Fed: Teenage binge drinking on govts' hit list

AAP General News (Australia)
02-27-2008
Fed: Teenage binge drinking on govts' hit list

State and federal governments are promising action on the growing problem of teenage
binge drinking.

A report by the Australian National Council on Drugs has found about one in ten teenagers
abuse alcohol in a typical week.

Among 16 and 17-year-olds the figure is one in five .. while more than 450-thousand
children live in homes in which adults binge drink.

Prime Minister KEVIN RUDD says binge drinking is a real problem in Australia .. and
parents are raising the issue with him on a regular basis.

Mr RUDD'S promised to listen to …

ACE HAGGLER SHARES THE ART OF THE DEAL

KARA YORIOE-mail: yoriok@northjersey.com
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
05-10-2011
ACE HAGGLER SHARES THE ART OF THE DEAL
Byline: KARA YORIOE-mail: yoriok@northjersey.com
Section: BETTER LIVING
Type: News

This is Best Buy in Paramus, not a Turkish bazaar or neighborhood garage sale, but Teri Gault walks in ready to haggle.

"Haggling is just asking," says Gault, who is CEO and founder of thegrocerygame.com. When she's not looking for grocery bargains and coupons, she's making deals just about wherever she is.
The best place to haggle is what Gault calls "a mom-and-pop store," any place you can get to the proprietor, who knows the bottom line and needs to move merchandise. High-end couture shops, the Apple store or chain department stores are the least likely places to cut a deal.

Gault has haggled before at Best Buy and expects success here, despite its being a major chain. She enters the store knowing what she wants: a Sony 3-D Blu-ray player on sale for $199. In her purse is a printout of other prices for the same model. She wants to pay $176, which is the price from an Internet dealer.

Much to Gault's surprise, the salesman says the store will match competitors' prices. (That had not happened in her previous trips to Best Buy.) She pulls the printed list from her purse and hands it to him. Upon returning, he tells her they normally wouldn't match a random Internet seller, only brick-and-mortar competitors like Sears or B&H, but this time they will.

The only problem with this transaction is that Gault has not made her pitch directly to the manager. Instead, the salesperson has gone to the manager after saying he didn't have to. Also, Gault is unable to get them to drop the sales tax (like the Internet deal did), but she doesn't push that. Instead, she is grateful for the discount she got. ("You're too sweet!" is something Gault says frequently to salespeople.)

Personal chatter and excessive pleasantries seem like part of Gault's art of the deal, but soon it is clear this is just her.

Gault loves talking to people, learning about them and sharing bits and pieces of her personal life. When it comes to asking for discounts, her personality serves her well.

She leaves Best Buy and heads into the Garden State Plaza, where she's ready for more haggling.

First to a jewelry kiosk, where simply asking nicely once gets the woman to drop $2 and tax off the price of a bracelet. Gault tries for a bigger discount for buying three bracelets, but the saleswoman doesn't budge and begins to get irritated.

Gault diffuses the situation, pays for one bracelet (but not before asking if there is a discount for paying in cash), thanks the saleswoman and moves on.

Next stop, another kiosk, this one for a hair flatiron for her assistant. When Gault expresses surprise at the high price ($150 on sale from $250), the salesman asks what she wants to pay.

"Don't give [your] price," Gault says later. And she doesn't here, telling the man she doesn't know but can't spend $150.

At that point, he gets annoyed and says he doesn't want it to become a flea market. Once again, Gault finds a way to remove any confrontational atmosphere. She walks away with the iron for $100.

She was willing to pay $125, she says later, adding that people should always have a price in mind and be prepared to walk away if they don't get it and don't need the item.

Finally, to Lord & Taylor. Gault doesn't know how this will go. She finds a purse with a small scratch on the front and asks for a discount because of the damage.

The saleswoman tells Gault that Lord & Taylor's policy is to return damaged items, not to give a discount. Gault nicely asks for a manager. While the saleswoman is clearly annoyed, she gets the manager, who promptly gives Gault 10 percent off.

By the time the purse is in the bag, Gault has once again won over the saleswoman with some friendly chatter.

The shopping trip is a complete success -- no item purchased at full cost. Is there anything Gault pays full price for?

"Shoes that are comfortable," she says, using a recent purchase of Kenneth Cole sandals as an example. She asked for a discount and didn't get it but bought them anyway.

"Feet are important," she says.

And when you're not paying full price for anything else, a pair or two of good shoes -- at any price -- come guilt free.

E-mail: yoriok@northjersey.com

Sidebar:

Teri Gault's keys to bargaining:

* Be friendly and positive: There's no reason to be nasty or confrontational. It'll probably backfire anyway.

* Be prepared: Do your homework and know the competition and value of the item.

* Don't be afraid to ask: You're not asking for something stupid; get over any embarrassment and just ask.

* Go up the food chain: Deal with a manager or, where possible, the owner.

* Shop when stores aren't crowded: You want the full attention of the manager.

-- Kara Yorio

The shopping trip

BEST BUY

Item: Sony 3-D, Blu-ray player

Regular price: $229

On sale for: $199

Bought for: $176 plus tax (total: $188.32)

*

LORD & TAYLOR

Item: Purse

Regular price: $98

On sale for: $73.48

Bought for: $66.13 plus tax (total: $70.76)

*

MALL KIOSKS

Item: Hair flatiron

Regular price: $250

On sale for: $150

Bought for: $100 plus tax (total: $107)

Item: Bracelet

Regular price: $22

Bought for: $20 (no tax charged)

2011

QLD:Morcombes finally mourn for Daniel

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2011
QLD:Morcombes finally mourn for Daniel

DANIEL MORCOMBE'S father BRUCE says confirmation that human remains found in Sunshine
Coast bushland belonged to his son was like waiting for a sledgehammer to hit.

He says the confirmation wasn't a big surprise, as they knew it would be miraculous
if the three bones found in boggy bushland near Beerwah didn't belong to DANIEL, who was
13 when he went missing in 2003.

Mr MORCOMBE says he's hesitant to describe the family's feeling as closure, saying
it was more like relief.

The family says they've yet to make any firm funeral plans, but want to wait for all
of DANIEL'S remains to be recovered.

AAP RTV gd/wf

KEYWORD: MORCOMBE (MAROOCHYDORE)

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

IMAGI INTERNATIONAL SAID TO JOIN HANDS WITH CREATIVE POWER

AsiaInfo Services
02-18-2011
Imagi International Said to Join Hands with Creative Power

BEIJING, Feb 18, 2011 (SinoCast Daily Business Beat via COMTEX) -- Imagi International Holdings Ltd. (SEHK: 0585), one of the entertainment firms in China, is likely to team up with Creative Power Entertaining, maker of the popular animated TV series Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, for a business expansion in the animation market.

Imagi International has been in intensive talks with Creative Power in the past six months, said people familiar with the matter today, noting that the Hong Kong-listed company is intended to join hands with or, to buy into Creative Power.

Imagi International said at the beginning of this month that it had been in final talks with some potential partners over animation projects to consolidate its foothold in the animation, media, and entertainment market.

Creative Power will not sell its copyright in Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, disclosed an executive for the Guangdong-based company, without saying whether the controlling shareholders will sell their holdings in the company.

Source: www.sina.com.cn (February 18, 2011)

KEYWORD: BEIJING INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Internet & Online Services & Media SUBJECT CODE: Media
Motion Pictures/Sound Recording
SinoCast China Business Daily news
business expansion
animation
project
talks
copyright
holdings

Copyright 2011 AsiaInfo Services (via Comtex). All rights reserved

QLD:Cover coal storages and wagons, says QCC

AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2010
QLD:Cover coal storages and wagons, says QCC

By Steve Gray

BRISBANE, Dec 2 AAP - Coal wagons passing through suburban neighbourhoods and coal
storage facilities at the Port of Brisbane need to be covered to prevent damage to people's
health and environmental harm, conservationists say.

Around 70 coal trains a week currently travel the tracks through Brisbane, 140 trips
in all. But this number is expected to increase by a third as Queensland's coal boom cranks
up.

