среда, 29 февраля 2012 г.

Qld: Probe into suspended doctor finds suspect procedures


AAP General News (Australia)
02-27-2008
Qld: Probe into suspended doctor finds suspect procedures

An investigation into the work of a Czech-trained obstetrician and gynaecologist ..

whose Queensland registration was suspended last night .. has found two suspect cases.

Dr ROMAN HASIL worked as a locum at Rockhampton Hospital .. in central Queensland ..

from December 2006 to January 2007.

The Medical Board of Queensland last night suspended his registration after receiving
a damning report into his professional conduct …

AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, May 7


AAP General News (Australia)
05-07-2011
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, May 7
BREAKFAST ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430


DETENTION (CANBERRA)

Papua New Guinea has confirmed Canberra's request for it to host a regional asylum
seeker processing centre.

The country's Foreign Minister DON POLYE says the Australian plan was discussed at
a special cabinet meeting yesterday.

Mr POLYE has told the ABC that Manus Island is just one of several sites being considered
.. but says his government would like to see a centre in Papua New Guinea.

The news came after a day of intense speculation over JULIA GILLARD detention centre
plans .. with the PM refusing to confirm any plans .. after revelations of talks between
Canberra an Port Moresby.

Opposition Leader TONY ABBOTT says any move to reopen the Manus Island Detention Centre
in Papua New Guinea would be a massive backflip by the government.

Meanwhile .. the West Australian Goldfields town of Leonora says it's willing to house
more asylum seekers .. after the government said it wants to send 200 people there.



BINLADEN ALQAEDA (DUBAI)

Al-Qaeda has vowed to avenge the death of OSAMA BIN LADEN and urged Muslims to rise
up against the United States .. as rallies against the killing of the Nine-Eleven mastermind
in a US raid flare in the Islamic world.

Confirming BIN LADEN's death for the first time .. al-Qaeda has urged Pakistani Muslims
to cleanse their country from .. what it calls .. the filth of the Americans who spread
corruption.

In the statement posted on jihadist Internet forums .. the Islamist group proclaims
its Saudi-born founder a martyr .. who it says has terrified non-Islamic nations.

The White House says it's on alert for security threats .. and has promised to release
an audio tape made by BIN LADEN just a week before he was shot dead by US commandos in
Pakistan.

On the traditional day of prayers .. hundreds of Islamists have rallied in Pakistan
.. Egypt and Turkey to call for revenge for the death of BIN LADEN .. and more than one-hundred
people have protested in London.



SYRIA UNREST (BEIRUT)

There are claims Syrian security forces have shot dead at least 30 people .. as thousands
rally on a Day Of Defiance against the regime of President BASHAR AL-ASSAD .. and tanks
converged on protest centres.

The government says one officer and four policemen have been killed by what it calls
armed criminal gangs.

The European Union .. meanwhile .. has agreed to impose sanctions on 13 Syrian officials
involved in the regime's crackdown on protests .. and will meet on Monday to discuss whether
to target ASSAD as well.



LIBYA (TRIPOLI)

MUAMMAR GADDAFI's regime has reacted angrily to a NATO-led decision to provide funding
to the three-month-old rebellion against his rule in Libya.

The fund .. set up at a meeting of the International Contact Group on Libya in Rome
.. is intended to provide an emergency lifeline to the rebels .. whose provisional administration
has no source of financing.

Meanwhile .. rebels are bracing for a ground assault by GADDAFI forces on the besieged
western port city of Misrata as NATO warplanes strike regime targets further to the west.



GREECE EURO (ATHENS)

Greece is denying a report by a German magazine website that it is considering leaving
the euro currency.

A government official denies the report .. carried by the Spiegel Online .. which says
Athens is considering withdrawing from the European Union's joint currency.



UK VOTE (LONDON)

British voters have overwhelmingly rejected changing the electoral system .. with 69
per cent opposing a switch to a new system in a national referendum.

And .. the Scottish National Party has won a majority in Scotland's parliamentary election
and its leader has promised to hold a vote on independence from the United Kingdom ..

while in Britain .. the Liberal Democrats have suffered a massive defeat.

Voters in Scotland .. Wales and Northern Ireland elected members of regional legislatures
on Thursday and hundreds of local council seats were at stake around Britain.



JAPAN NUCLEAR (TOKYO)

Japan's prime minister says he's instructed the operator of a nuclear power plant in
the coastal city of Shizuoka .. west of Tokyo .. to halt all three reactors because of
safety concerns in the event of a major earthquake and tsunami.

Prime Minister NAOTO KAN says experts believe there is a 90 per cent probability of
a major quake striking the central region within 30 years.

The action follows a safety review of all Japan's nuclear plants after the radiation
crisis at the Fukushima plant .. crippled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.



BROWSE (PERTH)

The outgoing head of the Kimberley Land Council says an unprecedented deal struck between
traditional land owners .. Woodside and the West Australian government over a gas hub
near Broome will change Aboriginal lives.

