushing the line that former treasurer Peter Costello is
stalking Mr Turnbull for the Liberal leadership.

Mr Costello, presently on the Opposition backbench, has previously indicated he's not
interested in the leadership or taking a seat on the coalition frontbench.

But in the past week Mr Costello has made himself available for a number of media interviews,
freely airing his views …

Slightly more guys but nothing to worry about

New Straits Times
06-26-2011
Slightly more guys but nothing to worry about
Edition: New Sunday Times
Section: Main Section
Column: Sunday spotlight

THE fairer sex is not only physically weaker, but also getting fewer in number. Statistics recently reveal that men outnumber women in all but four states in the country. It also shows that in some states, this number is greatly contributed by the arrival of foreign workers. While some worry that the unbalanced gender ratio might create a 'marriage squeeze', others believe it's not a big problem.

DATING agency Lunch Actually director Violet Lim believes that sex ratio issues are not unique in Malaysia.
"The gender ratio is truly lopsided, I don't think this is just a local concern. In most parts of the world, especially in countries such as China, there are also more men than women. I'm sure they're facing a similar situation.

"We're also noticing a great demand for match-making services in Penang. Most of our clients are women. I suppose this is because it's more difficult for a woman to find a partner after a certain age.

"Men, however, prefer to marry someone who is either of the same age or younger; so it's not so much of a problem for them."

But the co-owner of a dating agency in Seremban, Patricia Lee, says people should not be alarmed by the male to female ratio in certain parts of the country.

"I don't see this as a big issue, after all, there are all sorts of ways to meet your future husband or wife.

"Marriage squeeze may have been a problem in the past, but with the Internet and other social networking options, people should not fear the possibility of living alone simply because there are more men than women where they live.

"I meet a lot of people who seek my services because they want to find the perfect partner, not because there are not enough men or women out there. People are also more choosy these days because their expectations are higher."

Lee says instead of focusing on numbers and statistics, people should think outside the box.

"Those who are seriously hoping to settle down should look for ways to widen their search. Besides using match-making services, there are online dating agencies as well. With everything so accessible, it's easy to find a partner wherever you are."

People should not rush into marriage because they don't want to "miss the boat".

A marriage squeeze is by no means a reason to tie the knot, Lee says.

Registered and licensed counsellor Cheang Meng Wai believes an implication of a marriage squeeze is that there'll be pressure for local men to look for a suitable life partner.

"Men may need to look elsewhere, for example, in neighbouring states like Terengganu, Johor, Perak or Selangor. More men may also want to go to other states or cities to work.

"This may be positive, too, as they may earn more and have better lifestyles. They may want to get married elsewhere first and then return to Pahang many years later.

"This may help increase the female population in the state, eventually. I believe women should be submissive in following the wishes of their spouses if their husbands want to return to their hometown or state.

"I don't think we should be overly alarmed by the 113 to 100 gender ratio in Pahang. This is an age when people travel extensively for work and have bigger social networks.

"Therefore, men and women need to just build healthy friendships with the opposite gender," he says.

Marrying foreigners may pose problems

INTERNATIONAL Psychology Centre principal consultant psychologist Dr Edward Chan says mixed marriages will definitely represent more conflict for couples.

"There's bound to be more conflict and misunderstanding in such marriages because there will be differences in expectations, opinions, perceptions and cultural values."

He was commenting on a statement by the director-general of the National Population and Family Development Board, Datuk Aminah Abdul Rahman, who warned that with 7.5 per cent of Pahang's 1.4 million population being male foreign workers, they could end up as rivals to local men for women's affection.

She was quoted as saying that many foreigners, after staying for a period of time, would start families by marrying local women, and one of the social implications in the long run was a change in the family institution.

Chan says that the sex-ratio issue can also push people to either get married too early or too late.

"When you rush into a marriage, you won't have time to look into each other's differences. You also won't have the time to study, address and resolve issues. Unfortunately, many people rush into marriages believing that love will see them through.

"But it doesn't work that way. Only when problems arise will couples start arguing. This will eventually cause them to regret their decision to get married. Any positive feelings of love will disappear."

Relevant parties should look into providing proper counseling and premarital marriage courses for foreigners and locals who can't afford private counseling.

(Copyright 2011)
013

SA:Court challenge stays alive over Murray

AAP General News (Australia)
12-05-2011
SA:Court challenge stays alive over Murray

By Tim Dornin

ADELAIDE, Dec 5 AAP - A High Court challenge from South Australia remains "on the table"

after the state's key stakeholders met on Monday to discuss the plan to save the Murray.

Irrigators, environmentalists, scientists, state government ministers and community
leaders agreed the Murray-Darling Basin draft plan needed improvements to be fair to South
Australia and meet the state's needs.

"There was an enormous amount of common interest here," Premier Jay Weatherill told
reporters after the talks.

"We want a healthy river, we want it based on science and we want South Australia's
historical respect for the river taken into account as this plan is developed."

The premier said that South Australia would now build a response to the plan and would
also take more legal advice on the nature and details of a possible legal challenge.

"I think everybody was of the view that it would be best if we could improve the plan,"

Mr Weatherill said.

"But I remain firmly of the view that it [a challenge] should remain on the table.

"I don't think it's appropriate for me to rule out a legal challenge in circumstances
where this river doesn't get what it needs.

"We would be turning our back on the political compact that we entered into to accept
an inadequate deal and we're not going to do that."

When the basin plan was released last week, the SA government said it was still being
guided by its scientific advice, that 3500 to 4000 gigalitres should be returned to the
river system to return it to health. The draft plan suggests returning 2750 gigalitres.

SA River Communities spokesman Ben Haslett says irrigators also want more water returned
to sustain farming production for years to come.

"For good river management we need a plan, and negotiation is about compromise - there's
no perfect outcome," Mr Haslett says.

"So we need to look at what is going to work for the long term."

University of Adelaide water expert Mike Young says he is concerned the draft Murray-Darling
Basin plan fails to deal with the impact of climate change.

"The one recommendation I've been making for the plan as it goes forward is that we
adapt it to bring in proper planning for climate change," he says.

AAP tjd/tab

KEYWORD: MURRAY SA

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NT:NT drinkers face nation's toughest laws

AAP General News (Australia)
04-01-2011
NT:NT drinkers face nation's toughest laws

By Larine Statham

ALICE SPRINGS, NT, April 1 AAP - A change in drinking habits is a long time coming
for Alice Springs.

Residents of the desert city have been pressing the Northern Territory government for
months to stop a rising tide of grog-fuelled crime.

Drink-related social problems in the Red Centre have even led federal Opposition Leader
Tony Abbott to call for a second federal intervention in towns such as Alice Springs,
Tennant Creek and Katherine.

The NT government slammed a television advertising campaign, paid for by a group of
local residents, showing young Aborigines roaming the streets of Alice Springs at night.

The government said the ads trashed the town's reputation, while other critics argued
they racially vilified indigenous Australians.

Tempers flared and local business owners threatened to leave town when NT Chief Minister
Paul Henderson declined an invitation to front a protest of about 200 members of the Action
for Alice group in Alice Springs this week.

To fight the massive alcohol problem afflicting the region, NT Minister for Alcohol
Policy Delia Lawrie has introduced what she says are the country's toughest ever alcohol
reforms.

"Too much alcohol-fuelled violence and antisocial behaviour are occurring right across
the territory," she told reporters.

"We're stepping up to the plate with the toughest reforms in our nation and we believe
the toughest reforms in the world."

The reforms, revealed at a special Alice Springs sitting of the parliament, include
a register of banned drinkers, tougher penalties for licensed premises and the illegal
trade of alcohol, an alcohol tribunal and mandatory rehabilitation for problem drinkers.

The hope is that the changes will not only reduce drink-related crime and violence
but also ease the heavy burden problem drinkers place on the judicial system.

