QLD:Police to improve triple zero training

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2011
QLD:Police to improve triple zero training

Queensland police working in triple zero call centres will receive better training
after an interim report into the floods found inconsistencies.

The issue was highlighted during the floods commission of inquiry earlier this year,
when the chilling triple zero calls of Toowoomba flash flood victims DONNA RICE and her
son JORDAN were played.

Toowoomba Senior Constable JASON WHEELER took the call and chided Ms RICE for driving
into floodwaters.

The report's found that Sen Const WHEELER hadn't received adequate training, and recommended
that police call-takers should be trained to a uniform standard.

AAP RTV ka/gd/wf

KEYWORD: FLOODS INQUIRY POLICE (BRISBANE)

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

NSW:Gillard should 'call Rudd's bluff': Latham

AAP General News (Australia)
04-05-2011
NSW:Gillard should 'call Rudd's bluff': Latham

SYDNEY, April 5 AAP - Former Labor leader Mark Latham has accused Foreign Minister
Kevin Rudd of trying to sabotage the government and says Prime Minister Julia Gillard
should "call his bluff".

The former prime minister could not be allowed to act like a "teflon-coated minister",
Mr Latham told Sky News on Tuesday.

Mr Rudd caused a stir on Monday when he told a television audience about the division
in Cabinet over his emissions trading scheme plans, saying he was urged by some to abandon
it but would not say who.

He went on to say his party was fundamentally failing because factional leaders intimidated
a lot of the party from being politically effective.

When asked how he would handle Mr Rudd, Mr Latham replied, "call his bluff. Will he walk?

"If you put him out of the ministry for breaches of cabinet solidarity, and all the
other mischief that is well and truly on the public record, maybe his agenda is to think,
well, Gillard will lose the next election.

"A desperate Labor party will turn back to him, the grateful public will re-embrace
him at the election after that and he can bounce back as prime minister, do a Menzies."

Mr Rudd's behaviour should not go unpunished, Mr Latham said.

"Call it sabotage, call it whatever you like, you can't allow that to happen. It's
no way to govern a country," he said.

"You're better off calling the bluff of troublemakers than allowing them to be immune
to any form of discipline."

AAP ih/ajw

KEYWORD: CLIMATE LATHAM

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

QLD:Ipswich to do a Parramatta

AAP General News (Australia)
12-15-2010
QLD:Ipswich to do a Parramatta

BRISBANE, Dec 15 AAP - Ipswich will become to Brisbane what Parramatta is to Sydney,
city leaders say.

The Ipswich City Properties (ICP) and Leighton Properties on Wednesday announced a
$1 billion rejuvenation of the city's neglected heart to make it the centre of the booming
corridor west of Brisbane.

ICP, which bought the large dilapidated Ipswich City Square shopping precinct in March
2009, is wholly owned by Ipswich City Council.

"This is the first time any local government has taken the courageous decision to buy
its own CBD," Mayor Paul Pisasale told AAP on Wednesday.

"It was only 45 per cent occupied, and no private investor wanted to touch it, it wasn't
viable. We had to take control of our own destiny."

The project includes residential inner-city living, an office precinct, entertainment
and retail space.

Mr Pisasale said construction would begin in 2011 with the first tower completed by
2013. The whole project will take 10 to 15 years to complete.

"We have a tremendous opportunity to create a world-class city centre based on sustainable
design principles and open up our city heart to the Bremer River and River Heart parklands,"

he said.

ICP chairman and city councillor Paul Tully said: "Ipswich City Square will become
a focus for decentralisation of commercial and government offices in the same way Parramatta
serves Sydney."

After decades in the economic doldrums, Ipswich is now the epicentre of a boom in southeast
Queensland which is expected to see one million more people living in the region in the
next 20 years.

Ipswich, southwest of Brisbane, is growing at the rate of 110 new residents every week,
and the city's current population of 170,000 will increase to 435,000 in 20 years.

"The rejuvenation of Ipswich city heart will be one of the most significant in the
state for many years," Mr Tully said in a statement.

He said the centre was perfectly positioned for technology-based businesses and would
be well served by current and future high-speed broadband from several providers.

"Redevelopment plans also call for a 21st century approach to the provision of internet
and computer networking connectivity," Mr Tully said.

AAP stg/tnf/hl

KEYWORD: IPSWICH

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

NSW:Favourite beaten in City 2 Surf

08-08-2010
NSW:Favourite beaten in City 2 Surf

BEN ST LAWRENCE has pipped the race favourite MICHAEL SHELLEY to win Sydney's City
2 Surf in an official time of 41 minutes and five seconds.

The first woman to cross was the line was LARA TAMSETT who completed the 14-kilometre
course in just under 47 minutes.

AAP RTV was/jmt

KEYWORD: CITY2SURF RESULT (SYDNEY)

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

Vic: Motorcyclist dies in collision

AAP General News (Australia)
12-28-2009
Vic: Motorcyclist dies in collision

Police say a collision between a bike and a car in Victoria's east has claimed the
life of the motorcyclist this afternoon.

The collision happened on the Great Alpine Road near Omeo .. about 3.20 pm (AEDT).

His death takes the state's holiday road toll to 13 and the annual road toll to 291
.. 12 fewer than at the same time last year.







(EDS: National road toll figures are for the period 0001 December 18 to 2359 January
3. Some states and territories have different periods.)

AAP RTV sbl/tm

KEYWORD: TOLL VIC (MELBOURNE)

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

National Newslist for Monday, Aug 17, 2009

AAP General News (Australia)
08-17-2009
National Newslist for Monday, Aug 17, 2009
AAP's National Newslist for Monday (not for publication). This is a guide only and stories
are subject to change. AAP's news editors can be contacted on 02 93228611/8610.

NATIONAL
BUSHFIRES VIC
- Royal Commission's interim report on Vic bushfires which killed 173 people in February.

CUBBIE
- Cubbie Station up for sale but fed govt won't reveal whether it intends buying the $450m
Qld property.

- Oppn says the govt could be buying "phantom" water.

- Milne, Xenophon, Heffernan to come
- Wetlands scientist Richard Kingston to come.
CLIMATE
- Negotiations begin between govt, oppn and Greens on renewable energy targets legislation.

- Oppn wants govt to talk about rejected ETS bills.

- Turnbull uses YouTube to seek positive talks.

- Green's Christian Milne to come
FIRE
- More on woman and four young children killed in Vic house fire; husband in hospital
in a stable condition.

RFDS
- Future of the RFDS hangs in the balance as private operators swoop in to win lucrative
government contracts.

COURTS
ADELAIDE
- Two men in Adelaide Magistrates Court over bEating death of 60yo man.

- Trial of champion cyclist Chris Jongewaard on charges of causing harm by dangerous driving;
leaving accident scene.

MELBOURNE
- Committal mention for Brendan Sokaluk, charged with arson causing death in the Black
Saturday bushfires and one charge of possessing child porn. Suppression orders apply.

- Pre-sentence hearing for sham "healer" Stawingua Dresen who used herbal potions to drug
women and has pleaded guilty to indecent assaults, County Court.

- Committal mention for a man charged over the bashing of prominent doctor Mukesh Haikerwal,
Melbourne Magistrates Court.(AZZOPARDI)
- Supreme Court sentence for Jamie Leigh Gill, charged with manslaughter after the stabbing
of a youth after a party.

SYDNEY
- Special hearing for Craig James Grant, found mentally unfit to stand trial for murder
of 17yo pregnant girlfriend.

- ABC Learning administrators application to Federal Court.

- Sentencing for brothers Abraham and Ahmed Hzaife, convicted after trial for series of
armed robberies and sexual assaults.

PERTH
- Everett James Tyson, on trial in the WA Supreme Court charged with the murder of a Maori
man during a brawl in Perth's eastern suburbs.

- Sudanese immigrant Cosmas Bundu, to be sentenced in the WA Supreme Court for repeatedly
stabbing his pregnant former wife in the street.

BRISBANE
- Max Sica triple murder committal hearing continues.

- Final submissions in LNP candidate challenge to Chatsworth state election result.

CANBERRA
PARLY
- Reps sits from 1200; Senate from 1230.

- Treaties committee hearing.

- Reps education committee hearing on study and work
- Senate committee delivers findings of inquiry into proposed healthcare laws which could
see up to 200 midwives deregistered.
OTHERS
- Turnbull, Ken Henry address AiGroup forum.

- Ellis meets ANU vice-chancellor as Senate begins debate on whether university students
should be required to pay $250 a year to help fund campus services such as child care.

- Macklin meets UN investigator here to examine human rights in remote Aboriginal communities.

- Two young Tamils complete walk to raise awareness about the plight of about 300,000
of their people detained at military controlled camps in Sri Lanka.