The Goolarabooloo Jabbir Jabbir native title claim group has agreed to support Woodside's
30 billion dollar liquefied natural gas hub to be built at James Price Point.

Outgoing head of the KLC WAYNE BERGMANN says the deal is more than just money .. it
gives environmental assurances in the chance the project causes any significant damage
during its operations.



POLICE VIC (MELBOURNE)

Victoria's police union has slammed Commissioner SIMON OVERLAND .. after he ordered
his deputy Sir KEN JONES to leave office immediately.

Union secretary GREG DAVIES says Mr OVERLAND'S move is deplorable .. and he'll be asking
Police Minister PETER RYAN to take some action.



BUDGET11 (Melbourne)

Charities will get a 500 million dollar boost through moves to cut red tape .. but
the federal budget will also close a tax loophole for those that run non-charitable businesses.

The news has come from News Limited and Fairfax.

They say the changes won't affect op shops or small-scale fundraisers such as lamington drives.



BARANGAROO (SYDNEY)

Sydney Lord Mayor CLOVER MOORE has defended her record in protecting and achieving
new open space after former prime minister PAUL KEATING resigned as chairman of a key
panel set up to oversee the design of the controversial Barangaroo development.

Mr KEATING announced his resignation yesterday.

Earlier this week he let fly at Ms MOORE over her staunch opposition to existing plans
for the redevelopment of Barangaroo .. in the city's East Darling Harbour area.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..



JUMPS (MELBOURNE)

The Victorian government will continue to support jumps racing .. despite protester
warnings that any blood spilled on race tracks will be on the racing minister's hands.



SPAIN BALLESTEROS (MADRID)

Spanish golf legend SEVERIANO BALLESTEROS .. who underwent surgery for a brain tumour
three years ago .. has suffered a severe deterioration of his condition.



US MCCARTNEY (NEW YORK)

Rock royalty PAUL MCCARTNEY is reportedly engaged to his longtime girlfriend .. Long
Island socialite NANCY SHEVELL.



IN SPORT ..



RL AUST (GOLD COAST)

South Sydney could be the biggest loser following Australia's rugby league Test win
over New Zealand last night.

Rabbitohs star GREG INGLIS suffered a recurrence of the hip injury he had repaired
in the off-season as the Kangaroos won 20-10 on the Gold Coast.

BILLY SLATER scored two tries and debutants JAMAL IDRIS and JHARAL YOW YEH one each.

The only Saturday night NRL game will be heavily affected by the Test as the Broncos
host Melbourne.



RL NSW (ALBURY, NSW)

New South Wales rugby league coach RICKY STUART is mulling over the performances of
his potential Blues after Country last night downed City 18-12 in Albury.



AFL (ADELAIDE)

Port Adelaide's AFL misery continued last night with a 32-point loss to Hawthorn and
another knee injury to prime mover DAVID RODAN.

Hawthorn kicked eight of the last nine goals of the game to win 15.14 (104) to 10.12 (72).

The round continues today with the Western Bulldogs meeting Sydney .. Geelong hosting
North Melbourne .. Richmond playing Fremantle and the Gold Coast clashing with Brisbane
for the first time.



ENDS BREAKFAST ROUND-UP


BROADCAST DESK INQUIRIES 24 HOURS: 02 9322 8714


AAP RTV wz

KEYWORD: BREAKFAST ROUND-UP

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

Main stories in Monday's 0745 ABC news


AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2011
Main stories in Monday's 0745 ABC news

SYDNEY, Aug 29 AAP - Main stories in Monday's 0745 ABC news:

- Rebel forces in Libya and human rights activists fear pro-Gaddafi supporters have
gone on a killing spree by executing prisoners days before the opposition was going to
free them.

- Britain's foreign secretary has dismissed reports that the Libyan National Transitional
Council won't be extraditing the killer of a UK police officer outside the Libyan embassy
in 1984.

- Libyan rebels also say they have no intention of extraditing the man responsible
for the Lockerbie airline bombing.

- In the US, 15 deaths have been blamed on Hurricane Irene, with President Barack Obama
warning of further danger.

- Police are yet to release the name of an elderly man who died after being bashed
on a Newcastle train last week.

- NSW Treasurer Mike Baird is forecasting an unpopular state budget next week, with
an expected fall in revenue.

- Shadow Treasurer Michael Daley says Mr Baird has been talking down the state's finances
for months to justify job cuts.

- The Fire Brigade Employees' Union is threatening industrial action for the state's
plan to introduce random drug and alcohol testing for firefighters.

- Unions are meeting the prime minister in Canberra today to discuss the future of
Australia's manufacturing industry.

- Trade Minister Craig Emerson says Australia must concentrate on manufacturing high
value products.

- Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake has won the 100 metre event at the world championships
after Usain Bolt was disqualified for a false start.