"We're introducing these reforms for mandated rehabilitation through a new tribunal
for people who aren't criminals but are habitual drunks," Ms Lawrie said.

"Our society is sick of the harms that are caused by the problem drinkers."

Government figures show alcohol-related crime and illness costs the NT $642 million
each year or $4197 per adult, compared to $943 per adult nationally.

Almost 70 per cent of domestic violence assaults in the NT are alcohol related, and
alcohol-related deaths in the NT are three times higher than the national average.

Between 2000 and 2005, 48 per cent of road deaths in the NT involved alcohol.

The size of the territory's grog problem is not in dispute, but political leaders are
divided about how to deal with it.

In question time on Wednesday, NT Opposition Leader Terry Mills asked Mr Henderson
why he was so critical of Mr Abbott's calls for more federal involvement in fixing serious
social problems in Alice Springs.

"Or are you concerned that such an intervention will expose, just like the Little Children
are Sacred Report, how little your government has done to address these problems?" Mr
Mills asked.

Mr Henderson said the government was addressing the very problem Mr Abbott had said
was causing social dysfunction in Alice Springs - unrestricted access to alcohol.

"If anyone believes the intervention imposed on the Northern Territory has fixed all
the problems, yes, it did a great deal of good, but ... what the intervention did show
is if you do not involve, engage and have Aboriginal people at the table as part of the
decision-making process ... nothing will change."

If the opposition was serious about tackling the problem, they would back the proposed
reforms and help turn off the tap to problem drinkers, he said.

"They would assist us in closing down the animal bars, and not do the bidding of a
small group of people with vested interests in selling alcohol in this town."

Ms Lawrie told reporters people were leaving communities where alcohol is prohibited
under the Howard government's 2007 intervention and moving to larger towns to "follow
the rivers of grog".

"We're saying enough is enough."

The government does not plan to reduce the hours take-away alcohol can be sold in Darwin
in line with new restrictions in Alice Springs, a decision Ms Lawrie has denied is politically
motivated.

The NT opposition, which includes many former police officers, wants take-away alcohol
sales in Alice Springs increased from 2pm-9pm at present to match Darwin's trading hours
of 10am-10pm.

They reason that earlier opening hours would encourage problem drinkers to get their
fill during the day, and fewer of them would be on the street at night.

Opposition spokesman for alcohol policy Peter Styles criticised the government's reforms,
saying they would lead to a boost in grog running and the sly grog trade.

He said a Country Liberal government would introduce a habitual drunk program offering
a rehabilitation program to people taken into custody more than three times in six months.

When informed that a similar scheme was among the proposed reforms, Mr Styles replied:
"If the final bill that comes out is copying what we're proposing then I applaud the government
for taking up our initiative."

From July 1, if the reforms are passed by parliament, people taken into custody three
times in three months will be put on a banned drinker register.

"You cannot purchase, possess or consume alcohol, and if you keep repeating those offences
and those breaches ... your banned period will increase," Ms Lawrie said.

She said problem drinkers could have the period of the ban reduced by attending rehabilitation
treatment.

Licensees selling take-away alcohol will enforce the ban by scanning a buyer's identification.

The ID scanner, as currently exists in Alice Springs and Katherine, does not record
information about the buyer but alerts retail staff to a customer's status.

"To the people who say that this infringes on people's rights, I've got to say that
grog is infringing on our life here in the Territory," Ms Lawrie said.

She said funding for the territory-wide reforms would be announced when the NT budget
is handed down in May.

AAP lcs/jl/apm

KEYWORD: NEWSCOPE NT (AAP NEWS ANALYSIS) (PIX AVAILABLE) RPT

� 2011 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

QLD:New airline to fly Brisbane to Bali route

AAP General News (Australia)
12-10-2010
QLD:New airline to fly Brisbane to Bali route

BRISBANE, Dec 10 AAP - New international airline Strategic Airlines has announced a
new Brisbane to Denpasar, Bali, route, starting in March 2011.

Strategic will fly the route every Wednesday and Saturday with a dual-aisle Airbus
A330 aircraft featuring 30 business class seats and 243 economy seats.

Spokesman Damien Vasta said most airlines were offering a no-frills service on what
was a reasonably long flight.

"We believe our passengers will really enjoy flying on a wide-bodied Airbus A330 with
the comfort and customer service of a full service carrier, at very affordable fares,"

he said.

The first flight departs on March 19 but went on sale on Friday from $359 one-way,
or $671 return, including taxes.

Strategic Airlines, part of the Strategic Aviation Group, is Australia's newest international
carrier.

It employs more than 200 people, and expects to more than double its worldwide staff
over the next 12 months.

AAP gd/jh

KEYWORD: STRATEGIC

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED:Business hit with 1.5 levy under Abbott=

AAP General News (Australia)
08-03-2010
FED:Business hit with 1.5 levy under Abbott=

Environment Minister Peter Garrett described Mr Abbott's approach to paid parental
leave as "on and off again".

"Now they are talking about delaying a scheme which under Labor would be in place in
another five months and which is already legislated for," Mr Garrett told reporters in
Queanbeyan on Tuesday.

Mr Abbott's economic approach would be a key issue of focus during the campaign, Mr Garrett said.

"I think that the campaign will be one where the focus remains on the two leaders," he said.

"If you are looking at a question of how each leader is campaigning then just consider
Mr Abbott's on and off again approach to economic policy."

AAP ah/sb/itb

KEYWORD: POLL10 PARENTAL 2ND UPDATE 3 CANBERRA

� 2010 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

ACT: Main stories in today's Canberra Times

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2009
ACT: Main stories in today's Canberra Times

CANBERRA, Dec 21 AAP - The main stories in The Canberra Times on Monday:

Page 1: Professor Tim Flannery says Copenhagen deal is a "huge advance" towards securing
a global treaty. The NSW Rural Fire Service has defended warnings it gave to Michelago
residents who lost their homes last week. The WWII hospital ship Centaur has been found
near Moreton Island. Robots that retrieve and dispatch medication will be part of the
new $7.4 million Womens and Childrens hospital. The ACT Supreme Court has wrapped up the
2009 sitting year.

Page 2: ACT Greens say the government has dragged the chain on liquor law reforms.

Page 3: An expanded ACT electricity feed-in-tariff scheme could cost Canberra households
up to $300 a year.

World: One of the worst storms in decades has blanketed the eastern parts of the United States.

Finance: The Australian stockmarket is likely to open stronger on Monday.

Sport: Australia has beaten the West Indies in the third and final cricket Test of the series.

AAP sld/ao

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS ACT

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

The main stories on today's 1900 ABC TV news

AAP General News (Australia)
08-11-2009
The main stories on today's 1900 ABC TV news

The main stories on ABC television's 1900 news:





1. Grave fears are held for nine Australian tourists whose plane has gone missing in
Papua New Guinea.





2. Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to another 18 months
under house arrest.





3. East Asia continues to be battered by wild weather.





4. Threats of a Liberal party room confrontation over climate change didn't eventuate
in parliament.





5. The National Press Club says the Chinese embassy pushed for today's appearance by
Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer to be cancelled.





AAP RTV wf

KEYWORD: MONITOR 1900 ABC NEWS

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Hospital admits patient transfer data was stuffed up

AAP General News (Australia)
04-01-2009
Vic: Hospital admits patient transfer data was stuffed up

One of the Victorian hospitals named in a widening scandal involving manipulated waiting
list figures denies its data has been fudged.

Latrobe Regional Hospital in Gippsland has been named by Health Minister DANIEL ANDREWS
.. and was also identified in a damning report by the state's auditor-general that's exposed
fundamental flaws in hospital data-keeping.

It follows revelations that Melbourne's Royal Women's Hospital fudged figures to make
waiting lists appear shorter.

Latrobe's chief executive PETER CRAIGHEAD says his hospital's waiting lists aren't
being called into question.