The Queensland Conservation Council (QCC) says that while Queensland rail companies
QR and QR National have to meet noise and vibration parameters, there are no restrictions
on coal dust.

"It's clear that any coal dust coming out of the trains will have a detrimental effect
on air quality and local environments," QCC executive director Toby Hutcheon said.

"All coal wagons need to be covered to avoid that coal dust being swept into residential
areas, and in particular from the port area."

Urban areas in Wynnum are just four kilometres from the port's uncovered coal dumps.

"It's ironic that the ports that will receive the coal from Brisbane have got custom-built
coal facilities that are covered to avoid coal dust being blown into the local environment,
and yet in Brisbane we have a port that's in the middle of a world-class marine park that
has no such facilities," Mr Hutcheon said.

He said the cost of covering all coal wagons, which the QCC estimates at around $20
million, wasn't exorbitant.

QCC volunteer researcher Brian Clark said there had been no published research on the
effects of coal dust along the rail routes or for the expanded coal storage facility at
the port.

Mr Clark said plans for high-density housing along the rail routes meant tens of thousands
more people would live in their proximity, but no assessment has been made of the air
quality they'll have.

Now that QR National had been privatised it would be obliged to prevent environmental
harm and meet the cover-your-load legal requirement that applies to road transport, he
said.

A QR National spokesman said the company was mindful of its obligations to the community
and would ensure environmental requirements were met.

"There is ongoing haulage from existing mines to the southwest of Brisbane as well
as the recent commencement of services to the Cameby Downs mine near Chinchilla," he said.

"On average, only two trains a day run from the new Cameby Downs coal mine to the Port
of Brisbane."

He said that, in the future, coal from the Surat Basin would travel to Gladstone via
the Southern Missing Link rail line.

Chief operating officer for New Hope Coal, Bruce Denny, told AAP coal loads were watered
before transport to help reduce dust.

He said many overseas coal dumps remain uncovered.

Mr Denny said facilities at the port were expanded to export 10 million tonnes a year,
meaning a one-third increase from the 70 trains per week currently arriving there.

Translink, responsible for scheduling Brisbane's commuter services to accommodate coal
trains, referred AAP's questions about the frequency of coal trains to Queensland Rail.

Queensland Rail referred the questions to haulier QR National, which said coal trains
bound for the Port of Brisbane were a Queensland Rail responsibility.

AAP stg/crh/msk/cdh

KEYWORD: COAL RAIL

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

Fed: Unions launch new workplace campaign

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2010
Fed: Unions launch new workplace campaign

A new advertising campaign slamming the previous Liberal government's industrial relations
policy will be launched by unions later today.

The television ads will feature people negatively affected by Work Choices .. talking
about their experience of the policy .. and why they don't want it brought back.

The campaign will be launched before more than 500 unionists at the ACTU's organising
conference in Sydney.

AAP RTV bsb/af

KEYWORD: WORKPLACE (CANBERRA)

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

NSW: Bushires rage, concern for homes

AAP General News (Australia)
12-13-2009
NSW: Bushires rage, concern for homes

Firefighters continue to battle more than 90 bushfires across New South Wales .. with
fears properties in parts of the state's north might come under threat.

More than one-thousand hectares of bushland have been scorched by two fires in Red
Range .. near Glen Innes .. which keep advancing and bringing heavy smoke to the area.

Three fires between Bundarra and Barraba .. also near Glen Innes .. continue to burn
with fears rural properties and homesteads might be affected.

Firefighters are being assisted by water-bombing aircraft and bulldozers.

In the upper Hunter .. a fire's burnt out more than three-thousand hectares east of
Murrurundi .. and is still burning.

Firefighters and local landholders are working to contain the blaze.

AAP RTV vpm/ajw

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES NSW (SYDNEY)

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

Fed: Grech misled Australian people: Turnbull =2

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2009
Fed: Grech misled Australian people: Turnbull =2

Mr Turnbull countered suggestions in The Australian that Mr Grech was pressured by
the opposition to provide details, saying the public servant approached Senate deputy
leader Eric Abetz.

"Mr Grech proposed a detailed list of questions be put to him relating to OzCar including
questions concerning Mr Grant and representations made on his behalf."

MORE saj/rl/cdh

KEYWORD: DEALERS TURNBULL UPDATE 2 CANBERRA

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

Fed: High Court says not unfair for man to face murder trial

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2009
Fed: High Court says not unfair for man to face murder trial

CANBERRA, Feb 10 AAP - The High Court has ruled it is not unfair for a man to be charged
with murder even though he is already serving a prison sentence for the lesser offence
of wounding.

In a unanimous decision, five High Court judges ruled that a prosecution for murder
would not bring the administration of justice into disrepute and it would not be unjustifiably
oppressive.

Neither the victim or defendant were named in the decision, with the alleged murderer
referred to only as PNJ and the dead man as H.

In September 2002 in South Australia, PNJ stabbed H in the temple with a knife, inflicting
brain damage and serious disability.

PNJ was arrested and at trial in 2003 was acquitted of attempted murder, but convicted
of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He was sentenced to seven years jail with a four-year non-parole period.

H died in 2004, allegedly as a result of the injuries received in the 2002 attack,
and PNJ was charged with murder in January 2006.

PNJ faced two big problems.

The old year-and-a-day rule, which once fixed a temporal limit to criminal responsibility
for murder, had been abolished in South Australia in 1991.

As well, 2007 amendments to sentencing law set a minimum 20-year jail term for murder.

PNJ, whose murder trial has yet to start, sought a permanent stay of the case, arguing
he faced double punishment.

The South Australian Supreme Court dismissed his appeal and he applied to the High
Court for special leave to appeal.

Five judges on Tuesday refused special leave, ruling that were PNJ convicted of murder,
the judge could impose a sentence that took into account time already served in prison.

"Further prosecution of the charge is not unjustifiably oppressive to the applicant,
would not bring the administration of justice into disrepute and is not otherwise an abuse
of process," they said.

AAP mb/rl/maur

KEYWORD: STAB

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

FED: Poll shows federal Labor would be re-elected: Poll

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2008
FED: Poll shows federal Labor would be re-elected: Poll

Support for the RUDD government remains strong .. and an opinion poll says it's even
notched up slightly .. enough for a victory .. if an election were held now.

The ROY MORGAN poll shows support for Labor is up 1.5 percentage points to 47 per cent
.. while the coalition is down 2 points to 37.5 per cent.

Support for the Australian Greens and the independents increased by half a percentage
point each .. but the independents slipped by one percentage point to five per cent.

On a two-party preferred basis .. support for the government climbed two points to
57 per cent .. while the coalition dropped to 43 per cent.

Nearly 18-hundred people were polled in early and mid-August for the latest survey.

AAP RTV vpm/wz/fdf

KEYWORD: POLL (SYDNEY)

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

Qld: Govt departments under-performing: reports

AAP General News (Australia)
04-17-2008
Qld: Govt departments under-performing: reports

BRISBANE, April 17 AAP - A report card on Queensland government agencies has found
they are not communicating effectively with each other and are not giving accurate reports
of their performance.

Premier Anna Bligh today tabled six reports in state parliament from the Service Delivery
and Performance Commission.

Some areas of government, including the Department of Premier and Cabinet, did not
get a positive appraisal.

Ms Bligh admitted there was a lot of room for improvement.

"We have not received a universally glowing report card," she said.

"In fact the report identifies a number of areas where there are serous concerns, where
we not only need to do better, but we must do better.

"Issues surrounding annual reports, performance management and the efficient exchange
of information between government agencies has been identified."

One report noted: "There is no guarantee that the performance information being reported
by agencies is valid or reliable."

The Department of Premier and Cabinet was found to be operating at only a "basic" compliance
level in performance management, with its practices "not yet well developed".

The Office of the Public Service Commissioner was slammed for its inability "to demonstrate
the independence and leadership to fulfil its role effectively".

Ms Bligh said an overhaul of the public service watchdog and a number of tribunals,
announced last month, would improve performance.