AAP ra

KEYWORD: MONITOR 0745 ABC SYDNEY

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

WA:Stabbing accused attacked outside court


AAP General News (Australia)
02-16-2011
WA:Stabbing accused attacked outside court

PERTH, Feb 16 AAP - A man accused of stabbing another man to death in Perth's entertainment
district has been punched and abused outside court by members of the victim's family.

Christopher Lee Brenchley, 23, is accused of fatally stabbing 23-year-old Russell Vivian
Stack in the chest during an argument in inner-city Northbridge on August 15 last year.

Police allege Brenchley went to Northbridge with his wife, armed with a knife, and
stabbed Mr Stack during an altercation.

In the Stirling Gardens Magistrates Court on Wednesday, relatives of Mr Stack hurled
abuse at Brenchley, calling him a "white dog".

Brenchley's murder charges were downgraded to manslaughter and he was released on bail,
prompting Mr Stack's family to hurl verbal abuse.

Outside court, family member Rodney Cox told reporters it made him feel "sick in the
guts" that Brenchley was facing lesser charges and was being released on bail.

When Brenchley left the court, reporters witnessed him being set upon by two men and
a woman and repeatedly punched.

Police say they are investigating.

Brenchley will reappear in court on March 2.

AAP anr/ldj/dep/apm

KEYWORD: BRENCHLEY

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

WA:Asylum seekers brawl at Christmas Island


AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2010
WA:Asylum seekers brawl at Christmas Island

The Department of Immigration is investigating a brawl between 100 asylum seekers at
Christmas Island on Monday night.

The fight broke out at the detention centre's construction camp .. involving Iraqi,
Iranian and Afghan asylum seekers .. and Indonesian boat crew.

A department spokesman says the construction camp is where many of the unaccompanied
minors who arrive at Christmas Island are held .. and the brawl involved teenagers.

Three detainees suffered minor injuries as a result of the fight and were taken to hospital.

AAP RTV jsj/af

KEYWORD: DETENTION (PERTH)

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

Fed: Mums give foot spas the boot on Mother's Day


AAP General News (Australia)
04-26-2010
Fed: Mums give foot spas the boot on Mother's Day

SYDNEY, April 26 AAP - Mums are under-appreciated and forgotten, with most Australians
even clueless about the date of Mother's Day, a survey shows.

Only 7 per cent of 1000 people surveyed by online retailer DealsDirect were able to
remember the exact date of this year's Mother's Day - May 9.

The survey also names the most unwanted gift received by mums is cleaning appliances,
followed by fitness equipment, foot spas and kitchen gadgets.

Last-minute gifts, such as flowers from a petrol station or convenience store, are
also unpopular.

Mums surveyed said their most popular pressie was a gift voucher, followed by a book,
CD, perfume and jewellery.

Pets are a no-no, along with feminine hygiene products and "anything rose scented".

Gift vouchers are the best choice for people unsure exactly what mum would like, says
DealsDirect.com.au co-founder Paul Greenberg.

"If you want to buy mum a present that shows you care, but you don't know what she
wants, a gift voucher gives her the choice," he said in a statement on Monday.

He says Mother's Day is an opportunity to show under-appreciated mums how much they are loved.

"Mums are the unsung heroes, giving their family so much of themselves and rarely receiving
any recognition," he said.

Of the two thirds of mums who received a gift last year, almost half (47 per cent)
weren't happy with it, with 15 per cent saying it was bought at the last minute, the survey
showed.

AAP ct/evt/ht

KEYWORD: MOTHER (WITH FACTBOX)

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

Fed: Police say they will not back down on alcohol-fuelled crime


AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2009
Fed: Police say they will not back down on alcohol-fuelled crime

By Stephanie Gardiner

SYDNEY, Dec 12 AAP - Police across the nation will again be out in force on Saturday
night, remaining vigilant after arresting hundreds of people in a sweeping crackdown on
alcohol-fuelled violence.

On the first day of Operation Unite, covering Australia and New Zealand, the largest
number of arrests were made in NSW, with a total of 516 charges laid against 333 people
across the state on Friday night.

The charges were for offences ranging from assault and affray to drug possession and robbery.

Two police officers were hospitalised after separate incidents during the operation.

One officer was allegedly king hit at Ryde police station, while another officer was
hurt after climbing a fence to pursue a man in Macquarie Fields, in Sydney's southwest.

A 38-year-old Carlingford man was due to appear in Parramatta Bail Court on Saturday
over the attack at Ryde.

Deputy Commissioner Dave Owens said police were sick of dealing with drunk people.

"There seems to be a theme that keeps running at the moment which is simply add alcohol
and you get an instant idiot," Mr Owens told reporters in Sydney.

He said police would not back down during the rest of the operation which runs until
6am on Sunday.

"1,200 police, we're not backing off. We're going to have the same number out there
again tonight.

"I'm telling people what we're doing, I'm telling people what we're targeting. The
message isn't getting through."

"Each day, we're going to put the mouthguard in and back up."

WA Police made 142 arrests for anti-social behaviour and visited 342 licensed premises
and 184 other venues including sporting and social events during the crackdown.