But he admits to errors involving data documenting the time between patients being
treated in the emergency department and being transferred to a ward.

AAP RTV sjm/mh/af

KEYWORD: HOSPITALS VIC LATROBE (MELBOURNE)

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Unions claim power victory despite new sell-off moves

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2008
NSW: Unions claim power victory despite new sell-off moves

The unions are claiming victory in the electricity privatisation battle .. even though
the NSW government has announced it will push ahead with an amended sell-off.

Unions NSW secretary JOHN ROBERTSON says the fact the power generators will remain
in the state's hands is a win for workers and the community.

He says the state government must now outline what employment and price protections
would be put in place for workers and consumers if the retailers are sold.

AAP RTV nr/kaj/evt/sw/bart

KEYWORD: ELECTRICITY UNIONS (SYDNEY)

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Man hospitalised after stabbing

AAP General News (Australia)
04-24-2008
Qld: Man hospitalised after stabbing

BRISBANE, April 24 AAP - A man has been taken to hospital after being stabbed in a
fight west of Brisbane overnight.

Police said the 48-year-old victim and another man had been arguing with the alleged
offender in the front yard of a house in the Ipswich suburb of Riverview around 10pm (AEST).

The alleged offender refused to leave, and the third man hit him with a golf club, police said.

A fight broke out, and the victim was stabbed in the chest and abdomen, they said.

The alleged assailant ran off.

The victim was taken to the Ipswich Hospital and is in a stable condition. Investigations
are continuing.

AAP rad/jl

KEYWORD: STABBING

2008 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

National Newslist for Thursday, December 20, 2007 = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-2007
National Newslist for Thursday, December 20, 2007 = 2
FINANCE:
EQUITIES
SYDNEY - Rail and ports operator, Asciano Ltd, has begun selling down its stake in the
pallet group, Brambles Ltd
SYDNEY - Tabcorp Holdings Ltd confirms sale of its interest in China Keno business
SYDNEY - Transport group Toll Holdings Ltd has made a bid for Hong Kong-based freight
forwarder BALtrans Holdings valuing the target at $A365 million.

SYDNEY - Explosives and chemical maker Dyno Nobel says its continuous improvement program
is expected to deliver $US52 million in sustainable operating improvements by 2010.

SYDNEY - Insurer Suncorp-Metway Ltd says the Sydney storms of December 7 and 9 are likely
to cost it $150 million to $180 million on an estimated 23,000 claims.

MELBOURNE - Incitec Pivot Ltd annual general meeting
AAP jlw

KEYWORD: NATIONAL NEWSLIST 2 SYDNEY (REOPENS)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: PM to blame for rates rise, Lenders says

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2007
Vic: PM to blame for rates rise, Lenders says

Victoria's new Treasurer JOHN LENDERS says today's interest rate rise will add 65 thousand
dollars to the life of an average mortgage .. and is a result of the prime minister's
poor management.

Mr LENDERS says the rise defies a promise by JOHN HOWARD .. that under his stewardship
Australians would be in good economic hands.

He says Mr HOWARD's desperately trying to blame the states .. but state debt wasn't
mentioned at all in the Reserve Bank's reasons for the rate rise.







The Reserve Bank's raised interest rates to six and a half per cent .. its highest
level in 10 years .. citing rising inflation and a strong economy.

AAP RTV kl/gfr/rt/bart

KEYWORD: RATES LENDERS (MELBOURNE)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Woman disqualified from driving till 2034 caught in car

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2007
NSW: Woman disqualified from driving till 2034 caught in car

SYDNEY, Feb 15 AAP - A woman whose licence has already been disqualified until 2034
has been caught driving in Newcastle.

Police said they stopped a Hyundai Excel travelling along Mary Street, Islington, in
Newcastle's west, at about 10.20pm (AEDT) yesterday and spoke with a 30-year-old woman
from Cooks Hill in the city's east.

They discovered she had been disqualified from driving until 2034.

She was arrested and later charged with driving while disqualified and providing false details.

The woman has been refused bail to appear before Newcastle Local Court today.

AAP nr/ks

KEYWORD: LICENCE

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 29

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2006
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 29
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Tennis Open (NEW YORK)

ANDRE AGASSI has taken the court for what could be his last match after 21 years as
a professional tennis player.

AGASSI is taking on Romanian ANDREI PAVEL in the first round of the US Open in New
York .. where entry to the match is the hottest ticket in town.

Even ground passes to watch it on the big screen at Flushing Meadows have been sold
out .. as fans flock to see the American legend perhaps for the last time.

A clearly emotional AGASSI struggled to hold back tears as he unwrapped his racquet
and approached the net.



Neiwand (MELBOURNE)

Former champion cyclist GARY NEIWAND has been sentenced to 18 months' jail for stalking
a former girlfriend .. her mother .. and the girlfriend's boss..

The Olympic silver medallist is already in jail for breaching an intervention order
to stay away from his ex-wife.

He'll serve a minimum of nine months' jail .. after pleading guilty to five counts
of stalking .. two of theft .. three of using a carriage service in an harassing manner
.. and one of breaching an intervention order.



Chipp Democrats (CANBERRA)

Politicians are paying tribute today to Australian Democrats founder DON CHIPP .. who's
died aged 81.

Former leader NATASHA STOTT-DESPOJA says her dear friend and mentor was an extraordinary
individual .. who remained committed to the Democrats to the end.

Former Democrats senator VICKI BOURNE says he was a humble man who championed the underdog.

And current Democrats leader LYN ALLISON says Mr CHIPP was a politician of great courage
and integrity .. who voted according to his conscience .. and strongly supported social
justice.

She says he understood the need for an alternative to the two major parties .. and
she's sent the party's condolences to his wife IDUN and his children.



Chipp Howard (ADELAIDE)

The Prime Minister says DON CHIPP was an admirable man who made a huge impact on Australia.

JOHN HOWARD says he was saddened to learn of Mr CHIPP'S death last night.

He says he was a very colourful figure in Australian politics .. who was passionate
and committed to the causes he believed in.



Thomas Costello (CANBERRA)

Treasurer PETER COSTELLO says the government's decision to apply for a control order
on Victorian man JACK THOMAS was made to safeguard Australia.

A Victorian court earlier this month quashed convictions against Mr THOMAS for receiving
funds from al-Qaeda and holding a false passport .. and overturned a five-year jail sentence.

But on the weekend .. the government successfully applied in the Federal Magistrates
Court for a control order on Mr THOMAS .. who is now under a curfew.

Mr Costello says the purpose of the control order was to provide surveillance for
the protection of all Australians.



Poll Qld Caravan (YEPPOON)

Queensland Premier PETER BEATTIE will stop the bulldozing of caravan parks on state-owned
land .. under a plan to preserve cheap accommodation for grey nomads and other budget
travellers.

Mr BEATTIE who's campaigning in the central coastal Queensland town of YEPPOON .. says
his Labor government will no longer accept applications from developers .. seeking to
transform caravan parks into five-star luxury accommodation.

He says Labor's committed to a permanent network of caravan parks .. from Coolangatta
to the Cape .. to cater for the annual pilgrimage by grey nomads and other budget travellers.



Beverages (SYDNEY)

Softdrink manufacturers will remove sugary drinks from school canteens .. and stop
advertising directly to children as part of a major marketing overhaul.

The Australian Beverage Council has unveiled tough new guidelines .. in response to
increasing pressure to battle childhood obesity.



US JonBenet (BOULDER)

Colorado prosecutors aren't charging schoolteacher JOHN MARK KARR with the murder of
six-year-old JONBENET RAMSEY.

They say tests show KARR'S DNA doesn't match that found at the scene of the six-year-old
beauty queen's murder in December 1996.

But after initially saying the 41-year-old would be freed from jail .. they now say
he'll remain in custody because California wants him to face child pornography charges.