Under the changes, a new public service commission will be formed by amalgamating the
Service Delivery and Performance Commission with the Office of the Public Service Commissioner.

An amalgamated civil and administrative tribunal will also be created, to reduce duplication
and save around $80 million a year.

Ms Bligh said she would meet with all directors-general over the next two weeks to
discuss the results.

"We are not the only government in the world who is grappling with these issues but
... I want us to be right out there ahead of the pack," she said.

"We are committed to accountability, transparency and continuous improvement of the
services we deliver for the benefit of all Queenslanders."

AAP gd/pjo/apm/mn

KEYWORD: PUBLIC

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

Fed: National approach needed on indigenous affairs: Beattie

AAP General News (Australia)
12-13-2007
Fed: National approach needed on indigenous affairs: Beattie

CANBERRA, Dec 13 AAP - Indigenous affairs should be the sole responsibility of the
federal government, former Queensland premier Peter Beattie says.

Mr Beattie said many people in indigenous communities did not know whether they need
to approach the local council, the state or the commonwealth for assistance.

"This is an international disgrace and we need a national response that's not about
victimising, that's not racist but actually a cooperative partnership with indigenous
communities," Mr Beattie said in a speech in Sydney last night, replayed on ABC Radio
today.

Mr Beattie said addressing problems in indigenous communities would take "a decade"

and a federal approach was needed.

"It will take a generation, one thing I know though, we are going to get cooperation
iif we have a national approach," he said.

"Instead of having the passing between the state and the commonwealth we (need to)
have a national approach."

AAP sld/jlw

KEYWORD: INDIGENOUS BEATTIE

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

SA: Be active challenge for SA students

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2007
SA: Be active challenge for SA students

The South Australian government will challenge primary school and early high school
students to be active .. and reduce childhood obesity.

The government's 1.8 million dollar initiative'll encourage students up to year nine
to exercise for at least one hour a day .. over 10 weeks.

Education Minister JANE LOMAX-SMITH says they want kids to turn off TV and computers
.. and play outdoors.

He says healthy habits reduce children's risk of diabetes .. heart disease .. and other
obesity-related health conditions.







Students who take part in the Premier's Be Active Challenge will be rewarded with medals
and other awards.

AAP RTV tjd/ paz/bart

KEYWORD: ACTIVE (ADELAIDE)

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

Fed: The Xmas-New Year road toll climbs to 37

AAP General News (Australia)
12-30-2006
Fed: The Xmas-New Year road toll climbs to 37

The national holiday road toll remains steady at 37 .. following two deaths in New
South Wales and Victoria earlier today.

The last death happened in Sydney's west .. when a man died after the car he was driving
smashed into a power pole in Canley Heights about 1.15 this afternoon (AEDT).

The driver had failed to stop for police .. who then followed him for a short time
.. but stopped for safety reasons.

Earlier today a 71-year-old man died after his car veered into a tree in Melbourne's outer north.

The accident happened in Woodstock .. west of Whittlesea .. just after eight this morning.

The Ford Falcon sedan had been travelling south on Merriang Road when it hit a tree
just south of Donnybrook Road.

14 people have been killed on New South Wales roads this Christmas-New Year period.

Nine have died in Victoria .. eight in Queensland .. while two people have been killed
in Western Australia .. Tasmania and South Australia.





(Eds: National road toll figures are for the period 0001 December 22 to 2359 January
5. Some states and territories have different periods.)



AAP RTV mi/lma/els/crh

KEYWORD: TOLL NATIONAL (SYDNEY)

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

AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 22

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2006
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Aug 22
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Ajax (MELBOURNE)

A deal to keep embattled car parts maker Ajax Fasteners afloat .. could be sealed soon.

The AWU's CESAR MELHEM says union officials are due to meet Ajax's administrator at
midday (AEST) .. to discuss the deal.

Ford and component supplier PBR signed the multi-million-dollar rescue package early
this morning .. and Holden says it expects to follow suit soon.

Union officials will take the package to the 189 Ajax employees who face the axe.

Meanwhile .. Victorian Premier STEVE BRACKS says only long-term supply contracts can
secure the future of Ajax.



Telstra Windsor (CANBERRA)

Independent MP TONY WINDSOR says the federal government should admit its mistake ..

and scrub the full sale of Telstra.

He's also against a proposal to park the government's remaining shares in the Future Fund.

Mr WINDSOR's comments come on the day federal cabinet debates what to do with the government's
remaining 51.8 per cent holding in the telco.


Terror Aust (CANBERRA)

A year after the release of the Wheeler report on airport security .. there are still
people with criminal records working at our airports.

But Transport Minister WARREN TRUSS says ASIO and the Australian Federal Police have
decided they're no security risk.

He says anyone with a serious criminal record is refused an Aviation Security Identification
Card .. which is needed to work at airports.



China Plane (SYDNEY)

A passenger has reported a bomb scare on board a flight from China to Australia.

JASON HARPER has told the Nine Network a note .. warning that a bomb would explode
on the China Southern Airlines flight from Guangzhou to Sydney .. was found one hour into
the journey.

The flight returned to Guangzhou .. where nine passengers were taken off the plane
and interviewed for two hours .. before being allowed to re-board.




Sentencing (MELBOURNE)

Victoria is abolishing suspended sentences for people convicted of serious crimes ..

in all but exceptional circumstances.

Legislation to be introduced this week will take away the option for judges and magistrates
to apply a suspended sentence for things like murder .. manslaughter .. rape and most
armed robberies.

Attorney-General ROB HULLS says the community expects people convicted of serious
crimes will receive more than a slap on the wrist.



Poll Qld (CAIRNS)

Queensland's political leaders are campaigning in the state's north today .. as a new
poll shows the Labor government is on track for a fourth term.

The Newspoll .. published in today's Australian newspaper .. shows Labor ahead 54 per
cent to 46 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

Premier PETER BEATTIE's satisfaction rating of 46 per cent is unchanged from the last
survey .. while Opposition Leader LAWRENCE SPRINGBORG is on 36 per cent.



Moylan (CANBERRA)

Liberal moderate JUDI MOYLAN has survived a preselection challenge for the federal
seat of Pearce in Western Australia.

She was one of three Liberal backbenchers who voted against tough new migration laws.

Ms MOYLAN has told the ABC she's relieved .. because you can never take pre-selections
for granted.



Mideast Italy (BEIRUT)

Italian Prime Minister ROMANO PRODI says his country is ready to lead a United Nations
force in south Lebanon .. where shooting by Israeli troops at Hizbollah fighters has shown
the fragility of a week-old truce.

UN Secretary-General KOFI ANNAN is expected to make a decision on the command of the
force this weekend.

Lebanon has welcomed Italy's offer of two-thousand troops .. the biggest commitment
any country has yet made.



Mideast Airstrike (GAZA CITY)

Israeli aircraft have fired two missiles at a home in a northern Gaza refugee camp
.. wounding two bystanders.

The owner of the home .. an activist with the Islamic Jihad militant group .. wasn't
there at the time.

He says he was warned before the airstrike to leave the house .. which was allegedly
used to store weapons.



Spain Crash (VILLADA)

Spanish authorities are blaming high speed and broken regulations .. for the country's
second deadly rail crash in as many months.

Six people are dead and 36 hurt .. after the first carriage of a train bound for the
French border .. smashed into the pillar of a bridge and dragged other carriages off the
rails.

Spain's development minister says railway authorities breached regulations by joining
carriages of a high-speed train to the back of a regional one.



Diabetes (SYDNEY)

A new study shows almost one in four young Australians living with insulin-dependent
diabetes struggles with long term depression.

The research from Diabetes Australia finds 60 per cent of sufferers find it difficult
to access appropriate medical support services.

Type one diabetes is a life-long autoimmune condition affecting more than 140-thousand
Australians.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS:

Daylight (MELBOURNE)

Australia's south-eastern states are expected to adopt a common daylight timetable
.. operating from the first Sunday of October to the first Sunday of April.