- Govt to spend $2 million attempting to turn Australia's high school students into science nerds.

- Memorial hall honouring Australian soldiers who died on the infamous Sandakan death
marches more than 60 years ago opens.

SYDNEY
- Consumer watchdog investigating St Vincent's Private Hospital anaesthetists over cartel.

Seeking more.

- Search resumes for man missing while swimming at Lake Jindabyne.

- Richmond Football Club's Kayne Pettifer's father killed in double fatality car crash
in Wagga Wagga. Seeking more.

MELBOURNE
BUSHFIRES VIC
- Bushfires Royal Commission's interim report to be tabled at 1430 AEST. AAP in lockup.

- First story to be filed at 1430 with factboxes and possible quick sidebars.

- Press conference at 1430 with John Brumby, Bob Cameron, Bruce Esplin, Simon Overland,
Russell Rees.

- Wrap on political aspect; analysis/feature, snapshots of each recommendation - 100 word summaries.

- Plus reaction from experts, survivors, on the ground firefighters and other stakeholders
eg Forest industry, farmers.

OTHERS
- Outseeking more on discovery of what police believe is a woman's leg on a Victorian beach.

- 13yo dies after stealing his father's car in the middle of the night and crashing into a pole.

BRISBANE
- Peter Garrett opens the 10th International Ecology Congress in Brisbane.

- Search for 26yo man missing in Fitzroy River near Rockhampton.

- Police questioning several people over the shooting death of a man on a footpath at
Burleigh Heads.

- State cabinet meets.

- Preview of state parliament sitting this week.

- Seeking Hendra update.

GOLD COAST
- Update on fatal shooting of a man on a footpath at Burleigh Heads.

- Tourism Futures Forum.

CAIRNS
- Update on Yarrabah Aboriginal community CDEP funding cut.

ADELAIDE
- Two men charged with the murder of a 60-year-old man in his Adelaide home.

- Criminal trials could be filmed and photographed under a proposal by SA Premier Mike Rann.

ENTERTAINMENT
- Preview of Kyle and Jackie O's return to the airwaves tomorrow.

- Opening night of the Sydney Fashion Festival, with pics.

- Interview with singer John Paul Young about his induction into the ARIA Hall of Fame.

MEDICAL
- It's one of life's simplest pleasures, but even a kiss is not immune from a health warning.

- Chasing new research on breast cancer ahead of McGrath Foundation event tomorrow.

INTERNATIONAL
BALI - Schapelle Corby and Renae Lawrence expected to be handed sentence cuts as part
of Indonesian Independence Day celebrations.

WELLINGTON - Travelling to Australia could be almost as domestic air travel by Christmas, NZ PM.

PORT MORESBY - PNG's transport minister's 100 per cent election has been found null and void.

FINANCE
EQUITIES NEWS
Sydney - BlueScope Steel Ltd has reported an annual loss after a challenging year marked
by heavy falls in export demand, sales and prices.

Sydney - Rubber gloves and condom maker Ansell Ltd says it expects sales in the first
half of 2009/10 to be lower due to a subdued economic outlook as it prepares for a decline
in annual earnings.

Melbourne - MAC Services Group Ltd says it is continuing to eye acquisitions after posting
a 29.7 per cent jump in full year profit.

Sydney - NIB Holdings Ltd annual results
Sydney - Transfield Services Infrastructure Fund annual results
Perth - iiNet Ltd annual results
Brisbane - Austin Engineering Ltd annual results
Auckland, New Zealand - Fisher& Paykel Appliances Ltd annual general meeting

Also Dollar, Stocks, Finance Briefs

SPORT
ATHLETICS
BERLIN - Jamaican sprint sensation Usain Bolt demolishes his own world record to win the 100m title.

BERLIN - Australian action on day three of the world athletics championships including
Women's 800m semi-finals, Men's 1,500m semi-finals and Men's 10,000m final.

BERLIN - Update on the fitness of Australian pole vaulter and team captain Steve Hooker,
who is battling a thigh injury.

GOLF
CHASKA, Minnesota - South Korea's Y E Yang becomes first Asian golfer to capture a men's
major title.

CRICKET
CANTERBURY, England - Spinner Nathan Hauritz and seamer Stuart Clark kept their chances
alive of selection for the Ashes decider following the tour match in Canterbury on Sunday.

LONDON - Australian coach Tim Nielsen talking at 2230 AEST.

LONDON - Clive Stephens, Operations Director of The Oval talking about 2100 AEST.

LONDON - Brett Lee has always been a bit of a hit with the birds.

AFL
MELBOURNE - Wrap of AFL news, including match video review outcomes
ADELAIDE - AFL, Adelaide and Port Adelaide media conferences.

MELBOURNE - Hawthorn presser 1000.

LEAGUE
NEWCASTLE - NRL match: Newcastle Knights v Melbourne Storm at EnergyAustralia Stadium 1900 AEST.

SYDNEY - Rugby league news/citings from weekend matches.

SOCCER
SYDNEY - Latest A-League news.

RUGBY UNION
SYDNEY - Wallabies media session ahead of Saturday's Tri Nations clash against NZ featuring
Matt Giteau, Nathan Sharpe, Drew Mitchell and Luke Burgess.

SYDNEY - All Blacks available after their first training session in Sydney.

BASKETBALL
GEELONG - Opals play China in the second game of their international series.

RACING
MELBOURNE - Nominations for Crocket Stakes meeting at Moonee Valley.

SYDNEY - Entries taken for Saturday's Warwick Stakes meeting at Randwick.



AAP bwl

KEYWORD: NATIONAL NEWSLIST

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

NSW: Bikie had loaded pistol down pants when arrested court told

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2009
NSW: Bikie had loaded pistol down pants when arrested court told

A Hell's Angels bikie's back in court today .. after being arrested in a dramatic daytime
operation last week.

Police say 38-year-old CHRISTIAN BIRCH had a loaded pistol down the front of his pants
when he was pinned to the ground .. after he was pulled over on his Harley Davidson motorbike
on Friday.

The union official .. and alleged outlaw motorcycle member .. who also works as a labourer
.. was allegedly found with a fully loaded .45 calibre black semi-automatic pistol down
his pants.

Police say he was wearing full Hell's Angels club colours when officers from Strike
Force Raptor pulled him over in Alexandria.

They say BIRCH is disqualified from driving until 2012 .. and his bike exceeded his
learner's restrictions.

After raids on houses in Darlinghurst and Alexandria .. BIRCH has been charged with
firearm and driving offences.

He'll appear in Sydney's Central Local Court today.

AAP RTV krc/wf/ldj/cdh/rt/af/psm/

KEYWORD: BIRCH (SYDNEY)

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

Fed: Home owners the big winners after rate cut, more to come

AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2008
Fed: Home owners the big winners after rate cut, more to come

SYDNEY, Dec 2 AAP - Home owners can rejoice at the latest fall in mortgage interest
rates, after the central bank slashed official rates to a six-and-a-half-year low.

The decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to cut the cash rate by one per
cent to 4.25 per cent is expected to boost consumer and business confidence and underpin
Australia's economy.

And it's not over yet.

Financial market economists say official rates could fall to three per cent by March next year.

Retailers were especially upbeat with the industry's main lobby group saying the cut
on Tuesday to levels not seen since May 2002 would take the pressure off shopkeepers as
they head into the crucial Christmas trading period.

"The RBA's decision today to cut interest rates yet again indicates our leading financial
regulators are listening to retailers hard hit by months of reduced consumer demand,"

Australian Retailers Association executive director Richard Evans said.

Most of the big banks moved quickly to lower their standard variable mortgage rates
after the RBA.

The Commonwealth Bank was first off the pace, cutting its rates by 100 basis points
within minutes of the central bank's announcement.

National Australia Bank also matched the reduction, which will save customers $250
a month in interest on an average $300,000 home loan.

"Ending the year with home loan interest rates at levels not seen since 2003 is certainly
a great way to close out the year," NAB's Australian chief executive Ahmed Fahour said.

Westpac cut its standard rate by 80 basis points, while noting that wholesale lending
market rates remained volatile.

The RBA sent a clear signal to the banks on Tuesday that it expected commercial lending
rates to fall in line with its cut.

"Given trends in money market yields, most lending rates should fall significantly,"

governor Glenn Stevens said in a statement.

But Mr Stevens also noted that financial markets remain in a fragile state, amid fears
of a worsening global economic growth outlook.

The Australia stock market on Tuesday ended more than four per cent lower following
further evidence that the US was in recession.

But its performance was better than the US, where stocks fell by about eight per cent.