In Victoria at least 800 additional officers on foot and in van patrols were joined
by plain-clothed licensing police inside venues, traffic units and booze buses at nightspot
areas in Melbourne, Geelong, Frankston, Bendigo, Ballarat and Bairnsdale.

Victoria Police have not yet released arrest figures for the first night of the operation
but said reveller numbers were lower than usual in central Melbourne.

Superintendent Rod Wilson told AAP police were "generally pleased" with behaviour in the city.

"We didn't have a big influx of people into the city," he said.

"Although arrests for drunks were up, you've got to balance that with the numbers of
police - 400 extra in two sectors of the city.

"With more police out there, there's more chance of arrests."

In Brisbane, an adult was caught supplying liquor to a minor and 73 drivers were caught
drink driving throughout Queensland.

One the opening night of the blitz, Queensland police attended 867 licensed establishments
and detected 101 licensing breaches, handed out 156 liquor infringement notices and forced
135 people to move on.

Besides the crackdown on alcohol-related violence, Queensland police also dealt with
a number of juveniles with a dozen being arrested, nine cautioned and seven issued with
Notices to Appear.

Police in other states were also mostly pleased with the behaviour of revellers.

NT police made 16 arrests for alcohol-related offences and forced people to tip out
79 litres of alcohol on Friday night.

Acting deputy commissioner Grahame Kelly said extensive publicity about the operation
and wet weather in Darwin contributed to the lower than usual total of arrests in the
state capital.

"Most people certainly appeared to be enjoying themselves and doing the right thing,"

Mr Kelly said.

"There is always a few who spoil it. There were a few clowns who could barely walk,
falling over, generally abusive and obnoxious."

ACT Police arrested 27 people, SA police made 21 arrests in Adelaide and 10 people
were arrested in Hobart.

AAP sg/mmr/de

KEYWORD: BLITZ WRAP

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

Qld: Trans-Tasman travel cost cuts look set to take off


AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2009
Qld: Trans-Tasman travel cost cuts look set to take off

By Angela Harper

BRISBANE, Aug 4 AAP - The cost of flying between New Zealand and Australia looks set
to drop as trans-Tasman red tape could be cut.

Australian and New Zealand customs last year reached an initial agreement to streamline
travel between the two nations while boosting border security.

The plan to create a common border will allow trans-Tasman travellers to avoid customs
and immigration, dropping flight prices by up to 30 per cent and allowing an explosion
in potential new flight routes.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, who spoke to AAP before addressing a business
forum in Brisbane on Tuesday, said he, together with Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, would
formally announce the changes when they meet in a few weeks to discuss the bilateral Closer
Economic Relations (CER) agreement.

"It is a positive announcement which will allow New Zealanders and Australians to cross
each others' borders more easily," Mr Key told AAP.

"It's an attempt to streamline the process and to ensure that it's a more seamless
and painless process for Australians and New Zealanders as they travel across the border."

Any new rules would not affect quarantine or biosecurity "level of exposure" between
the two countries, he said.

About one million Australians visit New Zealand each year.

AAP ahe/pjo/jfm

KEYWORD: CUSTOMS (PIX AVAILABLE)

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

0200 3AW HEADLINES


AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2009
0200 3AW HEADLINES

- The death toll from Victoria's bushfire disaster has now reached 171 with the discovery
of 41 more bodies.

- Firefighters are battling a blaze in Hillsville.

- Cooler conditions are expected to aid firefighters battling over 50 outbreaks throughout
the state.

- Communities affected by the Beechworth fire have also received reprieve with conditions
improving.

- Hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to aid locals.

- The Victorian fires have been receiving widespread news coverage worldwide.

- The PM says the arsonists responsible for lighting some of the fires are mass murderers.

- Meantime police say they're closing in on those responsible for the Gippsland fire
that ravaged the area over the weekend.

- The legal fraternity is stepping to assist communities with Victorian barristers
to donate their time to aid victims.

- And Australian criketers will donate the procedes of today's one dayer in Adeilade
to the appeal.

AAP RTV fdf

KEYWORD: 0200 3AW (SYDNEY)

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

Ath: Tallent set for another walking medal at Beijing Olympics


AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2008
Ath: Tallent set for another walking medal at Beijing Olympics

Australia's JARED TALLENT is set for a medal in the men's 50 kilometre walk at the
Beijing Olympics.

TALLENT, who won bronze in the 20 kilometre walk last Saturday, is second with five
kilometres remaining in today's 50 kilometre race.

TALLENT is chasing Italian ALEX SCHWAZER, who leads by 40 seconds.

AAP RTV sl/mo

KEYWORD: OLY08 ATH WALK (BEIJING)

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

NSW:Euthanasia bill will harm NT indigenous health: priest, prof


AAP General News (Australia)
04-16-2008
NSW:Euthanasia bill will harm NT indigenous health: priest, prof

SYDNEY, April 16 AAP - Reintroducing voluntary euthanasia laws in the Northern Territory
would undermine efforts to improve health in remote indigenous communities, a priest and
law professor has told a Senate committee.