Explosives (ADELAIDE)

An appeal to raise funds for the families of three men killed in an explosives factory
blast in South Australia has been closed .. after raising more than 200-thousand dollars.



Photos Parents (SYDNEY)

A parents' group says the case of a primary school student .. who showed his classmates
nude photos on his mobile phone .. should act as a wake-up call about the dangers children
face from technology.



Rampage (BRISBANE)

The mayor of the Queensland town of Woorabinda .. where up to 40 youths went on the
rampage on Sunday night .. says boredom is to blame.



Film Aust (SYDNEY)

The head of the Australian Film Institute says local movies need to be given longer
runs at the box office .. but the demand for cinema screens is fearsome.



US Space (WASHINGTON)

US researchers say a huge collision between two clusters of galaxies .. provides the
first direct evidence of the existence of dark matter.



AND IN SPORT:

Cricket Aust (MELBOURNE)

MATTHEW HAYDEN .. PHIL JAQUES and SIMON KATICH have been given the chance to fight
for an opening spot in Australia's one-day cricket team .. after being named in the 18-man
squad to tour Malaysia next month.

The Australian selectors have opted to rest ADAM GILCHRIST.

The 18-man squad also includes fast bowler GLENN MCGRATH .. who returns for the first
time since January when he stood down from the side to help his wife in her battle against
cancer.

MIKE HUSSEY has been named vice-captain.



Cricket Pakistan (LONDON)

Pakistan captain INZAMAM-UL-HAQ warns his team may pull out of the one-day series against
England if he's not cleared of ball tampering allegations.

INZAMAM says it would be difficult for his side to play the series if it's labelled
a team of cheats.

INZAMAM could be banned for eight one-day internationals or four Tests if he's found
guilty of ball tampering and bringing the game into disrepute.



League Stewart (SYDNEY)

Bulldogs leagues club president KEVIN STEWART has died after a short battle with cancer.

He was 77.

STEWART was a former New South Wales health minister .. and was the club's president
for four years.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

Broadcast Desk inquiries 24 hours: 02 9322 8714

AAP RTV ibw/bart

KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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

Qld: Woman found dead in house fire

AAP General News (Australia)
04-15-2006
Qld: Woman found dead in house fire

A woman has been found dead .. after a fire damaged a house in Brisbane's north-east.

Police say two other occupants of the house in Hendra suffered smoke inhalation and
minor injuries after the fire started about 3.20am (AEST).

The man and woman were taken to Royal Brisbane Hospital.

AAP RTV rs/wf

KEYWORD: HOUSEFIRE (BRISBANE)

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

Qld: Nurse invents 18 kids, four identities to defraud Centrelink

AAP General News (Australia)
12-16-2005
Qld: Nurse invents 18 kids, four identities to defraud Centrelink

By Johanna Leggatt

BRISBANE, Dec 16 AAP - A woman invented 18 children and four separate identities to
defraud Centrelink of more than $600,000 in one of the largest scams in the agency's history.

Julia Anne Anderson, 44, who is originally from Stanthorpe, south-west of Brisbane,
but who lives in Cleveland, where the offences were committed, pleaded guilty in the Queensland
District Court today to fraud-related offences which cost Centrelink $622,994.

Prosecutor Shane Hunter said Anderson used her role as a nurse at the Princess Alexandra
Hospital in Brisbane to create false birth certificates for nine sets of twins - 18 children.

The court was told Anderson used the false information to lodge claims for family and
parenting payments with Centrelink over a six year period between March 1999 and February
this year.

It is Australia's biggest Centrelink scam in the past 10 years and the third biggest
in Centrelink's history.

Judge Ian Wylie today sentenced Anderson to seven years in jail, suspended after two
years and nine months.

She has already spent 289 days in custody which is declared time already served.

Mr Hunter said at the height of Anderson's defrauding she was making around $4,732
a fortnight on family payments.

In addition to creating false birth certificates with the forged stamp of hospital
staff, she also created death certificates to paint herself as a grieving widow.

In a number of her identities, Anderson also claimed to be a victim of domestic violence
and alleged her "twins" were sick to elicit sympathy from Centrelink staff.

Furthermore, at the end of 2004, Anderson claimed the $3,000 baby bonus for eight of
her "children".

Anderson's lawyer Carl Heaton said his client embarked on a life of fraud after she
had been left bankrupt by a house fire and a costly divorce.

"(Anderson) has suffered from depression since she was 13 or 14 and has had various
suicide attempts," said Mr Heaton.

But Judge Wylie said this was no excuse.

"A lot of people have had troubled backgrounds but they have resisted a life of crime," he said.

AAP jtl/sc/cjh/sd

KEYWORD: ANDERSON

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

average stock

average stock A method of accounting for stock movements that assumes goods are taken out of stock at the average cost of the goods in stock. See BASE STOCK; FIRST IN, FIRST OUT; LAST IN, FIRST OUT; STOCK.

Father names and shames his tearaways on internet.

Byline: HUGH MUIR

A FATHER is so worried about his two children falling into a life of crime that he has named and shamed them on the internet.

David Forward says his 16-year-old daughter Samantha and son Tom, 13, have been caught up in drugs, joyriding and yobbish behaviour. The website for the picturesque Wiltshire market town of Malmesbury, normally home to community notices and older residents' nostalgic memories, is now full of essays by Mr Forward documenting his struggle with his teenage tearaways.

The pair almost died last year when they were passengers in a stolen car that crashed in a country lane. A few weeks ago Samantha was expelled after throwing spaghetti over her school's deputy headteacher.

Now 47-year-old single parent Mr Forward has posted his children's pictures, and those of others he says are yobs, on the web. He accuses a 19-year-old convicted criminal of being a "Fagin" character who has led children astray.

Mr Forward, who gave up his job to keep an eye on his children, said he had been let down by police and social services, and had acted through love.

"I did this as a last resort. I have tried talking to them, but they are so angry about so many things," he said.

"It's easy to turn a blind eye but they will get worse and worse."

He said there was not enough for young people to do in the town, but everyone, including his children, should take responsibility.

On the site he writes: "Children need to be force-fed standards, they need to be made to do right. British society is going to the dogs, all around us are foulmouthed obnoxious children like my son.

They are ... a small minority destroying all that is good for others."

Wiltshire police say they are concerned about possible disorder created by naming and shaming. But local councillors admit there have been problems with a gang of teenagers.

Great American Custom Relies on Docucorp for Archival Solution.

DALLAS, Aug. 2 /PRNewswire/ --

Docucorp(R) (Nasdaq: DOCC), a leading provider of enterprise information solutions, today announced the licensing of an archival and retrieval solution to Great American Custom Insurance Services, Inc., of Los Angeles. Great American Custom will use the archival system to access and handle the routing of policy information produced by K&K Insurance, a managing general agency.

"Docucorp provides a high-end information management and archive system that allows our personnel to view policy documents from a workstation, then route them over the Internet for local printing," said Dean A. Bymaster, Great American Custom's senior vice president of systems. "Because the policies we write are unique and personalized, Docucorp's full-spectrum solution gives us a competitive edge by saving time during the review process, and saving money by reducing printing and delivery costs. For example, policy turnaround time is literally reduced from hours to minutes."

"Docucorp technology eliminates integration and reconciliation issues, and supports Docucorp's innovative intelligent document formats, as well as high- fidelity print streams with resource management," said William D. Barry, senior vice president of marketing, Docucorp. "All types of information can be viewed, managed and filed at an unprecedented speed, power and flexibility."

About Great American Custom

Great American Custom is an underwriting manager for insurance companies in the Great American Pooled Insurance Companies, a grouping of affiliated insurers led by Great American Insurance Company, which reported $15,440,600 in paid-in capital and $1,181,691,925 in policyholders' surplus at December 31, 2000. The A.M. Best Company rated the financial condition of the Great American Pooled Insurance Companies as "A" (Excellent) as of December 31, 2000.

The Great American Pooled Insurance Companies are part of the American Financial Group, Inc., one of the largest property and casualty insurance groups in the United States, based on net written premium volume reported for the year ended December 31, 2000.