Australia is expected to escape recession, but Mr Stevens is likely to take no chances
with further rate cuts expected in 2009.

The RBA is presiding over the most aggressive rate cutting cycle in 25 years and if
rates fall to three per cent next year they will be at a 45-year low.

AAP klm/cdh

KEYWORD: RATES FRONTER

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

HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:45, April 29 =2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-29-2008
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:45, April 29 =2

SYDNEY - After months of public and political debate, Telstra's CDMA mobile phone network
was switched off in the early hours of this morning with barely a whimper. (CDMA)

SYDNEY - Climate change is the latest threat to the world's growing HIV epidemic, say
Australian experts who warn of the "grim" outlook in the fight against the infectious
disease.(HIV - Embargoed)

SYDNEY - Half of Australians most vulnerable to developing serious flu complications
don't get vaccinated to avoid the virus, a survey by influenza specialists has revealed.

(Flu - embargoed, with factbox)

LONDON - They were young, scared and sent to the other side of the world. (UK Evacuees)

BEERSHEBA, Israel - Australia's place in Israeli history has been honoured with the
opening of a memorial in the southern city of Beersheba. (Isarel Jeffery)

SYDNEY - This year's new-look Big Brother appears unlikely to return the show to its
glory days, with the launch ratings the worst in its history. (Ratings Brother)

SYDNEY - Some of the country's leading ladies of fashion, Lisa Ho and the Zimmermann
sisters, have showed off their vastly different collections - from tailored jackets to
frills and florals. (Fashion Ladies, to come, N/L to come)

AUCKLAND - A New Zealand lawyer representing nine women abused as children on Pitcairn
Island who are seeking compensation for their ordeal has urged Australian victims to join
the action. (Pitcairn Compensation)

CANBERRA - The first shipment of Australian wheat bound for Iraq since the AWB kickback
scandal is being loaded today in Geelong. (Wheat. N/L to come)

CANBERRA - Scrapping tax deductibility for donations to political parties could save
taxpayers $10 million a year, a committee has heard. (Donations to come)

CANBERRA - The Defence Department has been cleared of allegations it was warned of
faulty engine parts fitted to HMAS Westralia before a deadly engine room fire that killed
four sailors. (Westralia )

CANBERRA - The jobs boom has landed the public service in a "war for talent" that research
shows it is losing, with most departments struggling to recruit workers with the necessary
skills. (JOBS APS to come)

CANBERRA - The number of women entitled to paid maternity leave has fallen leading
to renewed calls for a publicly-funded national scheme. (Maternity)

CANBERRA - A bush landscape of violet and gold by well known artist Fredrick McCubbin
is the latest acquisition by the National Gallery of Australia. (McCubbin to come)

SYDNEY - Plans to close the Players biscuit and chocolate factory in Sydney have raised
concerns about Campbell Arnott's plans for future manufacturing operations in Australia.

(Campbell)

SYDNEY - A crown prosecutor whose body was found in bushland in NSW appeared to have
been swept away when trying to drive his four-wheel drive across a flooded causeway, colleagues
say. (Clout Nightlead )

SYDNEY - NSW Premier Morris Iemma says he hasn't called on Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
to help solve an internal party revolt over electricity privatisation plans. (Electricity
Iemma. N/L to come)

SYDNEY - Author Bernie Matthews suffered a broken nose and two black eyes when police
raided his home on the NSW south coast, a court has been told. (Matthews)

SYDNEY - Up to 700 units will be built in inner Sydney under a $260 million affordable
housing partnership signed by the City of Sydney and the NSW government. (Housing. N/L
to come)

SYDNEY - A shortage of beds for mental health patients at a Sydney hospital has led
to staff assaults and emergency department congestion, the NSW opposition says. (Health
NSW. N/L to come)

NEWCASTLE - New South Wales will be marketed as Australia's surf capital in a move
to draw more international travellers and backpackers to the state and beyond Sydney,
a tourism conference has been told. (Tourism NSW)

MELBOURNE - A Melbourne taxi driver has been found covered in blood and with stab wounds,
lying several hundred metres from his crashed vehicle, say police. (Stab. N/L to come)

MELBOURNE - Melbourne CBD cleaners will protest against low wages and short shifts
today, as they demand a nationwide collective agreement for cleaners. (CLEANERS. N/L to
come.)

MELBOURNE - A train commuter pulled a knife and fatally stabbed a fellow passenger
in an unprovoked attack, a Melbourne court heard today. (Acuna. N/L)

MELBOURNE - The former boss of the now disbanded Victoria Giants National Basketball
club will have to register as a sex offender after being convicted of downloading explicit
images of under-age girls. (Hind)

MELBOURNE - Victoria's country rail passenger numbers have climbed to a record high. (Trains)

MELBOURNE - Melbourne's clearways will be more heavily policed, buses will have greater
priority and new bike tracks will be built under a new state government plan to reduce
congestion. (Roads Vic. N/L to come)

BRISBANE - The Queensland government has established a bipartisan committee to examine
the "opt out" approach to organ donation. (ORGAN. N/L to come)

BRISBANE - The Queensland government has referred a scandal over the Labor Party's
use of a train to the state's corruption watchdog, after the opposition failed to do so.

(Train Referred. N/L to come)

BRISBANE - Patients of former Queensland surgeon Jayant Patel are visiting state parliament
today to call for an inquiry into compensation. (Patel. N/L to come )

BRISBANE - A teenager who stabbed a student in the heart during a roadside robbery
has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in detention. (Kuo)

BRISBANE - Changes to liquor, police and indigenous justice laws introduced to the
Queensland parliament today will help rid indigenous communities of alcohol. (Indigenous
Qld)

BRISBANE - Queenslanders who spot fire ant nests will be in line for a cash reward
in a new drive to banish the pest from Australia. (Fireants)

BRISBANE - The Queensland government has delayed a decision on the multi-billion dollar
North Bank project in Brisbane's CBD after concerns were raised about its design. (Northbank.

N/L to come)

BRISBANE - Queensland Premier Anna Bligh says it may take weeks to determine the extent
of damage to homes caused by 19th-century underground mines. (Subsidence Bligh. N/L to
come)

BRISBANE - Piracy on the high seas and duelling have been taken out of Queensland's
criminal code. (PIRATES to come)

BRISBANE - Lawyers representing former terror suspect Dr Mohamed Haneef have accused
federal police of attempting to re-write history following claims investigating officers
were caught unaware by a decision to cancel his work visa. (Haneef)

PERTH - A 10-year-old West Australian boy has been pulled from a burning house by a
passing motorist who saw flames and heard the boy's cries for help. (Rescue)

PERTH - Specialist drugs liaison officers should be assigned to hospital emergency
departments to cope with the growing problem of ice and speed use, the Australian Medical
Association says. (Meth. N/L to come)

PERTH - A man has died from the mosquito-borne virus Murray Valley encephalitis (MVE)
in Western Australia's far northern Kimberley region. (Mosquito)

PERTH - A Perth finance broker has been charged with fraud for allegedly transferring
more than $23,000 from his employer's bank account into his personal account, police say.

(Fraud)

ADELAIDE - South Australian teachers will begin industrial action next month as negotiations
with the state government over pay and conditions breakdown . (Teachers SA )

ADELAIDE - South Australian Premier Mike Rann has urged the Reserve Bank to hold off
on any further increase in official interest rates. (RATES RANN)

AAP sp

KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL 2 SYDNEY

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

NT: Motorist charged after hitting girl lying on road

AAP General News (Australia)
12-26-2007
NT: Motorist charged after hitting girl lying on road

EDS: AAP's Xmas/New Year road toll figures are for the period 0001 December 21 to 2359
January 4. Some state and territory police forces may use different road toll periods.



DARWIN, Dec 26 AAP - A man has been charged over the death of a teenage girl who was
struck by his car as she lay on a Northern Territory road.

The 30-year-old Holden Commodore driver hit the 16-year-old as she lay on Robinson
Road at Borroloola at about 12.30am (CST) today, a police spokeswoman said.

She said the driver with the assistance of two female passengers put the girl in the
car and drove her to the Borroloola Police Station.

Police and clinic staff attempted to resuscitate the girl for about 45 minutes but
were unable to save her.

The driver has been charged with driving a motor vehicle causing harm or death, drink
driving, driving unregistered, driving unlicensed and driving uninsured.

He has been bailed to appear in Darwin Magistrates Court on 26 February 2008.

The girl is the first person to die on Northern Territory Roads over the Christmas
road toll period.

AAP ews/cjh

KEYWORD: TOLL NT CHARGE

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

NSW: Sydney heart research 'saving lives'

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2007
NSW: Sydney heart research 'saving lives'

Eds: Embargoed until 0001 AEST Sunday, August 19



SYDNEY, Aug 19 AAP - Sending medical data to hospitals prior to patient arrival is
saving the lives of heart attack sufferers, Sydney researchers say.