In February this year, Greens leader Bob Brown introduced a private member's bill seeking
to restore euthanasia rights in the NT, and pave the way for its introduction in the Australian
Capital Territory.

The NT became the first jurisdiction in the country to pass right-to-die laws in 1996,
but they were controversially overturned nine months later by the Commonwealth.

Addressing a Senate committee hearing on the bill in Sydney today, Frank Brennan, a
Jesuit priest and a law professor from the Australian Catholic University, said reinstating
the NT laws would be an "irresponsible legislative action".

Legalising euthanasia in the NT would terrify people in remote indigenous communities
who were already fearful of western medical techniques, he said.

"Aboriginal people will be afraid to go to hospital if doctors have the power to euthanase,"

he said.

"Here we are as a nation ... saying we want to reduce the gap in life expectancy.

"No one could argue that we would be reducing the gap in life expectancy for Aboriginal
Australians in the Northern Territory by introducing euthanasia laws, which would be instilling
a fear to approach hospitals."

This was the "added burden" which existed in the NT, he said, adding it was a burden
that needed to be addressed before voluntary euthanasia was reintroduced.

Fr Brennan's comments echoed those of Dr David Gawler from the Darwin Christian Ministers
Association, who spoke to the committee at its meeting in Darwin on Monday.

Aborigines, who did not believe in assisted suicide, were already scared of doctors
and reluctant to access medical services, Dr Gawler said.

But Dr David Leaf, a GP from country NSW, disputed Fr Brennan's claim, saying better
education would dispel such fears.

"Clearly, that is just an education issue and a cultural and a language issue," he
told the committee.

"I don't think that should stop us from pursuing this course.

"It needs to be explained to all patients that voluntary euthanasia is voluntary, bar no one."

Dr Leaf argued for euthanasia, saying he, and many of his patients, just wanted the option.

"One of the options I would like to have as doctor is the option to offer them euthanasia,"

he said.

"I would be comfortable to have that to offer my patients, should they so desire after
sufficient screening, sufficient counselling.

"Many of these patients will say to you that death is not the worst option."

ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell also backed the legislative change, telling the
committee via teleconference that the legislation repealing the NT law was a "direct attack"

on the territory's rights.

The Howard government bill overturned the NT euthanasia laws and included a clause
preventing the territories from acting on the issue in the future.

"The ACT supports the (Brown) bill because the ACT believes the bill will enable the
people of the territory to determine their own path in relation to this issue," he said.

"While the ACT government will not necessarily move to make laws to legalise euthanasia,
the issue at stake is the constitutional right of this government to make laws for the
governance of the people of the Australian Capital Territory."

AAP ab/hn/ldj/cdh

KEYWORD: DIE BRENNAN

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

NSW: Lawyer urges compassion for woman accused of murdering son


AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2007
NSW: Lawyer urges compassion for woman accused of murdering son

EDS: This version can now be used in NSW and on the internet, following legal advice.

A nightlead will follow soon.)



SYDNEY, Dec 12 AAP - The lawyer for a woman accused of murdering her toddler son and
dumping his body in a Sydney park pond has appealed for public compassion for his client.

Rachel Pfitzner, 26, of Rosemeadow in Sydney, has been charged with murdering two-year-old
Dean Shillingsworth, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase and dumped in a pond at
Ambarvale on October 17.

The case led to an outpouring of grief in the south-western Sydney community.

According to police, Dean was murdered on October 11, a week before his body was found.

Pfitzner appeared via video-link in Campbelltown Local Court today where Magistrate
Michael Stoddart adjourned her case until February 6.

She will remain in custody after being formally refused bail.

Outside the court, her lawyer Ugo Parente appealed for public compassion for Ms Pfitzner,
saying she was entitled to a fair hearing.

"I just ask that she be shown a bit of compassion at this time," Mr Parente said.

"It is a sensitive matter and it has to be dealt with fairly."

Dean's great-aunt Rita Wright also spoke to the media after the hearing, saying: "We
just want justice for the family."

Dean was known to the Department of Community Services, and his death, along with others
including the alleged starvation death of seven-year-old Shellay Ward, forced the NSW
government to set up a special commission to investigate the state's child protection
system.

Ms Pfitzner will appear at Liverpool Local Court via videolink on February 6.

The court was also told police last week seized documents from Mr Parente relating to the boy.

Mr Parente has applied for the return of the documents, and the application will also
be heard on February 6, at the same court.

AAP ab/nap/hn/sp

KEYWORD: PFITZNER (REISSUING)

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

Fed: Rudd recasts Labor as party without class war


AAP General News (Australia)
04-29-2007
Fed: Rudd recasts Labor as party without class war

By Maria Hawthorne, Chief Political Correspondent

SYDNEY, April 29 AAP - Labor leader Kevin Rudd today declared the old politics of class
envy dead, saying even families on $250,000 were struggling.