About Docucorp

Docucorp is the authority in providing dynamic solutions for acquiring, managing, personalizing and presenting enterprise information. Servicing the entire enterprise information lifecycle, Docucorp's information software, application service provider (ASP) hosting and professional consulting services enable companies to implement solutions in-house or fully outsource to Docucorp. The company has an installed base of more than 900 customers, including many of the largest insurance, utility and financial services organizations.

Headquartered in Dallas, Docucorp has major facilities in Atlanta and Silver Spring, MD. The company also maintains offices in London, Portland, ME, and Bedford, NH.

Certain information contained in this news release may include "forward- looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than historical facts, included herein are forward-looking statements. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, such as competition, technological developments, loss of significant customers and the other factors discussed in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.

Docucorp is a registered trademark of Docucorp International.

Company, organization and product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Docucorp and its symbol are trademarks of Docucorp International.

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Upcoming events.(Conference news)(Calendar)

September 21 to 24, 2011

Marmomacc 2011, the International Exhibition of Marble, Stone and Technology and Building Materials Show, Verona, Italy. Contact: Veronafi ere at 39-045-829-8111 (phone); 39-045-829-8288 (fax) or visit www.marmomacc.com.

September 20 to 24, 2011

Cersaie 2011, Bologna Exhibition Centre, Bologna, Italy. Contact: P.O. Box 103-40050 Centergross, Bologna, Italy. Phone: 39 051 6646000; Fax: 39 051 862514; Web site: www.cersaie.com.

January 24 to 26, 2012

StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas 2012/Surfaces, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV. Conference sessions beginning on January 23. For more details on attending or exhibiting at StonExpo/Marmomacc Americas, call (866) 550-6808 or (972) 536-6440 or visit www.StonExpo.com. For more information about Surfaces, contact 1-800-547-3477; International calls contact: 1-972-536-6400; Fax: 1-972-536- 6401; Web site: www.SurfacesExpo.com.

February 7 to 12, 2012

Cevisama, International Trade Show for Ceramic Tiles, Surface Coverings, Fittings and Bathroom Furnishings, Valencia, Spain. Contact: Feria Valencia, 34-96 386-11 00; Email: feriavalencia@feriavalencia.com; Web site: www.feriavalencia.com.

April 17 to 20, 2012

Coverings 2012, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL. Contact: Coverings/ National Trade Productions, 313 S. Patrick St., Alexandria, VA 22314; Phone in the U.S.: (866) 285-3691 or International: +1-703- 706-8257; Fax: (703) 836-4486; Web site: www.coverings.com.

May 14 to 19, 2012

American Institute of Architects National Convention and Design Expo, including the Stone and Tile Pavilion, Washington, DC. For more information, visit www.aiaexpo.com.

For an even more complete calendar of stone industry events, visit Contemporary Stone & Tile Design's Internet site on the World Wide Web at http://www.cstdmag.com.

ISI's Website Translation Gives Voice to Otherwise Isolated Mayan Women, Helps Non-Profit 'Chiapas Project' Generate Income for Indigenous Artisans.

LOS ANGELES -- A good translation transcends words.

Mayan women from jungle villages in Chiapas visit an Internet cafe in the nearest town. They log onto the Chiapas Project website (www.ChiapasProject.com) and see their own isolated lives represented for the world to see. And they get a thrill.

Not just from the fact that the non-profit Chiapas Project is helping them earn an income by selling their artesanias in the United States - though that certainly gives them a much-needed economic boost.

No, the main thrill comes from the fact that they are seen. Their sense of isolation is eased, because the Chiapas Project website tells their story to anyone who visits the site - in both English and Spanish. ISI Translation Services (www.ISItrans.com) translated the website for The Chiapas Project, but both organizations acknowledge that it's about more than just making the words understandable.

"This is a great example of how language is completely integrated into an outreach effort," said George Rimalower, ISI president. "This translation project is more than just translating word-for-word. It's about helping people understand the lives of these remarkable women. Translation and language can bring people together - no matter how geographically removed they might be from each other."

The Chiapas Project works with women's artisan cooperatives in Chiapas, Mexico's southern-most state, to help them find a fair market for their products in the United States. The Chiapas women also receive training in stitching, dyeing, design, computers and Spanish. Students and faculty from Oakwood School in Los Angeles sell the goods, initially in the Mercado La Paloma in Los Angeles and at increasingly varied events and locations throughout Southern California. They've raised $550,000 since 2000 - all of which has gone directly to the women. An Oakwood delegation visits Chiapas every June; roughly 200 students and faculty have participated.

"There are practical reasons for offering our website in both English and Spanish - many of the people who buy the products here in LA would actually prefer to read about the project in Spanish," said Mickey Morgan, Oakwood faculty advisor for the Chiapas Project. "But for the Chiapas women it's about being seen. They take it very seriously that there are people around the world who can now see their lives." Morgan just returned from taking another group of Oakwood students down to Chiapas last month.

For the women, Spanish is not their primary language. In fact, until recently, Mayan village women weren't taught Spanish as a way of keeping them in the village. But now that they're gaining an economic standing on their own, they are interested in being able to deal with the world beyond their own borders.

"They are learning Spanish, and the website is a big part of that," said Morgan. "ISI has been a pleasure to work with, and their translations are fantastic."

About ISI

ISI (www.ISItrans.com) enables successful communication through full-service language and localization solutions, from a global team of linguists deeply rooted in the cultural and technical nuances of virtually every language used in business.

With $18, a blue blazer and a yellow VW, George Rimalower started translating in the '70s back when the typewriter was high-tech. He founded ISI Translation Services, Inc., in 1982 and was joined by his wife Cathi in 1986. Today, ISI is known worldwide for combining the latest technology with expert human touch at every stage - from project management to translating, editing, desktop publishing, proofreading and review - to enable successful communication in 100 languages and dialects. ISI serves a wide range of industries and organizations, specializing in healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceutical and financial services. ISI was one of the first to address the special linguistic and cultural needs of both non- and limited-English-proficient communities of the United States. ISI is based in Los Angeles, with hundreds of translators in the United States and worldwide.

Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP Files Class Action Suit Against Research in Motion Limited.

NEW YORK -- Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP ("Robbins Geller") (http://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases/rim/) today announced that a class action has been commenced in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of purchasers of Research In Motion Limited ("RIM" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:RIMM) common stock between December 16, 2010 and April 28, 2011, inclusive (the "Class Period"), seeking to pursue remedies under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchange Act").

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than 60 days from today. If you wish to discuss this action or have any questions concerning this notice or your rights or interests, please contact plaintiff's counsel, Samuel H. Rudman or David A. Rosenfeld of Robbins Geller at 800/449-4900 or 619/231-1058, or via e-mail at djr@rgrdlaw.com. If you are a member of this Class, you can view a copy of the complaint as filed or join this class action online at http://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases/rim/. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member.

The complaint charges RIM and certain of its officers and directors with violations of the Exchange Act. RIM is a designer, manufacturer and marketer of wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support wireless network standards, the Company provides platforms and solutions for access to time-sensitive information, including e-mail, phone, short message service, Internet and intranet-based applications. RIM's primary revenue stream is generated by the BlackBerry wireless solution, comprised of wireless devices, software and services.

The complaint alleges that, throughout the Class Period, defendants failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's true financial condition, business and prospects. Specifically, the complaint alleges that: (a) the Company failed to inform investors that its aging product line and inability to introduce new products to the market was negatively impacting the Company's business and margins; (b) due to execution issues, product delays, and lackluster product launches, defendants' knew that shipments of Blackberry smart phones would be down and inventory would be up; and (c) as a result of the foregoing, defendants' statements regarding the Company's financial performance and expected earnings were false and misleading and lacked a reasonable basis when made.

On April 28, 2011, RIM issued a press release disclosing lowered first quarter 2012 guidance for the three months ended May 28, 2011. On this news, RIM's common stock plummeted 14%, or $7.94 per share, to close at $48.65 per share on April 29, 2011, on heavy trading volume.