Sydney's Royal North Shore Hospital has found the early triage system helped save the
lives of about five per cent of heart attack victims who would have otherwise died.

Using mobile phone technology, ambulance officers transmit a diagnostic electrocardiogram
(ECG) to the hospital before leaving the patient's home or initial point of treatment.

The information helps determine what the best treatment option is and where the patient
should be taken to receive the most effective care.

Patients can be sent directly to the operating theatre, bypassing the emergency department
and saving up to 100 minutes of vital treatment time.

"The early triage approach has reduced the time to opening blocked arteries," lead
research author Dr Greg Nelson said.

"The first two hours are critical to a heart patient's life or death.

"The results indicate the paradigm of treating heart attacks should change."

As part of the emergency triage acute myocardial infarction pilot program 40 ambulances
were fitted with high-tech ECG machines.

The program has been running at Royal North Shore Hospital since 2004, treating about
200 patients.

The research findings have this month been published in the prestigious European Heart Journal.

AAP ad/arb/mn

KEYWORD: HEART (EMBARGOED)

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

FED: Costello's silence on interest rates a back-flip: Swan

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2007
FED: Costello's silence on interest rates a back-flip: Swan

Labor says Treasurer PETER COSTELLO's reluctance to discuss interest rates ahead of
another possible rise tomorrow .. contrasts with his keenness to commit to keeping rates
low before the last federal election.

If the Reserve Bank does lift rates tomorrow .. it'll be the fifth increase since the
2004 election.

Shadow treasurer WAYNE SWAN's told the Nine Network .. Mr COSTELLO's failure to invest
in education .. skills .. and infrastructure .. is putting upward pressure on inflation
.. and backing the central bank into a corner.

AAP RTV sld/jmt

KEYWORD: ECONOMY SWAN (CANBERRA)

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

Vic: Stranded whales taken to quieter waters

AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2006
Vic: Stranded whales taken to quieter waters

The last five long-finned pilot whales from a pod of 27 .. stranded on a Tasmanian
beach .. have been moved to calmer waters .. where it's hoped they can be rescued.

Officials say the five whales .. which can weigh up to 3.5 tonnes .. have been moved
to try to stabilise them.

It's hoped the whales' health will improve in the knee-high waters of Macquarie Harbour
.. and it's possible they could be pushed back out to sea as soon as tomorrow.

AAP RTV xlc/wf/ibw

KEYWORD: WHALES (HOBART)

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

Fed: Diplomat's Indonesian visit useful to repairing relations

AAP General News (Australia)
04-26-2006
Fed: Diplomat's Indonesian visit useful to repairing relations

ALEXANDER DOWNER says the recent visit to Indonesia by Australia's top diplomat has
been useful in helping repair relations between the two countries.

Mr DOWNER won't comment on the details of meetings MICHAEL L'ESTRANGE had in Indonesia
.. but says he believes it was right to send the top diplomat instead of himself or JOHN
HOWARD.

The foreign affairs minister says Mr L'ESTRANGE met with two of the president's advisers
.. to talk through the West Papua issue .. and changes Australia's making to its asylum
seeker policy.

Mr DOWNER says it will be some time before Australia's relationship with Indonesia is repaired.

AAP RTV klw/so/jv/bart

KEYWORD: PAPUA DOWNER (CANBERRA)

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

Back to the basics: In 2002, IT managers will have to do more with less. (Year in Preview).

Every year, COMPUTERUSER polls its top analysts to give our readers--IT professionals for small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)--sound advice on projects coming down the pike in the coming year. Last year, we focused on emerging technologies, such as ASPs and unified messaging, that failed to emerge in 2001 for most SMEs as their budgets shrank with the economy.

Rather than focusing on emerging tech, this year we will look at what I consider to be core issues for a vast majority of SMEs, including the following:

* With Windows XP and Mac OS X in full release, there has not been a more compelling time to upgrade clients enterprise-wide since 1995. Should you upgrade now, or wait until next year?

* With the heightened awareness of our fragility following the attacks of Sept. 11, coupled with the onslaught of worms following the attacks, security has taken center stage for many SMEs. What should SMEs do to improve the security of their Web and e-mail systems?

* Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is not a new thing, but most SMEs are still trying to figure out how best to retain the clients they worked so hard to get. How should SMEs handle CRM in the coming year?

* Cost-cutting means figuring out how to improve relationships with vendors, often called supply-chain management. How should SMEs approach the supply side of their businesses in the coming year?

COMPUTERUSER'S senior analysts have a combined 60 years of experience in covering IT. Though their names are familiar to regular readers, let me introduce them here.

Editor at Large Nelson King is a 20-year analyst of the computer industry. His award-winning work for several IT publications places him in the top tier of all analysts in the industry. He currently writes Pursuits monthly and at least one cover story per year for COMPUTERUSER.

Contributing Editor Maggie Biggs has more than 15 years of IT experience. She currently writes Linux Advisor monthly and several other features during the year for COMPUTERUSER. She is in the midst of launching her own small business and hopes to attract many customers in 2002.

Contributing Editor Lincoln Spector also has more than 15 years of experience covering the industry. Though known for his humor column, Gigglebytes, he also has won numerous awards for his serious analysis for other top-tier technology publications.

With only five years of covering the industry under his belt, Contributing Editor Sean Dugan is the relative newcomer of the group. Still, his award-winning work for InfoWorld has rocketed him to the top of the profession.

Now, on to the topics of discussion.

SHOULD SMES UPGRADE CLIENT OPERATING SYSTEMS IN 2002?

Nelson King

Hype aside (and don't we all do that automatically now?), there are good reasons to move off early versions of Microsoft Windows (95, 98), not the least of which is being left without support. On the other hand, there's no compelling reason to go for the newest, such as Windows XP. Windows 2000 and XP really are better than 95/98, but improvement doesn't imply leaping without looking at your own situation. Apple users-are in much the same boat concerning upgrades to OS X.

Maggie Biggs

Small- and medium-sized businesses should ask themselves some other questions before answering this one. Do your existing desktop OSes allow your team to conduct business successfully and securely? If so, there is no compelling reason to upgrade your machines to a different client OS.

Are you trying to reduce desktop licensing costs? If so, you might consider upgrading to a Linux desktop, which is seven times less expensive than current commercial offerings (see Linux Advisor, Sept. 2001).

Taking the longer-term view, business leaders need to recognize that we are nearing the end of the traditional desktop PC. If possible, extend your existing desktop OS investment as you start examining post-PC devices during 2002.

Lincoln Spector

If you're investing in new client hardware, you really don't have much of a choice. New systems will come with the latest OS, and there's little you can do about it.

But should you upgrade existing systems?. Not unless system crashes are taking a major toll on your bottom line (Windows XP is much more robust that Windows 98 or ME). Remember Spector's Law: We need ever-faster hardware to keep up with ever-slower software.

Sean Dugan

Always ask why you're upgrading. Is there a specific OS feature you need now? Vendors are making aggressive deals to move inventory, so consider an OS upgrade if you're already looking at buying new PCs. Buy the new PCs with Windows XP already installed and save yourself a lot of upgrade headaches. If you're not taking that plunge, then hold off at least until mid-year. By midyear, all the kinks and bugs should be worked out. While XP has some whiz-bang features, it also doesn't come cheap and without it's own set of headaches.

HOW SHOULD SMEs APPROACH INTERNET SECURITY ISSUES IN 2002?

Nelson King

Make a checklist of basics: firewall, virus scan, authentication (where appropriate), encryption (where appropriate). Cover them all, and then stick to a maintenance and upgrade schedule. In short, don't panic, don't go overboard; just do it (if you haven't), and be sure you're thorough if you have done it.

Maggie Biggs

Businesses of all sizes need to regard security as a process rather than an end goal.

Companies that use a layered approach to their security process will be less likely to sustain unauthorized internal or external accesses, or attacks.

The seven layers needed to form a successful security process are:

1. A regularly updated security policy

2. Server and client-based security tools

3. Scheduled security auditing

4. Router-based security measures

5. Firewalls

6. Intrusion detection

7. Incident response strategy

Ongoing attention to your security (as a process) is critical to sustaining a successful business.

Lincoln Spector

Many companies will wonder if they should replace Microsoft Internet Information Server. The program seems to have one security flaw after another, and keeping it safe (if that is possible) involves regularly installing a patch on top of the last patch. If IIS were a sweater, no one would remember the original color.

Of course, IIS's problems may be more the result of its popularity than of particularly poor design. If everyone jumps ship and a competitor becomes the market leader, it won't be long before that needs regular patching.