Privacy Costello (CANBERRA)

PETER COSTELLO says breaches of privacy by Australian Taxation Office staff are absolutely
unacceptable.

The treasurer's told ABC radio .. the good news is management has identified the breaches
.. and dealt with them.

The Australian newspaper says the ATO has taken action against 27 employees for inappropriately
accessing taxpayer files .. sacking four of them.



Parrot (CANBERRA)

The bird which stopped a 220 million dollar wind farm development is now about to come
into the money itself .. through a 3.2 million dollar federal government grant.

The orange-bellied parrot is barely hanging onto existence in its heartland .. on the
margins of Bass Strait in southern Australia.

Environment Minister IAN CAMPBELL says it's one of the world's rarest and most endangered
animals .. with only about 50 breeding pairs left.



Sci Dinosaur (RIO DE JANEIRO)

Brazilian paleontologists have discovered a new giant dinosaur species based on fossilised
fragments of the herbivorous reptile that lived 80 million years ago .. in the late Cretaceous
period.

The Maxakalisaurus topai was 13 metres long .. weighed about nine tonnes .. and had
a large body .. long tail and neck .. and a relatively small head.



Briefly in other news ..



Girl (ADELAIDE)

An 11-year-old South Australian girl will face court .. accused of sparking a series
of searches after lying about the whereabouts of a seven-year-old runaway boy .. who was
found hiding under her bed.



Escape (MELBOURNE)

A smoke alarm has saved a family of four .. including a three-week-old baby .. from
a fire that engulfed their Melbourne home this morning.



Katrina Bush (GULFPORT)

One year after Hurricane Katrina battered the US Gulf Coast and his political standing
.. President GEORGE W BUSH has acknowledged the recovery is still a long way off.



US Ford (ROCHESTER)

At the age of 93 .. former US president GERALD FORD has been discharged from hospital
.. after receiving a pacemaker to regulate his heartbeat.



US Springsteen (NEW YORK)

Rock star BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN has denied reports he's split with his wife .. singer PATTI
SCIALFA .. saying they've been together for 18 years .. and it's been .. the best years
of his life.



In finance ..

Westfield (SYDNEY)

Shopping centre owner Westfield has reported a 120 per cent rise in first half net
profit .. to 3.37 billion dollars.



Rebel (SYDNEY)

Rebel Sport has announced it'll open six new stores over the next 12 months .. after
reporting a 38 per cent increase in annual net profit to 22 million dollars.

Finance Markers

At 1120 AEST the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index was UP 34.6 points to 5058.8.

The all ordinaries index was UP 30.1 points to 5026.4.

The Australian dollar was trading at 75.98 US cents, DOWN from 75.81 at yesterday's close.

It was at 59.34 euro cents UP from 59.24 yesterday.

In Sydney, gold bullion was trading $7.55 DOWN at $US615.5 an ounce, from yesterday's close.



In Sport:
Tennis Open Aust (NEW YORK)

Australians ALICIA MOLIK and SAMANTHA STOSUR have both crashed out of the US Open with
disappointing first-round defeats.

NICOLE PRATT, LLEYTON HEWITT and MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS are Australia's only three players
left in the singles events at Flushing Meadows and all play their first-round matches
tomorrow.

HEWITT, the men's 15th seed, takes on Spaniard ALBERT MONTANES, PHILIPPOUSSIS is up
against Spanish second seed RAFAEL NADAL, while PRATT meets MILAGROS SEQUERA of Venezuela.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

Broadcast Desk inquiries 24 hours: 02 9322 8714

AAP RTV/bart

KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP

) 2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Police continue search for gunmen and name suspect

AAP General News (Australia)
04-22-2006
NSW: Police continue search for gunmen and name suspect

Police are still looking for the man who killed a 31-year-old bikie gang boss in Sydney
near a busy night spot.

RODNEY MONK .. of the Bandidos bikie gang .. was gunned down on Thursday night in a
laneway in East Sydney.

Fairfax newspaper say police have named 39-year-old RUSSELL MERRICK OLDHAM as their
chief suspect in the shooting.

The paper says police believe the men had been arguing about Mr OLDHAM'S relationship
with his parole officer .. which was against club rules.

The newspaper also identifies Mr MONK as the brother of Redfern's Detective Inspector BRAD MONK.

AAP RTV ved/wz

KEYWORD: SHOT (SYDNEY)

2006 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Gifted children at risk of emotional trauma: expert

AAP General News (Australia)
12-23-2005
Fed: Gifted children at risk of emotional trauma: expert

By Julie Tullberg

MELBOURNE, Dec 23 AAP - Gifted children who are unidentified - and lost - in the education
system remain at risk of emotional trauma despite efforts by education authorities to
address their needs, experts have warned.

Since a 2001 Senate inquiry into the education of gifted and talented children, many
state government programs have been adopted to cater for such students.

The Federal Department of Education, Science and Training has spent $2.3 million for
teachers' professional development in gifted education since the 2001 Senate inquiry.

But psychologists, educators and parents say the system is flawed, as gifted children
continue to fall through the cracks.

Victorian clinical psychologist Lesley Sword said underachievement is common in gifted
students whose needs are not met.

"The primary factor for underachievement in gifted students appears to be a lack of
recognition and support for intellectual potential during the early school years," Dr
Sword said.

"When highly intelligent children are not challenged academically at an early age,
they find the work too easy, become bored, develop poor work habits and often have negative
feelings towards school."

Dr Sword said gifted children were known to have learning difficulties that affected
their academic results and self-esteem.

"Their learning difficulty depresses these students' IQ and achievement scores and,
as they are frequently not identified as gifted, their educational needs in this area
are not met," she said.

"Their high intelligence enables them to compensate well enough for their weaknesses
to maintain year level expectations and so their learning difficulty goes undetected."

Victorian Education Minister Lynne Kosky has urged government schools to apply for
Select Entry Accelerated Learning (SEAL) programs, offered for gifted children.

"Not all of us fall into the gifted category - but the students who do need high-level
work to keep them engaged and to prevent them from becoming bored," Ms Kosky said.

"And of course in the long term, society has a lot to gain if we support and value
our brightest learners and thinkers - just as society has a lot to gain if we support
and value our young people who have exceptional creative and practical talents."

However, Shirley Taylor, the mother of gifted children, said her local Victorian government
secondary school could not cater for her son, Christopher, who was forced to study at
another school.

Mrs Taylor said the education system catered for the "average child", but not all children
with special needs like giftedness.

"When Chris was in primary school I felt for a while like we were biding time `til
he got to high school with no other options available to us," she said.

"His needs were only being met partially. I made a decision for him to skip grade six
and go to high school a year early.

"That was a very difficult decision for me to make. High school was much more accepting
about this process than the primary school."

Mrs Taylor said teachers needed to understand the needs of gifted children so they
could offer individualised programs.

Gill Napier, who developed a program for gifted children at Lalor Primary School, said
children should not have to do extra-curricular activities to cater for their needs.

"I would like to see it (gifted programs) recognised within the main curriculum - it
shouldn't have to be extra-curricular activity," Ms Napier said.

"It needs to be during their schooling."

AAP jat/ce/jt/de

KEYWORD: GIFTED NEWSFEATURE (WITH SIDEBAR,FACTBOX,PIX)

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

superior court

superior court Any of the higher courts of the legal system, whose jurisdiction is not limited, for example, by geography or by value of the subject matter of the claim and whose decisions have weight as precedents. In English law, the superior courts are the House of Lords, the Court of Appeal, the High Court, and the Crown Court, together with the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. Decisions of superior courts are not subject to judicial review by the High Court. Compare inferior court.

ONLINE PRIVACY? YOU DON'T HAVE ANY

Kirk Bailey, a computer specialist whose job includes protecting medical records, issued a challenge to colleagues in the information security field last October: Spend two months looking into my background and tell me what you discover.The only rule was that they couldn't break the law or bother his immediate family and they used a variety of investigative techniques.