Plaintiff seeks to recover damages on behalf of all purchasers of RIM common stock during the Class Period (the "Class"). The plaintiff is represented by Robbins Geller, which has expertise in prosecuting investor class actions and extensive experience in actions involving financial fraud.

Robbins Geller, a 180-lawyer firm with offices in San Diego, San Francisco, New York, Boca Raton, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Atlanta, is active in major litigations pending in federal and state courts throughout the United States and has taken a leading role in many important actions on behalf of defrauded investors, consumers, and companies, as well as victims of human rights violations. The Robbins Geller Web site (http://www.rgrdlaw.com) has more information about the firm.

APPLE TRADES PRIVACY FOR BATTERY LIFE, INSTEAD OF PROTECTING BOTH.

WASHINGTON -- The following information was released by the Center for Democracy & Technology:

by John Morris

The country has been abuzz (or perhaps a twitter) with the story that broke a couple of days ago about a location tracking file that is stored on Apple iPhones and iPads. The file keeps a record -- albeit an incomplete one -- of where you have been. And for each place stored, the file also contains a "timestamp" indicating the most recent time when you were there. If you carry your iPhone to a new city, for example, it will store a pretty complete record of where you go in the city. The file can have location information covering at least a year of time, and it is backed up to your home computer's hard drive so that it will remain on your iPhone even if you buy a new iPhone as an upgrade. To many, this sounds spooky, even though the file itself normally never leaves your devices.

Apple has yet to make an official statement about why the file is being kept, but a range of theories have been posted in the last couple of days. The one that strikes me as the most plausible -- a battery saving feature -- is made by security and privacy researcher Christopher Soghoian in the introduction of this blog post, tucked into a parenthetical phrase:

The motivation for this data collection appears to be in order to create a large database of WiFi access points and their associated location, which can then be used by mobile devices to determine the user's approximate location information (doing so via WiFi uses far less battery power than using the GPS chip).

This explanation makes sense to me, and is consistent with the data that you see in the file itself. At the end of the day, I don't believe there is any sinister motive for the file. But whatever the engineering explanation for this, and no matter how well intentioned Apple was in creating the file and storing it on your iPhone (and your PC), this episode still highlights some serious privacy concerns -- concerns that we hope will lead Apple and other Internet companies to make some changes to their technology development process.

To understand why this file exists, you need to understand how Apple iPhones (as well as smartphones with Google's Android operating system) figure out their own location. The phones have a GPS chip that can provide precise location info, but GPS is slow, it eats up battery life, and it does not work indoors. So instead of relying on GPS all the time for all functions requiring location, the phone will typically do a quick look to see (a) what cell phone towers can it communicate with, and (b) what WiFi access points it can "see." The phone then sends the identifiers for those towers and access points over the Internet to an Apple database to learn where those cell towers and Wifi devices are located. The database (Apple has one, as does Google, as well as a company named Skyhook that provides services to Apple and others) sends latitude and longitude coordinates for the towers or access points back to the phone. Once armed with this information, the phone is able to tell the user where they are.

To make this location determination faster -- and to reduce the battery drain from having to send queries over the Internet -- Apple designed the iPhone to store a record of the cell tower/location pairs (and the wifi/location pairs) in a local file on the iPhone. So the next time that the iPhone "sees" a particular cell tower, it can look in the local file for the tower's location (rather than having to send an Internet query to re-ask for that information). As published reports suggest, this reduces battery drain (although it remains to be seen how much battery life it saves).

'Privacy By Design' Needed

So the creation of such a file appears benign in its intent. But even so, that is just the beginning of the privacy analysis because elements of the file and the way it is processed seem to provide a textbook example of how to violate the principles of "Privacy by Design."

The theory of Privacy by Design is straightforward: when developing a new technology, feature or database, you should build in privacy from the very beginning of the design process. Privacy by Design offers a roadmap to integrate privacy principles into business models, product development cycle, and new technologies. Championed by Ontario's Information and Privacy Commissioner Anne Cavoukian, Privacy by Design guides innovation in a manner that is consistent with Fair Information Practices (FIPs), the globally accepted framework of privacy principles.

It probably is true that the location file is intended to benefit users by reducing battery drain. But had Apple been following the principles of Privacy by Design, I think it would have found a much more privacy-protecting way to build this benefit into iPhones. At a minimum, I think that Apple should have asked itself the following questions:

Does Apple really need to keep a precise time record of when a user was in a given location? I can see how keeping the latitude/longitude coordinates of recent locations can save battery life, but I cannot see why that file must include a timestamp recording exactly when the user was previously at a given location. Even if a software designer might think that the time stamp is convenient to have, it certainly is not essential to the goal of saving battery life or making location look ups faster.

Does Apple really need to store the location information for a year or more? My guess is that storing locations for a much shorter period of time would in most cases provide most of the battery life benefit, while being much more privacy protective.

If Apple is going to have this highly sensitive file in the first place, what possible reason could there be to store the file in plain text on the user's home computer through the iTunes backup system? It would seem that a file of this kind should be encrypted if it is ever copied off of the iPhone itself.

And finally Privacy by Design also extends to the policies a company adopts with respect to new technologies. Location is particularly sensitive and this location history file is something that Apple should have specifically informed its users about, and given them a choice to decide whether a small amount of extra battery life is worth the potential privacy problems. Moreover, the user should certainly have the option to clear out this location history, just like browser makers (including Apple) give users an easy way to clear out browsing history.

The issues here are certainly not limited to Apple. Google's Android system also collects and stores location data in a similar way. But Android keeps the info for a much shorter period of time (as my point 2 above would suggest).

But the real problem is that most of the time technology designers simply do recognize that privacy must be a foundational goal of any consumer product, especially one involving such sensitive information as location. Just as I am sure that Apple has told its engineers that extending battery life is a very important goal to pursue, it is critical that Apple also tell its engineers that respecting and protecting users' privacy is a very important goal to pursue, from day one of the design process.

Vamoose Bus Launches Scheduled "Gold" Service between New York City and Washington Suburbs.

Vamoose Bus, the family-owned intercity bus company whose customer-focused business moves more than 5,000 travelers a week between midtown Manhattan and Bethesda, MD and Arlington, VA, inaugurated today its scheduled, first-class Gold Bus service. No other bus company offers this service between New York and the Washington area.

The Gold Bus is like no other bus on the Washington-New York corridor. It features wide-body, "two-and-one" leather seating with extra arm- and legroom, on-board free Internet service (Wi-Fi), 110-volt AC electric outlets and an oversized restroom. It carries only 36 passengers, compared with 55 seats on competing carriers using similar equipment. The Gold Bus' new luxury Prevost coach now offers a scheduled 9:00 a.m. daily departure from Arlington, with a single pick-up stop in Bethesda at 9:30 a.m., and an estimated 1:30 p.m. arrival near Penn Station, New York.

The Gold Bus also has a scheduled daily departure at 3:00 p.m. from New York at West 31st Street and Seventh Avenue, just across from New York's Penn Station. Estimated travel time is four hours between New York and Bethesda, with an additional half hour to Arlington.

One-way tickets are $50, with a free one-way ride offered for every four paid trips, so frequent travelers can ride the Gold Bus for an average $40 per trip.

Vamoose assigns an experienced, responsible ground crew to departure and arrival points to help passengers with their baggage or ticketing problems. Vamoose customers never have to wrestle their baggage into and out of cargo holds. Likewise, late-comer passengers have the assurance that their seats will be held for them until five minutes before departure. Any Vamoose passenger who loses his or her seat is immediately given the next available seat for the next departure without additional charge.

Vamoose imposes no travel blackout periods, either. If a traveler has a reservation or a free rewards ticket, it can be transferred to any travel day - even Thanksgiving Weekend - without charge. Visit www.vamoosebus.com

Keywords: Bus Companies, Transportation, Vamoose Bus.

This article was prepared by Journal of Transportation editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2010, Journal of Transportation via VerticalNews.com.