Sean Dugan

Start with the basics--plug your holes. SANS and the FBI have a brand-new list of 20 top security holes >www.sans.org<. How does your network look relative to this list? This also hints about your overall preparedness. Lots of open holes means you need to think more about security before the next Nimda virus hits. If nothing else, identify one tech person you can designate as security officer (it doesn't have to be a full-time job). Have him or her take responsibility for virus maintenance and receiving security alerts. Write up a contingency plan and buy your security officer a pager and cell phone.

HOW SHOULD SMEs APPROACH CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP ISSUES IN 2002?

Nelson King

Small- to medium-sized businesses ought to stomp the big guys on this one. While giant corporations chase after CRM and wallow in a sea of complex database issues and flaky customized software from in)ver-their-heads vendors, businesses that don't have such a massive volume of customers should be able to deal with them on a much more realistic and even one-on-one basis. That's the key: Treat every customer as an individual as much as possible. This applies to the Internet, of course, but phone, mail, and other traditional means of approaching customers should not be forgotten.

Maggie Biggs

Customers are becoming savvier all the time. They don't want cute slogans or a lot of promises. They want to be able to access your products and services in the easiest manner possible.

The key to successful CRM is twofold. First, make your company highly accessible. Some customers prefer snail mail while other like faxing, and many more favor accessing your Web site for sales and support. Provide access to your company in as many ways as you can given the current economic conditions.

The second part of successful CRM has to do with internal information integration. No matter how customers interact with your sales and support organization, you need to make sure that all information about a customer is closely linked and easily accessible for your entire staff. Having complete and accurate customer interaction information will allow you to provide the highest levels of customer service.

Lincoln Spector

As I write this, I'm having horrible problems with a garage-door installation company that didn't return phone calls, failed to tell me how to prepare for installation, and smashed my car. I won't use them again.

With the recession deepening, customers are likely to be in short supply. Treating them well is your highest priority. A lot of Internet companies imploded because they cared more about pleasing stockholders than customers. But without customers, the stockholders won't stick around either.

Sean Dugan

Keep your customers happy and solidify your relationship. Customer loyalty is precious in tight times. Consider how IT spending can provide better service to existing customers. This might mean an automated call center or a do-it-yourself trouble-shooting database. A CRM package, as a Web-based service, is very affordable for organizations of nearly any size.

HOW SHOULD SMEs APPROACH SUPPLY-SIDE ISSUES IN 2002?

Nelson King

Despite the bad economic news--in fact, because of it--now is a very good time to explore the Internet for supply-side efficiency and value. Of course, unlike things a company can do for itself, those things require cooperation with one or more other companies--not always the easiest or most secure thing to do. These problems are not new; however, the Internet's speed and customers' unfamiliarity tend to intimidate newcomers to supply-side services. Don't be intimidated. Instead seek out the various online exchanges related to your company, talk with companies already doing Internet trade, and run a pilot project or two. See how much money and time you can save.

Maggie Biggs

The watchwords for supply-side issues continue to be roughly the same in 2002. Businesses need to focus on automation and integration to speed up the supply chain. For early adopters, that may mean starting a pilot Web-services project to see how the technology can help you tightly link processes with your suppliers.

Those who prefer to take a more traditional approach to supply-chain issues will want to examine things like trading exchanges (public or private), data integration, and application-level business process integration using traditional integration tools.

Lincoln Spector

E-procurement won't become a real force this year unless more suppliers jump on the bandwagon. And why should they? For them, it's just an invitation to a price war. Of course, perhaps they might gain interest.

It's a classic chicken-and-egg scenario. Suppliers won't jump unless they're forced into it. And buyers won't go there until the suppliers commit.

Sean Dugan

One word: renegotiate. Now is the time to look at service contracts, licensing arrangements, and long-term agreements. Look partly to cut a new deal and reduce expenses, but also consider the financial health of your suppliers. Will they be here a year from now, and what will you do if they aren't? Consider the example of Web-hosting provider Exodus Communications, which is filing Chapter 11--that's not what you want to hear if they're hosting your Web site.

IF YOU WERE AN SME IT MANAGER AND YOU ONLY HAD BUDGET FOR ONE NEW PROJECT IN 2002, WHAT WOULD YOU DO TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS? WHY?

Nelson King

For obvious reasons, security is going to be the hot issue for 2002. Normally, I'm not a fan of trend-hopping, but this is different. Security is complicated, expensive, and forever changing--and vital, especially when it comes to consumer confidence. Ordinarily, the small- or medium-sized business is at a disadvantage in pursuing security because of the cost and lack of expertise. This year, expertise will become much more readily available, and the huge number of new and revised security products will (hopefully) reduce some of the costs. So this is a good year to form some kind of security and privacy task force to monitor and take advantage of developments. This may or may not hit the bottom line, but there is such a thing as peace of mind.

Maggie Biggs

Given the current market conditions, IT budgets need to be focused around initiatives that will help the company gain customers. Specifically, technology spending should be bent on increasing product or service usability and quality, as well as accessibility to company resources for support.

Customers are hesitant to spend these days. Smart businesses will. invest in technology that provides customers a compelling reason to purchase.

Lincoln Spector

Look for what needs automating. Check with Customer Service to find out what people are complaining about. For instance, if customers complain that no one returns their calls, set up a system to track calls and returns.

If customer complaints don't point the way, find out what employees need. Ask people where the bottlenecks are, and see if you get a consensus.

Sean Dugan

Avoid high-risk projects--who can afford over-budget projects? Look to maximize company resources with little risk. Wireless LANs, high-speed networks, and SANs can wait for another day. Look into service-based CRM packages if you have a large number of customers. Analytics help you understand that when a customer buys Widget X and Widget Y, he's 75 percent more likely to buy Widget Z. This can mean more dollars for your company. If your customer base doesn't justify CRM, think disaster preparation. Do you have a data-backup plan? A plan for a major security problem? It isn't glamorous, just a life-saver.

JAMES MATHEWSON (JAMES@COMPUTERUSER.COM) IS EDITOR OF COMPUTER USER AND COMPUTERUSER.COM.

 TOP 2002 IT PROJECTS  * Client OS Upgrades                18.18% (14) * Internet Security Upgrades        41.56% (32) * Customer Relationship Management  11.69% (9) * Supply-side E-business             7.79% (6) * IT Whaty?                         20.78% (16)  Source: ComputerUser.com  Note: Table made from bar graph UPPER MANAGEMENT'S IT INTEREST LEVEL IN 2002  * Not Interested          21.43% (15) * Interested              18.57% (13) * Very interested         17.14% (12) * Very, Very Interested   22.86% (16) * Suddenly Lost Interest  20.00% (14)  Source: ComputerUser.com  Note: Table made from bar graph 2002 IT BUDGET FORECAST  * Onward and Upward                  18.60% (16) * Baby Steps                         32.56% (28) * Frozen in Time                     17.44% (15) * One Step Forward...Two Steps Back  12.79% (11) * Plunge Through Ice                 18.60% (16)  Source: ComputerUser.com  Note: Table made from bar graph HUMAN RESOURCES IT PHILOSOPHY IN 2002  * Hire and Outsource   22.22% (26) * Retain and Replace   11.11% (13) * Reduce by Attrition  13.68% (16) * Watch Them Squirm    21.37% (25) * Slash and Burn       31.62% (37)  Source: ComputerUser.com  Note: Table made from bar graph 

HP Ushers in Second Chapter of the Internet; Cross-industry Alliances and E-Speak Technology to Fuel Creation of a New Generation of E-Services.

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 1999--

Hewlett-Packard Company today outlined its vision for a new generation of electronic services that will dramatically change the way businesses and consumers use the Internet. Additionally, a host of companies announced plans to create a range of e-services, from storage and software delivered on a pay-as-you-go basis to travel e-services that automatically rebook tickets and update itineraries. The company also unveiled e-speak, a technology designed to enable e-services to interact with each other -- spontaneously -- to meet a need, complete a task and conduct transactions across the Net. -0-

  Highlights of today's announcements include the following:       -- a strategic alliance with Qwest Communications that      significantly expands on the companies' commitment to fuel the      development of the apps-on-tap market;       -- plans with Microsoft(R) Corporation and PSINet to deliver and      host pay-as-you-go messaging solutions for companies ranging from      small businesses to large multinationals;       -- plans with Answer Financial, the Government of Sweden and      Internet Travel Network to create a new generation of portals      that deliver a range of e-services to citizens, businesses and      consumers;       -- pilot programs and endorsements for HP's e-speak technology      from Andersen Consulting, Novell, Oracle(R), PeopleSoft, SAP AG,      Seagate Technology, USInternetworking and a dozen others to drive      the creation of an e-services marketplace;       -- and plans to drive the development and implementation of      e-services with Andersen Consulting, EDS, and Ernst & Young; and      strategic co-delivery relationships between HP Consulting and      Internet consulting firms Sapient and Viant. 