Only nine per cent of Australians earn more than $125,000 a year and the average wage
is closer to $57,000.

But Mr Rudd used Labor's national conference to unveil plans to help even the country's
wealthiest households install solar panels and rainwater tanks.

Under today's announcement, households earning up to $250,000 a year will be entitled
to low-interest loans of up to $10,000 to help defray the cost of installing green energy
devices and water saving measures.

Mr Rudd said there was nothing wrong with offering the assistance to people on higher incomes.

"Our policy includes all working families," Mr Rudd told reporters.

"We don't have some sort of class enemy basis upon which we do this - that's the old
politics of the past.

"I'm not on that bandwagon, we're on about something totally different."

Mr Rudd said in some parts of western Sydney, families were struggling to make ends
meet on $200,000 with interest rate rises and a crisis in housing affordability.

In his bid to modernise the party ahead of this year's election, Mr Rudd also defended
plans to recruit AFL legend Graham Cornes' wife Nicole as a star candidate for the Adelaide
seat of Boothby, despite Mrs Cornes not being a member of the Labor Party or a union.

He said it was no longer relevant to insist that all Labor candidates be paid-up members
of a union - but declined to ask the party's national conference to change the rules.

Mrs Cornes, a newspaper columnist and mother of two who admits to previously voting
Liberal, will join the Labor Party tomorrow after meeting Mr Rudd this weekend.

Mr Rudd said it was important to get the best candidates, not just those who had worked
their way up through party and union ranks.

He said he did not know how many members of the current Labor caucus were union members.

"I wouldn't have a clue and frankly I don't care because I don't think it is an essential
criteria," he said.

"This for us when it's come down to the question of who's in parliament, who's the
preselected candidates, it's not an issue, it's not a priority."

He denied that he had attempted to distance himself from the union movement by not
mentioning the word "union" once in his 2,300-word speech on Labor's new industrial relations
policy.

"I'm immensely proud of what organised labour and the unions have done in this country
for over 110 years, going back to the great strikes of 1891," he said.

The party remained close to the unions, despite some anger at the new policy banning
most strike action, he said.

"There's been some blowback from some of our friends in the trade unions on the whole
question of secret ballots and strikes," he said.

"I understand that. This is the 21st century, we've got to move on."

AAP mfh/it/mn

KEYWORD: LABOR NIGHTLEAD

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

Vic: Flu vaccine breakthrough close


AAP General News (Australia)
12-30-2006
Vic: Flu vaccine breakthrough close

Scientists are reportedly close to breaking through with a flu vaccine that protects
against most strains of the disease.

News Limited reports the vaccine will fight all 24 types of influenza A .. including
the bird flu and winter outbreaks.

Two injections could give long-lasting immunity.

CSIRO virologist JENNY McKIMM-BRESCHKIN says the general flu vaccine could be handy
.. while researchers produce specific vaccines against each flu strain.

AAP RTV jat/ibw

KEYWORD: FLU (MELBOURNE)

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

Fed: One meal heavy in saturated fats takes toll on body


AAP General News (Australia)
08-21-2006
Fed: One meal heavy in saturated fats takes toll on body

Watch out fatty food bingers .. scientists have discovered eating just one unhealthy
meal takes its toll on the body.

Researchers at Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital fed a meal of carrot cake and
milkshakes to 14 volunteers .. and studied the immediate effect.

While all the meals had the same calories .. half were made with saturated fats ..

like butter and coconut oil .. and half with healthier polyunsaturated fats .. like safflower
oil.

Checks on the volunteers who ate saturated fats showed that six hours later .. the
body was struggling to process the fats in the meal.

But the polyunsaturated meal boosted the impact of good cholesterol .. with fewer inflammatory
agents in the arteries than before the meal.

AAP RTV tam/wf/cp

KEYWORD: CAKE (SYDNEY)

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

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


AAP General News (Australia)
04-14-2006
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:45, April 14

SYDNEY - Australia's stevedore company Patrick Corp Ltd has agreed to a revised takeover
bid by transport group Toll Holdings Ltd. (Patrick)

SYDNEY - Transport group Toll Holdings Ltd has increased its takeover offer for Patrick
Corp Ltd by up to $500 million to $5.81 billion to clinch its acquisition of the stevedore.

(Patrick Lead)

PATRICK Nightlead to come

CANBERRA - The federal government has indicated its tough new asylum policy is aimed
squarely at appeasing Indonesia, despite the prime minister denying he is pandering to
Jakarta. (Papua Daylead)

CANBERRA - Australia could breach its international obligations if it sends all asylum
seekers arriving by boat offshore, Amnesty International says. (Papua Second Daylead)

MELBOURNE - A Papuan man will use a Good Friday church service in Melbourne today to
describe the trauma he endured before escaping from Indonesia to seek asylum in Australia.

(Easter Papua. Seeking more)

PAPUA Nightlead to come

SYDNEY - A man has died in a head-on collision in northern NSW, bringing the national
Easter holiday road toll to four. (Toll National)

TOLL NATIONAL Nightlead to come. See also state-based sidebars.