But mostly they researched online, and as a result, we now know that Bailey was born by Caesarean section in 1951 and that he got a C in English at the University of Washington.

They know what his house is worth and what his phone bills looked like.

"It was an enormous invasion on my comfort," he said.

"Here I can be sitting in my warm living room by the fireplace with my wife, and I think my privacy is protected, but in fact it's just a thin veneer and illusion."

The veneer is quickly growing much thinner.

Just as the Internet shifts into high gear as a mass medium -- with millions of relatively unsophisticated users now employing the Web for purchases and recreation -- commercial interests are becoming adept at tracking and manipulating users. People who register to use Web sites, make purchases online or even just navigate from site to site may soon find that detailed information about themselves has been compiled by a company whose system can coordinate records of some 100 million Web visits with a database including names, addresses, telephone numbers and retail habits of some 90 percent of American households.

This is happening today.

As Sun Microsystems chairman Scott McNealy derisively proclaimed more than a year ago, "You have zero privacy; get over it."

Few Americans would be as openly dismissive as McNealy, but millions are inadvertently surrendering privacy.

Until recently, most of the mass tracking done online was relatively anonymous.

DoubleClick Inc. -- the largest Internet advertising agency -- has been collecting information about Web use for some time, and now has more than 100 million files charting Web use collected by online ID numbers.

But by themselves, those ID numbers were relatively anonymous.

Things have changed.

DoubleClick now owns Abacus Direct Group, a firm that maintains a database of names, addresses, telephone numbers and retail habits covering about 90 percent of all Americans.

And now DoubleClick knows how to match the Abacus information with its Web-use database.

The details are a little technical, but boil down to this: DoubleClick knows your ID number.

If it can get both a Web site where you have registered your name and other data to cooperate, it can match the ID with your identity.

And then it's easy to tie that into the vast Abacus database (culled from records of credit card purchases, credit reports, mortgages and God knows what else) to get a detailed picture of who you are, what you do and where you visit on the Web.

The company calls this "personalization," and it does offer advantages.

For instance, if DoubleClick knows I went to Phoenix for spring training last year (check out that Visa balance and my mileage plan on Southwest Airlines) and also knows that I have visited the Cub's Web site five times this month, it could figure that I might be interested in targeted advertising about special hotel rates in Mesa this spring.

And indeed, I would be.

But what the company calls "personalization" is also known as "invasion." A variety of consumer groups and Internet privacy advocates are gearing up to challenge DoubleClick at the Federal Trade Commission meeting next month, charging that consumers have been duped into thinking their behavior is anonymous while DoubleClick has been figuring out how to break the code.

To add insult to injury, DoubleClick won't disclose which sites are cooperating by supplying the user registration information it matches with Web data.

"The fact that DoubleClick is not disclosing the names of the companies who are feeding them consumers' names is a shameful hypocrisy," a privacy advocate said.

"They are trying to protect the confidentiality of the violators of confidentiality."

A DoubleClick executive counters that users who don't want their data used will have a chance to opt out -- but if they do, it will probably be in the fine print, and nobody who's ever looked at the twisted legalese of an online privacy policy document will expect much real disclosure there.

McNealy's admonition may be cavalier -- "You have zero privacy; get over it" -- but it's also a fair warning to keep in mind while you surf and register online.

Beyond that, consumers should consider adding their voices to the Electronic Privacy Information Center (http://epic.org) or others planning to take the protest to the FTC.

Applied Films, R.G. Barry, True North Communications, PepsiAmericas, and Borden Chemicals and Plastics Limited Partnership Conference Calls to be Broadcast On Investor Broadcast Network Over the Internet.

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 2000

Applied Films Corporation (Nasdaq:AFCO), R. G. Barry Corporation (NYSE:RGB), True North Communications Inc. (NYSE:TNO), PepsiAmericas, Inc. (NYSE:PAS), Borden Chemicals and Plastics Limited Partnership (NYSE:BCU) will broadcast their investor communication conference calls over the Internet, Investor Broadcast Network announced.

Applied Films Corporation will broadcast its quarterly results conference call on Thursday, October 26, 2000 at 11:00 AM Eastern. This call can be accessed at http://www.vcall.com/NASApp/VCall/EventPage?ID=43721.

R. G. Barry Corporation will broadcast its quarterly results conference call on Thursday, October 26, 2000 at 11:00 AM Eastern. This call can be accessed at http://www.vcall.com/NASApp/VCall/EventPage?ID=46960.

True North Communications Inc. will broadcast its quarterly results conference call on Thursday, October 26, 2000 at 10:00 AM Eastern. This call can be accessed at http://www.vcall.com/NASApp/VCall/EventPage?ID=44682.

PepsiAmericas, Inc. will broadcast its quarterly results conference call on Thursday, October 26, 2000 at 10:00 AM Eastern. This call can be accessed at http://www.vcall.com/NASApp/VCall/EventPage?ID=43662.

Borden Chemicals and Plastics Limited Partnership will broadcast its quarterly results conference call on Friday, October 27, 2000 at 9:00 AM Eastern. This call can be accessed at http://www.vcall.com/NASApp/VCall/EventPage?ID=49260.

These events are available through Investor Broadcast Network's Vcall website, located at http://www.vcall.com. Listeners should go to the website at least fifteen minutes before these events to download and install any necessary audio software. There is no charge to access any event.

About Investor Broadcast Network

Investor Broadcast Network, founded as Vcall in 1997, is the leading webcaster of investor events covering over 1200 public companies. The Company provides compelling investor content direct from companies and experts to more than 450,000 registered users through its Vcall, RadioWallStreet and Investor Conference broadcast services.

Vcall gives investors a front-row seat at corporate investor relations conference calls from more than 600 public companies. Vcall webcasts include earnings releases, shareholder meetings, and financial community presentations.

For more information on Investor Broadcast Network visit www.investorbroadcast.com

Pointe Communications Launches Carrier Traffic Across New U.S. ATM Fiber Communications Network.

HOUSTON, Jan. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Pointe Communications Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: PCOM) (PointeCom(TM)) President and Chief Operating Officer Gary D. Morgan today announced that the company, a provider of broad- based telecommunications and Internet services, has placed in-service the first phase of its new Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) fiber transport network in the U.S. The network is a seamless cell-based architecture connecting the company's switching facilities in Miami, Atlanta, Houston and Dallas. Morgan stated that PointeCom has invested $4.3 million since October 1998 in new network construction. The Company expects to extend its ATM fiber network to New York and Los Angeles by the end of February.

Morgan commented that, "With PointeCom's Central and South American network now connected to the major carrier hubs in the U.S., the Company can now provide very competitively priced services to a significantly greater number of customers. Our new and expanding network makes us a leading facilities-based communications service provider in the U.S./Latin America market."

The new ATM fiber backbone reduces the complexity of terminating voice and data across the same network, and allows bandwidth on demand for voice, data and Internet over a single network. The network will be managed from PointeCom's Network Control Center in Houston.

In addition to its carrier business, Morgan pointed out that retail and corporate offerings of local, long distance, Internet and prepaid services are continuing in both its domestic and Latin American markets. Morgan added, "Our strategic CLEC plan is being aggressively implemented in both the U.S. and Latin America. Demand for new service offerings is meeting, and in some cases, exceeding our expectations."

Pointe Communications Corporation, (www.pointecom.net, information at rames@pointecom.net) operating under its brand name PointeCom, provides satellite, Internet, telecommunications and telecommuting products and services for businesses operating in the Americas. The Company has offices in Houston, Atlanta and Miami, and facilities and operations in Panama, Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Venezuela.

AAA Unveils North America's First Roadside Assistance Truck Capable of Charging Electric Vehicles.