The Signposts

At its strategy briefing today, HP focused on how companies can capitalize on e-services to create new revenue streams and drive efficiencies across their organizations. HP executives outlined three trends that are driving the e-services marketplace:

      -- The rise of "apps on tap " -- business applications delivered      as pay-as-you-go services on the Net, enabling companies to drive      down IT costs. Companies can focus on building and deploying the      applications that are uniquely strategic to their business and      "rent" virtually everything else as apps-on-tap.       -- An explosion of next-generation portals -- industry-specific,      application-specific and company-specific portals that offer a      collection of complementary, third-party services on their sites      (for example, banks offering bill-payment, tax-preparation and      accounting services -- in addition to customer bank account      information), as well as provide tight links between services (an      Internet-based calendar service linked to a pager service so      users know when appointments are changed).       -- The emergence of a "dynamically brokered" e-services      marketplace -- where requests for services are automatically      brokered, bid and transacted on the Net on the requestor's behalf      based on specified criteria, such as best price, most reliable,      highest quality and so on. 

"With the foundations of e-business and e-commerce now in place, we believe that businesses and consumers are ready to extract full value from the Net with e-services," said Lewis E. Platt, HP chairman and chief executive officer. "Companies are now looking for ways to extend their reach beyond Web sites and Internet storefronts. E-services offer companies new ways to reach customers, new ways to make money and new ways to manage IT resources."

"FDX Corp., FedEx and HP are working together as enablers for the Internet economy," said Rob Carter, chief technology officer of FDX Corp. "We consider e-services a critical initiative. The integration of Internet services with transportation offerings is FDX's core business. Electronic commerce needs practical and effective services to continue its dramatic growth. FDX and HP are working together to implement solutions that will significantly improve customer service and reduce costs."

The Rise of "Apps on Tap"

According to a January 1998 Forrester Report, Packaged Apps Outsourcing, by J. Thomas Gormley, III, "IT's full plate and the growing skills shortage will encourage companies to seek outside help in managing their packaged apps. Packaged apps outsourcing -- a branded service offering -- will emerge in 1998 as an attractive solution and grow to a $21.1 billion business by 2001."

Today's announcements to fuel the apps-on-tap market include the following:

       -- A strategic alliance with Qwest Communications to fuel the      development of the apps-on-tap market, including plans to jointly      develop and implement an "e-services garage" incubation program      to attract and support emerging e-service software companies;       -- an announcement by Qwest to make HP its preferred information      technology provider for both Intel and UNIX(R) system platforms;      and       -- Qwest also said it would prototype services using e-speak that      will be jointly marketed by HP and Qwest.       -- PSINet announced an outsourced e-mail initiative, a family of      fully managed messaging services targeting small- and      medium-sized businesses hosted on HP hardware.       -- Microsoft and HP announced plans to offer Microsoft Exchange      on a subscription basis to large companies that want to outsource      their e-mail systems management. HP intends to host the Microsoft      Exchange e-mail service and offer it to business customers this      quarter.       -- EDS announced plans to work with HP on an ISP infrastructure      "in-a-box" solution that enables new ISPs to be up and running      fast with an infrastructure ready to support a range of      e-business services.   Portals:  The Next Generation       -- Internet Travel Network announced it has selected HP 9000      Enterprise Server N-class servers to power its next-generation      travel portal and intends to implement e-speak pilots to provide      real-time integration across travel-related services.       -- The Government of Sweden announced it has selected HP to build      an information infrastructure for the country that will enable      Sweden to build an advanced information-service brokering system      linking 300 government agencies through a single portal, and      delivering a new generation of online business and government      services.       -- Answer Financial announced that it is working with HP and      Sapient to create the first e-services portal for the insurance      industry -- introducing competitive price/performance shopping      for annuity, auto, life and homeowner insurance from 80 top-rated      insurance companies. 

"The focus of corporate Internet strategies is shifting from engineering to ingenuity," said Ann Livermore, president and chief executive officer of HP's Enterprise Computing business. "Companies are beginning to ask questions like, `What assets do we possess -- a world-class business process, a library of information, excess storage capacity -- that we could deliver as a service on the Net? How can we get out of a Web-site-only world and make our e-services available everywhere? What if customers didn't have to go to the Web at all to access our service?' This is the kind of new thinking and new opportunities the e-services world provides. We're about to make the shift from you working the Web to the Internet working for you.'"

E-speak and Dynamic Brokering

To accelerate the creation of an open e-services world, HP has engineered e-speak technology. The e-speak platform provides a common services interface, making it easier and faster to create, deploy, manage and connect e-services. Through the process of dynamic brokering, e-speak lets an e-service discover other e-services anywhere on the Internet and link with them on the fly -- even if they were built using different technology. E-speak technology will serve as the universal language of e-services.

E-speak's open-services platform includes interface (open APIs), the composition environment (tools), a mediation environment (run-time) and pre-built service components (libraries). E-speak enables users to dynamically compose best-in-class service components and resources using standardized, nonproprietary interfaces. The platform accepts requests for e-services from people, businesses or applications; deconstructs the request into components; searches for independent bids; selects the best bid based on request criteria; and dynamically assembles the components.

Once powered by e-speak, an e-service can advertise its capabilities to other e-services, discover other e-services on the Net, and even ally with other e-services on the fly to create new e-services. The technology turns every e-speak-enabled e-service into a potential building block for other e-services.

"E-speak inserts an electronic mediator to bid, broker and build the right set of resources or services to complete a particular request," said Rajiv Gupta, general manager of HP's Open Services Operations and a lead architect of the e-speak technology. "Instead of a user having to go to a Web site to conduct all transactions, this approach enables the Net to come to users and work on their behalf to get tasks done."

The following companies have announced pilot programs based on e-speak: Comptel/Helsinki Telephone, Intelisys Electronic Commerce, Lexacom, Oko Bank, Oracle, Radiolingua, Seagate Technology, and Yomi Media.

The following companies have endorsed e-speak: BEA, British Telecom, GRIC, GTE, LPG Innovations Ltd., Novell, Qwest Communications, SAP AG and Sonera Technologies.

HP expects to make its e-speak core software technology freely available to the development community in the third quarter of this year and intends to introduce service-creation tools, support products and consulting by year-end.

Creating and Implementing E-services

HP announced it is working with Andersen Consulting, EDS, Ernst & Young, Sapient and Viant to help businesses develop and implement next generation Internet-based services.

       -- Andersen Consulting has agreed to train 100 personnel on HP's      e-speak technology in the next year and the prototyping of new      business applications at Andersen Consulting's flagship research      and development center in Palo Alto.       -- HP's consulting organization announced strategic partnerships      with Sapient and Viant, two Internet consulting firms responsible      for architecting many of the leading e-commerce and e-business      systems, to co-deliver a new generation of e-services for      companies. Both companies view e-speak as an important enabler      for helping businesses link e-services together to establish      next-generation e-services ecosystems.       -- HP Consulting launched a program to sponsor e-services      discovery workshops and solutions centers to help customers      define their e-services vision and then quickly design, build,      test and deploy e-services environments. 

More information about HP's e-services initiative is available at www.enterprisecomputing.hp.com/e-services.

About HP

Hewlett-Packard Company -- a leading global provider of computing and imaging solutions and services for business and home -- is focused on capitalizing on the opportunities of the Internet and the proliferation of electronic services.

HP had computer-related revenue of $39.5 billion in its 1998 fiscal year. HP plans to launch a new company consisting of its industry-leading test-and-measurement, semiconductor products, chemical-analysis and medical businesses. These businesses represented $7.6 billion of HP's total revenue in fiscal 1998. With leading positions in multiple market segments, this technology-based company will focus on opportunities such as communications and life sciences.

HP has 123,000 employees worldwide and had total revenue of $47.1 billion in its 1998 fiscal year. Information about HP, its products and the company's Year 2000 program can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.

Note to Editors: Microsoft is a U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. Oracle is a registered U.S. trademark of Oracle Corporation, Redwood City, California. UNIX is a registered trademark of the Open Group.

GP Bullhound advises online music service we7 on its expansion financing with Qualcomm and Pentech.