AlwaysOn Unveils 2009 AO Global 250 Winners.

Quantcast Named Overall Winner Among AO Global 250 Companies

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- AlwaysOn (AO), open-media pioneer and creator of the AlwaysOn executive event series, today announced its coveted AlwaysOn Global 250 Top Private Companies Awards, naming audience-measurement service Quantcast the AO Global 250 overall winner. Other category winners include:

* Cast Iron Systems - Cloud and Infrastructure

* Mint - Consumer Internet

* Knewton - Digital Education

* Twofish - Digital Media

* EveryZing - Enabling Tools and Devices

* BrightSource Energy - Greentech

* uTest - SaaS and Enterprise

* Skyhook Wireless - Wireless

The AlwaysOn Global 250 Private Companies will be honored at a reception at the AlwaysOn & Stanford Technology Ventures Program Summit at Stanford taking place on July 28-30, 2009 at Stanford University.

"We are proud to present our top honors to Quantcast after seeing the quality of their product and the scope of their business," said Tony Perkins, founder and CEO of AlwaysOn. "Quantcast has already created one of the most widely-used audience measurement services, and is now poised to bring both breadth and granularity to the targeted advertising marketplace."

In 2006, Quantcast arrived onto the scene offering a free service that gave Web publishers data on the type of people visiting their sites via a digital pixel it placed on these sites. The company began by measuring sites too small to be noticed by larger services such as Nielsen and comScore, but the service quickly signed up top media companies as well, including Hulu, ABC Television Group, FOX, NBC, CBS, MTV Networks, CNNMoney.com, and People.com. Quantcast now claims it is measuring more than half the top 100 ad-supported sites on the Web.

After spending quite a bit of time (and venture funding) building up its audience-measurement service, Quantcast is taking what it has gathered and applying it toward its first revenue-generating product, becoming the frontrunner in realizing the potential for advertising analytics in the digital age. The Quantcast Media Program lets its clients -- advertisers and marketers -- define their own audience, then buy it, wherever it is on the Web.

With assistance from KPMG's emerging business practice, KPMG VC Practice, hundreds of venture investors, investment bankers, and technology insiders were surveyed, and these respondents nominated more than 1,000 companies to determine the AO Global 250 winners. Companies demonstrating significant market traction and game-changing technology were selected to be part of the AO Global 250. All innovators in their given technology sectors, the AO Global 250 winners all demonstrated leadership among their peers in the following areas: innovation, market opportunity, commercialization, media buzz, and stakeholder value creation.

A full list of all the AO Global 250 winners can be found on the AlwaysOn Web site here: http://alwayson.goingon.com/permalink/post/32719.

About the 2009 AlwaysOn & STVP Summit at Stanford

July 28-30, 2009 at Stanford University, Palo Alto, California

The AlwaysOn & STVP Summit at Stanford is a two-and-a-half-day executive gathering that highlights the significant economic, political and commercial trends disrupting the global technology industries. The AlwaysOn & STVP Summit at Stanford features the most innovative companies, eminent technologists, influential investors and journalists in keynote presentations, panel debates and private company CEO showcases. The goal of the AlwaysOn & STVP Summit at Stanford is to identify the most promising entrepreneurial opportunities and investments in the global tech industry.

About AlwaysOn

AlwaysOn ignited the open-media revolution in early 2003 by being the first media brand to launch a global blog network (alwayson-network.com). In 2004, AlwaysOn continued to lead the media industry in innovation by introducing a social network where members can connect and engage. AlwaysOn is also applying its open-media principles to its executive event series (Summit at Stanford, OnDC, OnHollywood, OnMedia, GoingGreen East and West, and Venture Summit East and Venture Summit Silicon Valley) and quarterly print "blogozine." These venues empower its members to post and share their ideas and meet each other online. As our loyal readers know, AlwaysOn is committed to a free-market, merit-driven approach to reporting and event programming. No other media brand has dared to create such open interaction with its readers and event participants.

Stafford County, Va., Residents to See More Choice, Competition as Board of Supervisors Awards Cable Franchise to Verizon.

Stafford County residents are a major step closer to having an innovative, reliable and competitive alternative for their cable television services, thanks to a unanimous vote by the Board of Supervisors Tuesday night (Aug. 19) authorizing Verizon to offer its fiber-optic-powered FiOS TV (see also Verizon).

FiOS TV offers consumers a broad range of programming choices and superior picture quality from the only TV service delivered over the nation's most advanced all-fiber network directly connecting to millions of individual homes and businesses.

Under the 15-year cable franchise, Verizon will make FiOS TV service available to all households in an initial service area in the southernmost areas of the county, including Falmouth and Stafford, within three years. The company plans to begin offering FiOS TV later this summer.

"Stafford County residents soon will be able to join the fast-growing FiOS family in Virginia," said Robert W. Woltz Jr., president of Verizon Virginia. "FiOS TV offers a clear, superior alternative to the incumbent cable providers -- powered by our lightning-fast fiber-optic network.

"From ultra-fast download and unmatched upload Internet speeds to outstanding picture quality, FiOS Internet and FiOS TV services will wow Stafford consumers."

Stafford County joins neighboring Fredericksburg, Prince William County and Spotsylvania County in granting Verizon the authority to compete for cable services. Verizon also offers FiOS TV in much of Northern Virginia and the Richmond and Hampton Roads areas.

Virginia residents who are FiOS TV-eligible have the option to trim their monthly bills by bundling FiOS TV service, FiOS Internet service and the Verizon Freedom Essentials unlimited calling plan, all for $104.99 a month with a one-year commitment. They also can add a Verizon Wireless calling plan for a Grand Slam of communications and entertainment services.

Keywords: Verizon.

This article was prepared by Science Letter editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2008, Science Letter via NewsRx.com.

Six in ten UK homes are now online.(National Statistics Omnibus Survey report)(Brief article)

The number of homes with internet access has risen by nearly 1m since 2006, according to the latest National Statistics Omnibus Survey.

The figures indicate that 15.23m, or 61% of UK households, can now surf the web at home, an increase of 7% over the past year.

Broadband is triumphing over dial-up, with 51% of households having broadband access in 2007.

Differences were revealed when analysing households with internet access by country and region. Southern regions, such as the South West, London and the South East, were all featured in the top five, with 69%, 69% and 65% of households connecting to the web respectively. However, the North East, Yorkshire & Humber and Northern Ireland lagged behind with 52% each.

The survey also examined the take-up of digital TV across the UK. The North East had the highest number of households using the likes of Freeview, with 84%, followed by Scotland (83%) and Wales (79%). Northern Ireland was bottom of the league with 59%.

Copyright: Centaur Communications Ltd. and licensors

Classified Ventures, LLC Real Estate Division Reports Record Traffic in January 2006.

Consumers Embrace Newspaper Industry's Expanded Real Estate Offerings; Reported 8.8 Million Unique Visitors to the Sites in January 2006

CHICAGO and EMERYVILLE, Calif., Feb. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Classified Ventures, a strategic joint venture owned by six leading media companies including Belo Corp. , Gannett Co., Inc. , Knight Ridder , The McClatchy Company , Tribune Company and The Washington Post Company , reported it set a new record for traffic, according to internal statistics, in January with 8.8 million unique visitors coming to its three real estate sites, Apartments.com, HomeGain.com and Homescape's network of newspaper real estate sites. This total number of unique visitors represents a 71 percent increase over unique visitors in January 2005.

"Classified Ventures is proud to offer consumers three real estate resources that meet their individual needs. Through rentals, home listings and the ability to find an agent or understand the local market, our real estate division covers all the bases for a consumer looking to rent, buy or sell a home," stated Dan Jauernig, Chief Executive Officer of Chicago-based Classified Ventures, LLC. "With over 12.1 million combined total site visits to Classified Ventures' real estate websites, consumers are recognizing the value gained by using the Internet in their search for real estate."