MELBOURNE - Easter holidaymakers were spared an expected petrol price rise today, with
prices remaining steady across Melbourne. (Petrol VIC)

PETROL N/L to come

SYDNEY - Activists will today converge on Sydney's Holsworthy Army Barracks for the
start of a weekend-long protest against new hard-line refugee policies. (Villawood Daylead)

VILLAWOOD Nightlead to come

CANBERRA - Prime Minister John Howard believed Iraq was rorting a UN aid program as
long as four years ago, but says he never suspected an Australian company was part of
the corruption. (AWB Daylead)

CANBERRA - A billboard depicting a bloody, crucified lamb has been refused space above
Sydney's roads this Easter, an animal rights group says. (Easter Mulesing to come)

SYDNEY - Easter Show expects huge numbers to attend its traditionally most busy day
on Good Friday (SHOW)

See also EASTER WRAP to come

MELBOURNE - Aboriginal protesters in Melbourne's Kings Domain say they are being targeted
by drunks and "provocateurs" after their tents were removed yesterday. (Tent Daylead)

TENT Nightlead to come

BRISBANE - Portable homes are to be transported to far north Queensland to help families
still struggling to find accommodation after Cyclone Larry. (Larry Daylead)

LARRY Nightlead to come

MELBOURNE - A rare collection of Australian rules football cards has been stolen from
the Carlton Football Club in Melbourne. (Cards)

CARDS Nightlead to come

BRISBANE - Rescue crews have resumed an air and sea search for a missing fisherman
in far north Queensland. (Search Daylead)

SEARCH Nightlead to come

BRISBANE - Food drops start in Queensland's Gulf region due to flooding. (Flood to come)

MELBOURNE - A P-Plater has been clocked driving more than 80 kilometres an hour over
the speed limit on a motorway in Melbourne's east. (Speed)

MELBOURNE - Police have urged drivers to slow down and be responsible after two p-plate
drivers were caught travelling well above the speed limit overnight. (Speed Lead)

SYDNEY - A fisherman who drowned in Newcastle harbour north of Sydney may have died
after becoming tangled in his boat's propellor, NSW police say. (Boat Lead)

MELBOURNE - Regional Victorians are more likely to volunteer, feel valued and safe
and take an active role in their communities than their city counterparts, a new study
shows. (Regional Vic)

AAP nf

KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL

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

понедельник, 27 февраля 2012 г.

NSW: Two-up to be played in pubs and clubs on VP Day


AAP General News (Australia)
08-13-2005
NSW: Two-up to be played in pubs and clubs on VP Day

SYDNEY, Aug 13 AAP - Two-up will be played in NSW pubs and clubs on Monday to mark
the 60th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific (VP) Day.

VP Day commemorates the end of World War II in the Pacific, when Japan surrendered
to Allied forces led by the United States.

Gaming and Racing Minister Grant McBride today said the day was important to war veterans
and their families.

The government had agreed to a request from the Services Club Association to trial
two-up in pubs and clubs this year, he said.

"Clubs and hotels are important meeting places on special days of remembrance for diggers
and their families," Mr McBride said in a statement.

"And this Monday, if they wish to do so, they can feel free to indulge in a game of two-up.

"The tradition of playing two-up on Anzac Day remains unaffected."

AAP dcr/cdh/tnf h

KEYWORD: TWO UP

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

Ql: The main stories in today's Courier-Mail


AAP General News (Australia)
12-10-2004
Ql: The main stories in today's Courier-Mail

BRISBANE, Dec 10 AAP - The major stories in today's Courier-Mail:

Page 1: Prime Minister John Howard will not sack Veteran Affairs Minister De-Anne Kelly
who breached the ministerial code of conduct. The Bank of Queensland has handed boss David
Liddy a deal which could land him a $30 million stake in the company. Faulty coal trains
have been kept on the tracks by Queensland Rail.

Page 2: Face-washing pact in Mulan community was the community's own brainchild.

Page 3: Media to be kept in the dark on major crimes thanks to Crime and Misconduct
Commission's decision. Queensland Police have invested almost $50,000 in radar detector
detectors to combat speeding.

World: A deal for political settlement in Northern Ireland stalled after calls for
photographic proof of IRA guerrillas scrapping their weapons. (Belfast)

Business: WMC Resources has buttressed its takeover resources with a record $600 million
profit forecast. Graeme Samuel vows to keep up crusade on cartels.

Sport: Cricket bowler Michael Kasprowicz is keen to make up for his first test game
disaster against the Kiwis.

AAP am maur

KEYWORD: FRONTERS QLD

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

agent de change

agent de change A stockbroker on the Paris Bourse (see BOURSE).

TRANSPARENT PE/PC ALLOY.

A range of transparent aliphatic PE/PC alloys that are also ductile and resistant to chemicals has been introduced by GE Plastics.