To help address range anxiety, the nation's largest motor club will be first in North America to provide Level 2 and Level 3 mobile charging services to members with electric vehicles

RALEIGH, N.C., July 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AAA unveiled today North America's first roadside assistance truck with the capability to charge electric vehicles. The motor club is able to come to the rescue of its members with 'depleted' electric vehicles and provide Level 2 and Level 3 charging on the roadside.

"AAA has been a leader in addressing the needs of motorists for more than a century, and the introduction of mobile electric vehicle charging continues that tradition," said Marshall L. Doney, AAA Automotive Vice President. "As the electric vehicle market continues to emerge, AAA is ready to help alleviate some 'range anxiety' with the ability to provide a charge to electric vehicles on the roadside that gets drivers back on the go quickly."

During a news conference at the Plug-In 2011 Conference & Exposition, AAA announced it initially will deploy the trucks with mobile electric vehicle charging capability in six metropolitan areas across the U.S. as a pilot program, including Portland (Ore.), Seattle, the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, Knoxville (Tenn.) and the Tampa Bay area. The phased rollout will begin later this summer and continue into the fall.

"While these six areas are part of the initial pilot program, we've had tremendous interest from AAA clubs across the country to offer this service to their members, and we anticipate expanding the program to additional areas in the months following initial deployment," said John Nielsen, AAA Director of Auto Repair, Buying Services and Consumer Information during a news conference at Plug-In 2011.

Nielsen explained the pilot program will include AAA Roadside Assistance vehicles equipped with different technologies used to provide mobile charging capabilities to allow the motor club to evaluate multiple technologies in different environments around the country.

The AAA Roadside Assistance truck unveiled at Plug-In 2011 is powered by Green Charge Networks. It featured a removable lithium-ion battery pack for mobile charging. Other vehicles will be equipped with generators powered by alternative fuels and other power sources.

The truck is remarkably similar to AAA's other light services vehicles - a noted difference to mobile charging vehicles recently unveiled in other countries. Officials demonstrated how the truck is equipped to allow AAA's technicians to provide traditional AAA Roadside Assistance capabilities to all motorists, such as battery testing, jump starts and replacements, tire changes, fuel delivery and lockout service.

"AAA's mobile electric vehicle charging is intended to be a service similar to what AAA has provided to motorists with gas-powered vehicles for nearly a century. When your vehicle runs out of fuel - whether it is traditional gasoline or electric 'fuel' - AAA can provide you with a limited amount to help you safely reach a location where you can fill up your tank or your battery," explained Nielsen.

AAA will provide 10 to 15 minutes of charge time to members with discharged electric vehicles, which will allow the vehicle to drive three to 15 miles to a charging station where they can further charge their vehicle.

The first Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt were delivered to customers in December 2010, and manufacturers estimate production by year-end to be a combined 40,000 vehicles with an additional 145,000 planned for 2012. Current manufacturer projections have 1.2 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.

As North America's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 52 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at AAA.com.

AAA Mobile Electric Vehicle Facts

* AAA is launching a pilot program that will place in service roadside assistance vehicles with the ability to charge battery electric vehicles.

* The initial pilot program will place one mobile electric vehicle charging roadside assistance vehicle in six metropolitan areas-Portland (Ore.), Seattle, the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, Knoxville (Tenn.) and the Tampa Bay area. AAA anticipates adding additional areas in the months following the initial deployment.

* The roadside assistance vehicles will begin a phased deployment later this summer that will continue into early fall.

* The pilot program will include roadside assistance vehicles equipped with different forms of technology used for EV mobile charging. This will allow AAA to evaluate multiple technologies in different environments.

* The EV mobile charging roadside assistance vehicle unveiled at the Plug-In 2011 Conference and Exposition is powered by a removable lithium battery. The power management of the system is computer controlled and developed by Green Charge Networks.

* Other AAA Roadside Assistance vehicles with EV mobile charging capability will utilize generators powered by alternative fuels and power sources.

* There are three charging levels for electric vehicles:

** Level 1 is a standard 120-volt household outlet, which would take roughly 20 hours to fully charge a Nissan Leaf.

** Level 2 is 240 volts AC (alternating current). This is commonly found in household electric clothes dryers and can charge a Nissan Leaf in approximately six hours.

** Level 3 is DC (direct current) charging at high voltage-up to 500 volts DC. This allows a large amount of energy to be delivered to an electric vehicle in a very short period of time. A "depleted" Nissan Leaf could go to 80 percent state-of-charge in roughly 30 minutes with Level 3 charging.

* All AAA mobile EV charging roadside assistance vehicles can provide Level 3 (DC Fast Charging) and Level 2 (AC Quick Charging) to electric vehicles.

* AAA Roadside Assistance vehicles equipped with EV mobile charging capability also will provide traditional services for all members such as battery testing, jump start and replacement, tire change, fuel delivery and lockout service.

* The AAA Mobile Electric Vehicle Charging program is designed to provide electric vehicle owners with a service similar to motorists with conventional internal combustion engines that run out of fuel. It will provide a limited amount of "fuel," in the form of electric charge, to give the motorist enough additional driving range to safely get to a location where they can further charge their vehicle.

* AAA will provide 10 to 15 minutes of charge time to members with discharged electric vehicles. This will allow the vehicle to drive three to 15 miles to a charging station.

* AAA is enhancing its existing hybrid vehicle training to include Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV). AAA also is developing specific equipment training for technicians operating AAA Mobile Electric Vehicle Charging units.

* In President Obama's State of the Union address in January, he outlined his Administration's goal to have one million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.

* The first Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt were delivered to customers in December 2010, and while sales through June of this year were a relatively small 6,600 vehicles, manufacturer estimated production by year-end is a combined 40,000 vehicles with an additional 145,000 planned for 2012.

* Current manufacturer projections have 1.2 million electric vehicles on the road by 2015.

* Recent Google studies highlight that, with advancements in battery technology, electric vehicles and hybrids could reach 90 percent market share of new vehicle sales in 2030.

* As part of this goal of one million electric vehicles by 2015, a number of policy initiatives have been instituted to encourage the introduction and sales of EVs. This includes a federal consumer tax credit through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of up to $7,500.

* Nearly 40 states and D.C. have adopted measures to promote EV purchase and usage including HOV privileges, waived emissions inspections, as well and tax credits/rebates.

AAA news releases, high-resolution images, broadcast-quality video, fact sheets and podcasts are available on the AAA NewsRoom at AAA.com/news.

Stay connected with AAA on the web via:

Twitter.com/AAAauto

Twitter.com/AAAnews

YouTube.com/AAA

Facebook.com/AAAfanpage

Facebook.com/AutoSkills

BlogTalkRadio.com/AAATalkRadio

Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link.

Christie Hyde

http://www.profnetconnect.com/Christie.Hyde

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110718/DC36808)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20080226/DC15031LOGO )

SOURCE AAA

Dex One Bolsters Internet Video Offering with Addition of New Partners.

Agreements with StudioNow and bieMEDIA Extend Video Capabilities

CARY, N.C. -- Dex One Corporation (NYSE: DEXO) announced today it has secured agreements to bolster the development and distribution of Internet videos on behalf of its customers. By working with StudioNow and bieMEDIA, Dex One can deliver a full spectrum of Internet video offerings from on-site shooting and production to very economical, yet impactful, video slideshows.

The most recent comScore Video Metrix report concluded that Americans watched more than 4.5 billion video ads in the month of May, reaching approximately 45 percent of the U.S. population. This medium is quickly becoming an effective way for businesses to connect with consumers.

"Internet video can be a powerful marketing tool for local businesses and our customers want a simple, turnkey solution to help them produce and distribute their digital content," said Alfred Mockett, Dex One chief executive officer. "By partnering with StudioNow and bieMEDIA, we can deliver a comprehensive video solution to our customers, helping them reach more consumers in a very impactful, creative way."