According to the 2005 National Association of REALTORS Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 77 percent of all buyers used the Internet in their home search, an increase of 12 percentage points from the 2003 data. This number only reinforces the value of Classified Ventures' trio of real estate sites and its partnership with over 150 national newspaper sites, as the ideal tool for today's Internet-savvy consumers looking to buy or rent real estate.

Apartments.com, HomeGain and Homescape all offer advertisers the opportunity to reach consumers through targeted products and services aimed to meet their individual needs. Also, all three sites boast a highly successful partnership model in online real estate enabling real estate professionals access to over 8.8 million qualified, educated consumers monthly.

About Classified Ventures

Classified Ventures is a strategic joint venture among six media companies, including Belo Corp. , Gannett Co. Inc. , Knight Ridder Inc. , The McClatchy Co. , Tribune Co. and The Washington Post Co. , whose objectives are to collectively capitalize on the revenue growth in the online advertising categories of automotive, real estate, and rentals. To execute on its objectives, Classified Ventures has four leading businesses -- Apartments.com, Cars.com, HomeGain and Homescape.

About Apartments.com

Apartments.com is the most visited national apartment Internet Listing Service distinguished by more than two million rental listings from managed properties, newspaper classifieds and for-rent-by-owner units. Its personalized searches and highly visual ads featuring detailed descriptions, virtual tours and professional photography make it possible for visitors to access rental inventory from across town or across the country. Apartments.com delivers highly qualified, ready-to-rent prospects to more than 14,000 trade customers, which increases closure rates and decreases the average cost of leasing an apartment. Apartments.com is the 2005 Webby Awards People's Voice winner, a tremendous honor that indicates the highest level of loyalty and commitment from its visitor base. For more information, please visit http://www.apartments.com/ .

About HomeGain

HomeGain(R) is the leading, online source for connecting real estate professionals with homebuyers and sellers. HomeGain's tools give consumers access to agents and brokers nationwide. Real estate agents and brokers have a choice of three advanced solutions to fit their individual needs. Acquired by Classified Ventures in 2005, HomeGain has over five million website visits per month and 300+ partnerships, including Yahoo!, Google, MSN, AOL and USATODAY.com. Agents and brokers trust HomeGain to connect, build and grow their business. For more information, please visit http://www.homegain.com/ .

About Homescape

Homescape serves a network of 150 local online newspaper websites nationwide with a full suite of online advertising solutions. Our network includes Chicago Tribune ( http://www.chicagotribune.com/ ), The Washington Post ( http://www.washingtonpost.com/ ), Arizona Republic ( http://www.azcentral.com/ ) and The Miami Herald ( http://www.miami.com/ ). Homescape provides a variety of real estate tools designed to meet the individual needs of local real estate agents, brokers, builders and private party advertisers, and delivers a complete set of robust, local home listings to consumers. For more information, visit http://www.homescape.com/ .

First Call Analyst: FCMN Contact:

CONTACT: Media, Maureen Boyle of Apartments.com, +1-312-601-6109, mboyle@apartments.com , Anne Casanova of HomeGain, +1-510-594-4171, anne@homegain.com , or Shannon Swierczek of Homescape, +1-312-601-5720, sswierczek@homescape.com

Web site: http://www.classifiedventures.com/ http://www.apartments.com/ http://www.homegain.com/ http://www.homescape.com/

Govt. outlines errors in budget.

MEXICO CITY, Nov 26, 2004 (El Economista/Corporate Mexico by Internet Securities, Inc. via COMTEX) -- On Thursday evening, the Executive branch of the federal government presented the opposition in the Chamber of Deputies with around 80 observations on the various errors and inconsistencies uncovered in the Spending Budget Decree for 2005, making it unworkable.

The undersecretary of Legislative Connection of the Government Secretariat, Humberto Aguilar Coronado, confirmed that the re-assignations of around 41 billion pesos (US$3.64 billion) in the budget, agreed by the opposition, made government spending practically unviable as these should not have surpassed 22 billion pesos (US$1.96 billion).

At the end of the first session of the work group set up by deputies to identify errors in the budget, it was decided that the next step is to specify which of the decisions of the executive branch are acceptable and which are not.

Meanwhile, the opposition agreed that it would not allow the president to make observations on the budget, simply because he does not have the constitutional right to do so. Pablo Gomez Alvarez, coordinator of the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) bloc, said that deputies no longer had the power to change the approve budget "as the legislative process has concluded".

This abstract is provided by Internet Securities, Inc. as a service to its customers. Internet Securities, Inc. makes no representation or warranty regarding the accuracy or content of the translation.

URL:              www.securities.com 

Copyright 2004 Internet Securities, Inc., all rights reserved. A Euromoney Institutional Investor Company.

News Provided by COMTEX (http://www.comtexnews.com)

South Florida Sun-Sentinel International Business Column.

By Doreen Hemlock, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Apr. 12--Making a phone call to the United States used to be a costly prospect from many islands in the Caribbean.

For decades, Britain's phone giant Cable & Wireless held a monopoly on telecom services in a bevy of Caribbean nations that were former British colonies, charging handsomely.

Jamaica first began phasing out the monopoly in 2000, opening up competition initially on mobile phones, then Internet and local service, then domestic long-distance and finally, on the international long-distance service that were most profitable for C&W.

Other Caribbean nations are following suit, prompting a rush of new investment in the former British nations and bringing new technologies to the area, too.

"This year, we are seeing greater competition and investment for the rest of the Caribbean Basin as well," said Leslie Hillman, editor of Miami Beach-based newsletter Latincom, which focuses on telecommunications and media in the Latin American and Caribbean region.

Companies in South Florida are cashing in, especially in deploying Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP technology. VoIP cuts costs by carrying voice over data lines rather than traditional phone networks, which charge more for handling calls.

Several major deals announced in recent weeks underscore the Caribbean trend: Innovative Communication Corp. LLC, based in West Palm Beach and the U.S. Virgin Islands, said it is buying Belize Telecommunications Ltd. in the nation formerly called British Honduras from government and private investors.

Innovative's initial investment will be more than $100 million, the company's CEO Jeffrey J. Prosser said.

Canada's telecom equipment maker Nortel Networks said it has been chosen to build a VoIP network in Puerto Rico for affiliates of Spain's phone giant Telefonica SA operating on the island.

It's the fourth VoIP contract for Nortel in the Caribbean in recent months, after deployments with Codetel in the Dominican Republic, Cable & Wireless in the Cayman Islands and TSTT in Trinidad-Tobago, said executives from Nortel's Latin American and Caribbean division based in Sunrise.

The value of the Puerto Rico and Dominican contracts were not disclosed, but the Trinidad-Tobago project is estimated at $33 million over two years and the Cayman Islands project at $17 million over two years, Nortel said.

COMPANIES

Delivery giant UPS launched its Web-based CampusShip service in Spanish and Portuguese, so that business clients in Puerto Rico, Mexico and Brazil can prepare shipping labels and track their deliveries online.

Atlanta-based UPS runs its Latin American and Caribbean operations from Miami.

UPDATES

Allen Chastenet, the former Miami-based vice president of marketing at Air Jamaica, is expanding the hotel he opened last fall on St.Lucia.

He has broken ground on a $6 million Coco Palm project on the grounds of his three-star Coco Krole. The new hotel will include 74 rooms, 12 suites, a conference room for 120 people theater-style and other amenities.

The venture will expand the role of Coco Resorts in Rodney Bay Village, a joint marketing effort by hotels and restaurants around the St. Lucia harbor.

The investment comes amid a rebound in tourism to the Caribbean this year.

The number of passengers flying to and from the United States is projected to return to pre-Sept. 11, 2001, levels in fiscal 2006, according to a report from the Federal Aviation Administration for fiscal years 2002 to 2013.

Over the forecast period, Latin American passengers are expected to increase 5.7 percent a year, the study said.

Doreen Hemlock can be reached at dhemlock@sun-sentinel.com or 305-810-5009.

To see more of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel -- including its homes, jobs, cars and other classified listings -- or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.sun-sentinel.com.

(c) 2004, South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

CWP, CW, NT, TEF, UPS,