M2 PRESSWIRE-July 25, 2011-: GP Bullhound advises online music service we7 on its expansion financing with Qualcomm and Pentech(C)1994-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

RDATE:25072011

GP Bullhound, the technology investment bank, has acted as the exclusive financial advisor to we7 Ltd on its expansion financing with Qualcomm Ventures and Pentech Ventures alongside existing shareholders Eden Ventures and Peter Gabriel.

we7 is the number one destination site in the UK for online music streaming and internet radio services. The company offers ad-funded music streaming on the web and premium access on iPhone and Android mobile devices. At the core of the we7 music experience is a cloud based technology platform developed by an engineering team in Oxford, UK.

Steven Purdham, CEO, commented: "Our business is now well capitalised to expand our Personal Radio business model throughout Europe. We really appreciated the dedication of the GP Bullhound team and their contacts with both the financial and strategic community in the music industry."

we7 represents GP Bullhound's eighth transaction since January 2011 alongside MyFC, Skyline Solar, 4Energy, Neonode, CLX Networks, King.com and Sunglasses Shop.

About GP Bullhound

GP Bullhound is a leading investment banking firm providing advice on mergers & acquisitions and institutional capital-raising to emerging growth companies in the Technology sector. The firm was established in 1999 and has a proven track record with over 100 completed M&A and Private Placement transactions on behalf of Europe's leading entrepreneurs and business builders. The firm's international team, comprised of some of the most experienced technology advisory professionals, together with our dedicated approach has helped us establish a leading global position. We have strong domain expertise in the areas of Internet and Digital Media, Software and Services, CleanTech and Hardware, where we focus on providing pre-eminent advisory services to some of the best entrepreneurs, management teams and investors around the globe

For enquiries contact: Lina Einarsson +44 207 101 7560; lina.einarsson@gpbullhound.com

www.gpbullhound.com

((M2 Communications disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).

Citizens will Enjoy .Gent Domain Names Thanks to OpenRegistry Platform - City Council of Gent Announces Public Support for the Belgian Initiative.

Singapore (PRWEB) June 28, 2011

OpenRegistry is proud to announce that, a mere three days after ICANN's final approval of the new TLD program, the City of Ghent (Gent in Dutch) has put its full support behind the application for a .Gent Internet extension that will run on OpenRegistry's licensed software.

With over 250,000 inhabitants Ghent is the third largest city in Belgium. It is well known for its cultural heritage, festivals and innovative reputation. It is also the very first city in Benelux to publicise its own domain name extension.

"Many applicants for city or brand TLDs have already expressed an interest in our innovative Registry platform" comments Jean-Christophe Vignes, CEO of OpenRegistry SA. "We are thrilled to see ComBell, a leading Registrar in Belgium, get unambiguous support from the city council in what will be an innovative project, close to our own European roots".

Because use of .Gent will reinforce the direct links of the companies, organisations and citizens with the city and with the region, the project falls clearly into OpenRegistry's "meaningful extension" philosophy. Thanks to the company's innovative licensed model, ComBell and its 'City TLD' initiative will be able to offer state-of-the-art service to the citizens of Gent, for a fraction of the cost.

Resul Tapmaz, Councillor responsible for Data Processing and Quality Management for the City of Ghent explains: "We chose this specific proposal because it's a combination of the newest Belgian software, supported by a Gentian company. We will actively encourage our municipal departments to promote the .Gent domain. I'm thinking for example of Toerisme.gent (tourism), Bibliotheek.gent (library), Smak.gent (municipal contemporary arts museum), Ocmw.gent (social services) or of the inhabitants' e-mail addresses, of the resul(at)tapmaz(dot)gent variety. The possibilities are endless since every conceivable combination in front of '.Gent' is available."

According to the announcement made by the Internet Corporation of Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) the window for submitting the .Gent application will open on January 12th, 2012.

About OpenRegistry

Founded by domain name professionals with more than twenty years of experience in the Top Level Domain business, OpenRegistry is a truly flexible solution designed to allow Brands, Communities, and Registrars to find "the key to their own Internet" by providing the right tools for a successful application to ICANN's new Top Level Domain program. As a Registry Service Provider, OpenRegistry offers several implementation solutions, including a full license of its white-label software that can be run on the applicant's own infrastructure. Through its OpenMind program, the Company also helps applicants shaping their vision for their own TLD into an ICANN-compliant application document.

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Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/6/prweb8604608.htm

Dr. Jill Biden to Appear at The Cable Show 2011.

Wife of Vice President and Military Mom to Speak about Supporting America's Military Families

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Second Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, will appear at The Cable Show 2011 at 9:00 a.m. (CDT) on Thursday, June 16, 2011, as part of the morning's General Session, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA) announced today.

Dr. Biden, a military mom, will speak about "Joining Forces," the White House initiative on America's commitment to supporting military families. The event also will be streamed at live.thecableshow.com.

The Cable Show 2011, NCTA's 60th Annual Convention and International Exposition, takes place June 14-16 at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Dr. Biden, a lifelong educator and wife of Vice President Joe Biden, works to highlight the importance of community colleges, to raise awareness about the sacrifices made by military families, and to bring attention to women's health issues, including breast cancer. While continuing to teach English at a community college in the Washington area, she also travels often to military bases in both the United States and abroad to speak with service members and their families and to raise awareness for their sacrifices.

"Joining Forces" is a national initiative to mobilize all sectors of society to give service members and their families the opportunities and support they have earned. As part of this effort, Dr. Biden alongside First Lady Michelle Obama are highlighting issues of special importance to the military families with which they have met across the country, including the subjects such as employment, education, and wellness. For more information on this initiative, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/joiningforces.

"As a proud veteran, former chairman of a federal agency, and now a representative of this great American cable industry, it will give me special pleasure to welcome Dr. Biden to The Cable Show. Having grown up in a military family, I'm particularly excited to help Dr. Biden spread the word about the needs of all our military families," said Michael Powell, President & CEO, NCTA. "I'm eager for her to meet my cable colleagues and to highlight the vital work she is doing."

For additional information about The Cable Show 2011, visit www.thecableshow.com, or contact NCTA's Department of Industry Affairs at (202) 222-2430. Exhibition space and sponsorship opportunities are available by contacting NCTA Convention Headquarters at (202) 463-7905 or e-mail exhibitinfo@ncta.com.

NCTA is the principal trade association for the U.S. cable industry, representing cable operators serving more than 90 percent of the nation's cable television households and more than 200 cable program networks. The cable industry is the nation's largest broadband provider of high-speed Internet access, serving more than 43 million customers, after investing more than $170 billion to build two-way interactive networks with fiber optic technology. Cable companies also provide state-of-the-art digital telephone service to more than 23 million American consumers.

SOURCE The Cable Show 2011

Holiday at home; LETTERS.(Letters)

AS A guest-house owner, I know it's wrong to think a B&B in Britain costs typically [pounds sterling]50 a night per person (Letters). We charge [pounds sterling]30 a night and I know of no other guest house locally charging anywhere near [pounds sterling]50. A quick search on the internet will confirm this.

There are some beautiful places to visit in Britain, and for couples and families, a B&B can often be the best option.

Certainly within Europe, the euro exchange rate has made the hidden day-to-day costs of foreign holidays prohibitive. So before you rush off to foreign climes, do some research and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

JOHN THOROGOOD, Exmouth, Devon.

MICHIO KAKU TO DELIVER SAMUEL RUDIN LECTURE MAY 16.

NEW YORK -- The following information was released by The City College of New York:

Dr. Michio Kaku, Henry Semat Chair and Professor of Theoretical Physics at The City College of New York, has been in great demand around the country to speak on his best-selling book, "Physics of the Future." He will have home court advantage, however, when he presents the Samuel Rudin Distinguished Visiting Scholars Lecture 5:30 p.m. Monday, May 16 in the Great Hall of Shepard Hall on the CCNY campus, 160 Convent Avenue, New York. The event is free and open to the public.

Professor Kaku is the co-founder of string field theory, a branch of string theory, and is continuing Albert Einstein's research to unite the four fundamental forces of nature into one unified theory. He is also a best-selling author, futurist, television and radio personality and popularizer of science.

"While Michio Kaku is known to most of the world through his books and media appearances, thousands of City College students have been privileged to have him as a classroom teacher or mentor," said CCNY President Lisa Staiano-Coico. "It is truly special to have one of our own deliver the Rudin Lecture, and there is no more fitting place for him to speak than our own Great Hall."

Recent Rudin Lecture presenters include: former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo (2010), former "CBS Evening News" anchor Dan Rather (2009) and author Frank McCourt (2008).

"Physics of the Future" (Doubleday, 2011), Professor Kaku's newest book, has spent five weeks on the "The New York Times" best sellers list; it currently is number 11 for hardcover non-fiction. His earlier popular science books include: "Physics of the Impossible" (Doubleday, 2008), "Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation" (Doubleday, 2005) and "Einstein's Cosmos" (W.W. Norton, 2004).