By partnering with StudioNow, Dex One customers will have access to a network of thousands of video professionals and StudioNow's proprietary online content management platform to provide on-site shooting, editing and distribution of video content to DexKnows.com as well as other digital platforms.

bieMEDIA's solutions focus around video slideshows designed to increase local businesses visibility and traction while setting new standards and online marketing trends. Dex One customers will benefit from bieMEDIA's successful track record of delivering engaged, ready-to-buy consumers.

About Dex One Corporation

Dex One Corporation (NYSE: DEXO) is a leading marketing solutions provider helping local businesses and their customers connect wherever and whenever they choose to search. Building on its heritage of delivering print-based solutions, the company provides integrated products and services to help its clients establish their digital presence and generate leads. Dex One's locally based marketing experts offer a broad network of local marketing solutions including online, mobile and print search solutions, such as DexKnows.com. For more information, visit www.DexOne.com.

Certain statements contained in this press release regarding Dex One Corporation's future operating results or performance or business plans or prospects and any other statements not constituting historical fact are "forward-looking statements" subject to the safe harbor created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements reflect only Dex One's current beliefs and assumptions with respect to future business plans, prospects, decisions and results, and are based on information currently available to Dex One. Accordingly, the statements are subject to significant risks, uncertainties and contingencies, which could cause Dex One's actual operating results, performance or business plans or prospects to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these statements.

Contemporary Francophone African writers and the burden of commitment.(Brief article)(Book review)

9780813930961

Contemporary Francophone African writers and the burden of commitment.

Cazenave, Odile M. and Patricia Celerier.

U. of Virginia Press

2011

246 pages

$24.50

Paperback

PQ3980

The volume emerged from five years of collaboration between French scholars Cazenave (Boston U.) and Celerier (Vassar College) both in the US and in Africa. They explain that they translate engagement from the French, where it means political involvement of the intellectual class, a concept that has become passe not only in France but also the rest of Europe and the US. But not in Africa, they find. Working across genres but focusing on the novel, they explore enduring commitments, the practice of memory, new aesthetics, the publishing industry, the Internet, and criticism.

([c]2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR)

Employ Media Ensures Continued Operation of .JOBS Platform; Files ICANN Arbitration Notice.

In a strongly worded defense of the innovative .JOBS platform developed to serve both the international human resource management community and job seekers worldwide, Employ Media today filed a Request for Arbitration with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in Paris, France, to resolve the Notice of Breach of Registry Agreement issued by the General Counsel for the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) against Employ Media. Filing that Request enables the .JOBS platform to continue functioning as it automatically stays any further enforcement action related to the Notice, which was issued February 27, 2011. Since then, Employ Media and ICANN unsuccessfully participated in a Cooperative Engagement process to try to resolve the matter.

Employ Media Chairman & CEO Tom Embrescia said, "This filing was necessary to ward off ICANN's unwarranted and unprecedented threat of contract termination. That action created immediate uncertainty about the .JOBS TLD on the Internet and caused significant duress on our business." Employ Media's sole business is that of being the licensed operator with ICANN for the .JOBS TLD on the Internet.

The Notice of Arbitration contains a detailed history of the lengthy and thorough process that ICANN utilized in approving Employ Media's plans - not once, but twice - to expand the initial .JOBS platform from companyname.jobs to include combinations of geographic and occupational domain names (like in the universe.jobs platform), such as newyork.jobs or marketing.jobs. The record shows that the company's plans were fully disclosed and debated during that process and were approved overwhelmingly by the ICANN Board of Directors.

Since that approval, more than 900,000 jobs are being listed on a daily basis from nearly 90,000 participating employers. Well over a million job seekers have visited the network of .JOBS websites in the few months since its launch.

Embrescia said, "Those statistics provide powerful evidence of the need for and benefits of this way for employers and job seekers to connect directly and safely - at no charge. Furthermore, ICANN's Core Values call for 'introducing and promoting competition in the registration of domain names where practicable and beneficial in the public interest.' The benefits of the universe.jobs platform are one reason why the U.S. Department of Labor and the National Association of State Work Force Agencies have joined with DirectEmployers Association, which manages universe.jobs, in a special program to help our military personnel and their families find post-service employment quickly and easily by using the platform."

One human resources executive at a global company extolled the benefits of the revolutionary universe.jobs initiative by saying, "It's not some third party that came up with this idea. It was the employers; it was the leaders of this industry ... we went to Employ Media and the marketplace and said, 'We've got an idea for .JOBS. Let's see if this can work.' We've tested it out and we're really excited about the potential."

Embrescia concluded, "While we wish filing this Arbitration Notice could have been avoided, we strongly believe we are operating within the confines of our Charter and the plans that ICANN previously approved. We are confident that the arbitration process will affirm that position and that both employers and job seekers will continue to be able to use the benefits of the universe.jobs platform operated by the DirectEmployers Association for many years to come."

Employ Media is represented in this matter by Crowell & Moring LLP (http://www.crowell.com) and Ulmer & Berne LLP (http://www.ulmer.com).

Keywords: Advertising, Defense, Employ Media, Legal Issues, Marketing, Military.

This article was prepared by Defense & Aerospace Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Defense & Aerospace Week via VerticalNews.com.

ATK Awarded $16 Million in Orders for Non-Standard Ammunition to Support Allied Security Forces.

ATK Non-Standard Ammunition Orders-to-Date top $177 Million

Orders Support ATK's International Growth Strategy

MINNEAPOLIS, April 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- ATK (NYSE: ATK) has received more than $16 million in non-standard (non-NATO) ammunition orders through a multi-year contract with the U.S. Army Contracting Command in Rock Island, Ill. Orders on the multi-year contract have totaled more than $177 million since it was awarded to ATK in December, 2008.

The ATK-provided supplies are critical for Afghan and coalition security forces to respond to internal and external threats. Under this contract, ATK provides technical oversight, quality assurance and supply chain management necessary to deliver non-standard small, medium, and large-caliber ammunition; aviation rockets; grenades; and mortars to Kabul, Afghanistan. In the two years ATK has been supplying non-standard ammunition and weapons to Afghanistan, deliveries have been consistently ahead of schedule.

"International growth is a key part of ATK's strategy," said ATK Armament Systems President Karen Davies, "and our ability to win this business and perform above expectations supports that effort."

ATK is an aerospace, defense, and commercial products company with operations in 23 states, Puerto Rico, and internationally, and revenues of approximately $4.8 billion. News and information can be found on the Internet at www.atk.com.

Certain information discussed in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although ATK believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, it can give no assurance that its expectations will be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Among those factors are: changes in governmental spending, budgetary policies and product sourcing strategies; the company's competitive environment; the terms and timing of awards and contracts; and economic conditions. ATK undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. For further information on factors that could impact ATK, and statements contained herein, please refer to ATK's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Media Contact:	Investor Contact:
Amanda Covington	Jeff Huebschen
Phone: 801-779-4625	Phone: 952-351-2929
E-mail: amanda.covington@atk.com	E-mail: jeff.huebschen@atk.com

SOURCE ATK

' Black Gold' Freida films in Tunisia as Banderas cops out.

FREIDA Pinto is sure winning over Hollywood with her intrepid ways.

In Tunisia to shoot for her new film, Black Gold , along with Antonio Banderas, Freida refused to be cowed down by the ongoing political turmoil in that country.

Even as Banderas chose to fly off to France, refusing to continue filming amid the violent unrest, Freida decided to stay back and shoot for Jean- Jacques Annaud's film because she felt it would be unprofessional to leave the country and waste the producer's dates.

Freida and Banderas were shooting near Hammamet, one of the places in Tunisia that has been a centre of riots and violence. Keeping abreast of the situation through television and the internet, Freida decided to stay on despite being offered the chance to leave Tunisia for security reasons.

While Banderas did stay on for some time, he eventually left for France citing business reasons.

He is scheduled to return to Tunisia later this week to wrap up filming in the country. Reports say that Freida too could have taken a short break, but she decided to focus on her solo scenes.

" Being an A- list female star now, Freida's safety was of huge concern for the producers. That's the reason she was offered a chance to fly out to India or the US but she wasn't very keen. Instead, she wanted to go ahead with the shoot and avoid causing disturbance to the filming schedule," informed a source close to Freida.

The source also insisted that Banderas left only because he had a commitment in France and was in no mood to fly back home otherwise.

Freida has been shooting over the last weekend even as the law and order situation continued to worsen in Tunisia. Faced with a tight schedule, she has been working even on Saturdays and Sundays.

Both Freida and Banderas are also believed to be concerned for their Tunisian colleagues in the film unit.

Violent rioting spread across Tunisia as thousands gathered to protest against unemployment, rising food prices and President Zine al- Abidine Ben Ali's rule.

Over the recent past, many protesters have died after clashing with the police, who have opened fire to control violence on several occasions.

About 50 protesters have been killed in riots. Following two weeks of unrest, Ali fled to Saudi Arabia and a state of emergency has been declared.

Banderas has stated he is worried about the situation. " I hope everything comes to terms. I hope that both sides are open to understanding each other's position," he told the press.

Black Gold tells the story of the rivalry between two young emirs and is set against the backdrop of the oil boom in Arab states. Based on the Hans Ruesch book, The Great Thirst , the film is set in the 1930s.

Freida plays Princess Lallah, the daughter of Nessib, played by Banderas.

The film also stars new- age Hollywood action hero Mark Strong.

Tarak Ben Ammar of Quinta Communications, producers of Black Gold , has stated that Freida was perfect for the venture because she has established herself at the international level and her presence in the film could go a long way in making waves in major film markets outside the US, including India.

Copyright 2011 India Today Group. All Rights Reserved.

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

Thermo Remediation Changes Name To ThermoRetec

CONCORD, Mass., Sept. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermo Remediation Inc.(ASE: THN) announced that its shareholders have approved the company's proposal to change its name to ThermoRetec Corporation. The outcome of the vote was announced Tuesday at the company's annual meeting of shareholders. The name change is effective immediately.

"We are a much different company than we were two years ago, and ThermoRetec better reflects the much broader range of services we offer to support and improve our clients' environmental health and safety efforts," said Robert W. Dunlap, president and chief executive officer of ThermoRetec. "The name change will be beneficial as we complete the ongoing integration of our various businesses and continue to focus on meeting the future requirements of customers from both industry and government."

The company's ticker symbol on the American Stock Exchange will remain THN. Trading in the company's common stock will not be interrupted. However, the common stock will begin to trade under the new name and with its new CUSIP number (883656 10 0) on Friday, September 18. Shareholders will not be requested to exchange their stock certificates.

ThermoRetec Corporation is a national provider of environmental services. The company integrates advanced management, regulatory, and technology skills to provide compliance management, resource recovery and recycling, radioactive-waste management, remediation construction, and health and safety monitoring. ThermoRetec is a public subsidiary of Thermo TerraTech Inc., a Thermo Electron company. More information is available on the Internet at http://www.thermo.com/subsid/thn1.html.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements are set forth under the heading "Forward-looking Statements" in the company's annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 4, 1998. These include risks and uncertainties relating to: dependence of the company's businesses on environmental regulation, potential environmental and regulatory liability, intense competition, development and commercialization of technology, possible obsolescence of the company's services due to technological change, risks associated with the company's acquisition strategy, uncertainties associated with the availability of government funding, the effect of seasonal influences on the company's performance, and the potential impact of the year 2000 on processing date- sensitive information.

SOURCE Thermo Electron Corporation

     -0-                     09/17/98 

/CONTACT: Investor: 781-622-1111 or Media: 781-622-1252 of Thermo Electron/

/Company News On-Call: http://www.prnewswire.com or fax, 800-758-5804, ext 877850/

/Web site: http://www.thermo.com/subsid/thn1.html/

(TMO THN) CO: Thermo Electron Corporation; Thermo Remediation Inc.; ThermoRetec

Corporation ST: Massachusetts IN: ENV SU:

TJ -- NETH012 -- 4500 09/17/98 09:14 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com

GiftBerry.org Unveils Rescue Plan for Charities.

With recent cyber chatter concerning the impact of Web 2.0 and Cloud Applications for the Internet, a small Los Angeles Non-Profit has rolled out a suite of software that has the potential to save each charity up to $100,000.00 per year.

"GiftBerry provides its software to Charities for free," says Barb Castleman, who co-founded the http://www.giftberry.org/ system, "and everyone wins."

"The first question people ask is 'How do you do it?'," laughs Castleman. "We explain that GiftBerry.org is supported solely through Corporate Grants and Business Donations, and the Charity Directors are just amazed and excited."

"The average individual donation cycle uses about 26 pieces of paper," reports Ms. Castleman, "but at GiftBerry, you can run all Charity functions online, with virtual records, IRS compliance, and utter security."

GiftBerry's software application, eGala, is a godsend for Charities that routinely spend $30-100,000 per year on event management, specialized custom software running pledge drives, contacting donors, and endless day to day transactions.

"GiftBerry has created a paperless format for all transactions, which will comply not only with 'Green' objectives of the Charity, but also fits in nicely with Corporate and Business donors who can now give cash, products, services online directly, in seconds." GiftBerry even allows special promotions and discounts to be offered to Charities and their patrons.

http://www.giftberry.org/ was featured at the recent CAPSO Convention in Long Beach, and will be presenting at the upcoming National Conference for Independent Schools in Denver, Colorado this January 15-17.

Keywords: GiftBerry.org.

This article was prepared by Computer Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Computer Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.

Cisco Systems Inc. Corporate News: Helping Schools Converge Physical and Network Security Tools, Modernize Campus Safety to Meet New Challenges.

M2 PRESSWIRE-19 February 2008-Bellwether Stock Analysis: Cisco Systems Inc. Corporate News: Helping Schools Converge Physical and Network Security Tools, Modernize Campus Safety to Meet New Challenges(C)1994-2008 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:19022008

Today Bellwether Report has identified Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO), a company that our analysts will be tracking over the ensuing weeks. They recently came out with a significant corporate development on Tuesday February 19, 2008, causing a short term market correction. For a full report on the below mentioned company, and many more, feel free to visit www.bellwetherreport.com for a free 90 day no obligation trial.

Cisco Systems Inc. is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco's Internet Protocol-based networking solutions are the foundation of the Internet and most corporate, education, and government networks around the world. Cisco is seeing a slight decline this Tuesday, as shares dropped a fraction of a percent to $23.26 on volume of over 14 million only an hour and half into trading.

Tuesday February 19, 2008 From Campus Safety Conference - Cisco reported a change in how K-12 schools, colleges and universities view emergency preparedness and security management when designing their campus safety architectures. Seizing a movement already under way in businesses and government agencies, school officials increasingly recognize the importance of converging their physical security tools on their networks and are doing so at an unprecedented pace.

Campus security has long been a top priority for schools from kindergarten to higher education. At many schools, however, the physical and network security infrastructures are disjointed, comprising a patchwork of separate alarm systems, surveillance cameras, communication systems and radios that cannot interact with the digital, network-connected systems more recently put in place.

"Before we modernized our campus safety communications, training used to be a nightmare for our emergency dispatchers because they literally had to know more than 70 different user interfaces to transmit information," said Steve Goodman, BYU's communications center supervisor. "Now that we're using the network as our communication platform, the dispatch process is streamlined and efficient."

To view the full unbiased report on Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO), feel free to visit our site. This article and many more are available for review under the Today's Articles Section. No credit Card Needed!!

The Bellwether Report will continue scanning the markets for true emerging growth opportunities that will show subscribers optimal entry points with profitable exit points. If you are interested in receiving more information on feel free to sign up for a 3 month complimentary subscription to the #1 online investment resource www.bellwetherreport.com.

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