His scholarly work includes doctoral textbooks on string theory and quantum field theory and 70 journal articles covering such topics as superstring theory, supergravity, supersymmetry and hadronic physics.

Professor Kaku has hosted several television series including: "Sci Fi Science" on The Science Channel; "2057," on The Discovery Channel; "Time and Visions of the Future," on BBC, and "The Universe" on The History Channel. Leading mainstream media outlets frequently interview him for science-related stories, and he has appeared on "Late Night With David Letterman," "The Colbert Report," "Good Morning America" and other programs.

On radio, he hosts two weekly programs, "Science Fantastic," carried on 90 stations via Talk Radio Network, and WBAI-FM's "Explorations in Science." In addition, he has more than 150,000 followers on Facebook.

About the Samuel Rudin Distinguished Visiting Scholars Lecture

The lecture is a component of The Samuel Rudin Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program, initiated in 1996. The program provides an opportunity for members of the College community to interact with outstanding scholars, business leaders and government officials.

Samuel Rudin, a civic and philanthropic leader in New York City, was a member of the Class of 1918 at The City College and went on to a prominent real estate career. The Samuel Rudin Distinguished Visiting Scholars Program is supported by a grant from the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc.

On the Internet

Michio Kaku's website

http://www.mkaku.org

Books by Michio Kaku

http://www.amazon.com/Michio-Kaku/e/B000ARDFYQ

Michio Kaku on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/#!/michiokaku

Michio Kaku Twitter Feed

http://twitter.com/#!/michiokaku

Digital Signature Solution from ARX Enhances Efficiency at PBMR.

ARX's CoSign[R] Digital Signature Solution Has Enabled Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (Pty) Ltd (PBMR) to Bridge the Gaps That a Paper-Based Workflow Created in Their International Business Processes

SAN FRANCISCO -- ARX (Algorithmic Research), a leading provider of digital signature solutions (standard electronic signatures), has implemented the CoSign digital signature solution at PBMR, the internationally regarded leader in high-temperature reactor technology. The CoSign digital signature solution is allowing PBMR to increase the rate with which they can route documentation throughout their multi-continental organization.

Previous to PBMR's implementation of the CoSign digital signature solution, the organization relied on a paper-based workflow in order to acquire mandatory signature authorizations for company business processes such as system security change requests, procurement contracts, payment approvals, and human resources documents. With over 1,000 individuals involved in these processes, some of whom are based in Europe and the USA, using paper-based procedures restricted efficiency due to the amount of time it took to manually route documentation. By using the CoSign digital signature solution and alleviating its reliance on paper, PBMR saw an opportunity to improve its workflow and maintain improved electronic records of their documentation. Additionally, the use of the CoSign digital signature solution enabled a purely electronic workflow, improving document history tracking and reducing document loss.

"CoSign has proven to be easy to use and very effective," explained Nico Scholtz, Enterprise Information Solutions Manager, Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (Pty) Ltd. "It's a fact that documents that are digitally signed with CoSign are more secure than their paper equivalent."

Via the use of a terminal server and the internet, PBMR has provided its employees with additional access to CoSign, enabling them to digitally sign documents unconstrained by their location in the world. This capacity has further enhancing CoSign's ability to increase efficiency at PBMR.

"Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (Pty) Ltd.'s use of the CoSign digital signature solution provides another excellent study of the ease with which a digital signature can help an international organization seamlessly manage their electronic documentation," said Raanan Dahari, EMEA Sales Director, ARX.

About Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (Pty) Ltd

The Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) is a high temperature gas-cooled reactor. Although it is not the only gas-cooled high-temperature reactor currently being developed in the world, the South African project is internationally regarded as the leader in the High-Temperature Reactor technology. The PBMR is characterised by inherently safe features, which mean that no human error or equipment failure can cause an accident that would harm the public.

Since its establishment in 1999, Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (Pty) Ltd has grown into one of the largest nuclear reactor design teams in the world. In addition to the core team of some seven hundred people at the PBMR head-office in Centurion near Pretoria, more than a thousand people at universities, private companies and research institutes are involved with the project.

For more information please visit http://www.pbmr.co.za/

About CoSign Digital Signatures

CoSign makes it easy to digitally sign transactions, documents, and records by embedding the standard signature technology directly into mainstream business applications. CoSign produces a signature record for every signature it captures. This Portable Signature Format (CoSign PSF[TM]) allows anyone to seamlessly verify and retain proof of identity, intent, and document integrity without costly, complicated, or proprietary software. CoSign keeps your business running smoothly by fully automating and quickly scaling processes at a low cost and with proper controls. Learn more at www.arx.com/products/cosign_moreinfo.php.

About The Digital Signature Company - ARX

ARX (Algorithmic Research) is a global provider of cost-efficient digital signature solutions for industries such as life sciences, healthcare, government, and engineering. ARX engineers and scientists have more than 20 years of experience in security and standard digital signature application. ARX helps businesses secure, streamline, and scale their business processes and transactions with the proper controls required by legislation, regulation, and industry best practice. Visit us at www.arx.com.

CoSign is a registered trademark and CoSign PSF is a trademark of Algorithmic Research, Ltd. All other trade names and trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

Alberto-Culver Announces Agreement to Divest Cederroth International.

MELROSE PARK, Ill., May 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Alberto-Culver Company announced today that it has reached an agreement to sell its Cederroth International business to CapMan, a leading Nordic based private equity firm. Pursuant to the terms of a Share Sale and Purchase Agreement, a fund managed by CapMan will purchase all of the outstanding capital stock of Cederroth International AB, a wholly owned subsidiary of Alberto-Culver. The sale is subject to customary closing conditions, including obtaining certain regulatory approvals and is expected to close this summer.

Alberto-Culver acquired the Cederroth International business in the early 1990's. The Cederroth business, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, has been successfully operated as a stand-alone, wholly owned subsidiary of Alberto-Culver. Cederroth manufactures and markets a diversified group of consumer products in the Nordic region and parts of Europe with only a portion of their brands competing in beauty care categories.

Alberto-Culver's President and Chief Executive Officer, V. James Marino, said, "We are very pleased to have found a strong buyer in CapMan with their Nordic region insight and experience in consumer products. For Alberto-Culver, this transaction facilitates our ability to focus on growing our core beauty care brands TRESemme, Nexxus, Alberto VO5 and St. Ives."

Further details of the transaction will be provided in a Form 8-K to be filed by Alberto-Culver later this week.

Alberto-Culver Company manufactures, distributes and markets leading beauty care and other personal care products including TRESemme, Alberto VO5, Nexxus and St. Ives in the United States and internationally. Several of its household/grocery products such as Mrs. Dash and Static Guard are niche category leaders in the U.S. It is also the second largest producer in the world of products for the ethnic hair care market with leading brands including Motions and Soft & Beautiful.

CapMan is one of the leading alternative asset managers in the Nordic countries and manages Nordic funds with approximately EUR 3.0 billion in total capital. CapMan has four investment areas (CapMan Buyout, CapMan Technology, CapMan Life Science and CapMan Real Estate), and each of them has a dedicated team and funds. Altogether CapMan employs 120 people in Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo. CapMan was established in 1989 and its B shares are listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange since 2001.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are based on management's current expectations and assessments of risks and uncertainties and reflect various assumptions concerning anticipated results, which may or may not prove to be correct. Some of the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from estimates or projections contained in such forward-looking statements include: the pattern of brand sales; competition within the relevant product markets; loss of one or more key customers; loss of one or more key employees; inability of efficiency initiatives to improve the company's margins; risks inherent in expanding in existing geographic locations and entering new geographic locations; risks inherent in acquisitions, divestitures and strategic alliances; adverse changes in currency exchange rates; increases in costs of raw materials and inflation rates; events that negatively affect the intended tax free nature of the distribution of shares of Alberto-Culver Company in connection with the separation of the consumer products business from the beauty supply distribution business on November 16, 2006; the effects of a prolonged United States or global economic downturn or recession; changes in costs; the costs and effects of unanticipated legal or administrative proceedings; the risk that the expected cost savings related to the reorganizations and restructurings may not be realized; health epidemics; adverse weather conditions; loss of distributorship rights; sales by unauthorized distributors in the company's exclusive markets; and variations in political, economic or other factors such as interest rates, tax changes, legal and regulatory changes or other external factors over which the company has no control. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release, and there is no undertaking to update or revise them as more information becomes available. Additional factors that could cause Alberto-Culver's results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the Company's 2007 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on November 28, 2007 with the SEC and available at the SEC's internet site (http://www.sec.gov/).

CONTACT: Doug Craney, +1-708-450-3117

Web site: http://www.alberto.com/