Xylex resins can be compounded with the company's existing Visualfx materials to make products that are distinctive without the need for paint or coatings. As a result, manufacturers no longer have to worry about emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and disposal issues, GE says.

Initially, the Xylex series includes five grades, two of which (X8210 and X7110) are high-flow, transparent resins aimed at telecommunications applications, primarily housings for mobile telephones. A third resin, X7300, is earmarked for consumer electronics such as personal computer (PC) monitors and personal digital assistants.

X7200 was synthesized to provide resistance to both ultraviolet (UV) radiation and chemicals, making it suitable for eyewear. Finally, X8300 is an opaque general-purpose grade.

GE is developing other Xylex grades, the W3 series, which will soon be available for sampling. These opaque compounds will provide resistance to weathering, glossy part surfaces and good retention of colour. GE will target applications such as outdoor vehicles, personal watercraft, agricultural machinery and snowmobiles.

GE Plastics says it has actively pursued alternative alloys in other product lines, particularly its modified-polyphenylene ethers (PPEs). In March 2001, for instance, the company introduced a family of PP/PPE blends, Noryl PPX, aimed primarily at automotive applications such as bumper fascia. The introduction of the product was part of what the GE calls the "renaissance" of Noryl technology. GE has introduced 40 new grades over the past 15 months and plans to unveil 20 more during the remainder of 2001.

For further information, contact: Bob Hess, GE Plastics, One Plastics Avenue, Pittsfield, MA 01201, USA; tel: +1-413-448-7594; E-mail: robert.hess@gep.ge.com; Internet: www.geplastics.com

MasterCard Launches First Online Directory To Connect Merchants with Acquirers and Member Service Providers.

Business Editors

PURCHASE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 24, 2000

MasterCard International today launched The MasterCard Merchant & Acquirer Referral Program, providing merchants, acquirers and Member Service Providers (MSPs) with one destination, the Internet, to meet and form business relationships.

This directory, www.mastercard.com/business/merchant/acqdir/, provides merchants in the U.S. and Canada with easier access and enhanced personalization to search for acquirers and MSPs, while facilitating acceptance of MasterCard branded payment card solutions. Until now the merchants, acquirers and MSPs had to find and contact each other on their own.

The MasterCard Merchant & Acquirer Referral Program is an online directory to assist merchants interested in accepting the MasterCard card as a payment option in finding acquirers and MSPs interested in working with them. By submitting an account profile, merchants can view a listing of MasterCard acquirers and MSPs that provide the bankcard acceptance services best aligned to their profile. Similarly, acquirers and MSPs can view a list of merchants that have received their profile and have visited their company website by also submitting a profile.

"MasterCard is dedicated to developing and strengthening programs and services that are important to its members. The MasterCard Merchant & Acquirer Referral Program is one more way that MasterCard is providing flexible solutions to member and merchant needs and differentiating itself in the marketplace," said Gerritt Kerkstra, vice president, Acquirer Relations, MasterCard International. "The program cuts down the time spent finding the right fit and allows more time for the merchant to concentrate on its business."

About MasterCard International

MasterCard International has the most comprehensive portfolio of payment brands in the world. More than 1 billion MasterCard, Cirrus and Maestro logos are present on credit, charge and debit cards in circulation today. An association comprised of 22,000 member financial institutions, MasterCard serves consumers and businesses, both large and small, in 210 countries and territories. MasterCard is the leader in quality and innovation, offering a wide range of payment solutions in the virtual and traditional worlds. With more than 18 million acceptance locations, no card is accepted in more places and by more merchants than the MasterCard Card. In 1999, gross dollar volume exceeded US$727 billion. MasterCard can be reached through its World Wide Web site at http://www.mastercard.com.

воскресенье, 26 февраля 2012 г.

CAP'S ANGELA KELLEY ON INTRODUCTION OF THE LEGAL WORKFORCE ACT OF 2011.

WASHINGTON, DC -- The following information was released by the Center for American Progress:

Contact: RaA*l Arce-Contreras

Phone: 202.478.5318

Email: rarcecontreras@americanprogress.org

Today, Congressman Lamar Smith (R-TX) introduced the Legal Workforce Act of 2011 that would dramatically expand and make mandatory a government internet-based work authorization system, E-Verify, on all U.S. employers. Below is a statement by Angela Maria Kelley, CAP's Vice-President for Immigration Policy and Advocacy.

Co-sponsors of the Legal Workforce Act of 2011 have hit the trifecta in counterproductive policy-making by pushing a program that grows the deficit, breaks the back of small business, and fails to solve the problem. The bill, which mandates a massive verification system, is the latest shiny object latched onto by immigration restrictionists in support of their mass deportation delusions. Eschewing reality--dealing realistically with undocumented workers --in pursuit of this fantasy, however, would come at a severe cost to the nation's economy.

Mandating a fundamentally flawed E-Verify system without providing the foundation for a legal workforce will cost the federal government billions of dollars in lost revenue and hundreds of millions of dollars to implement. The Congressional Budget Office scored a similar bill at a whopping $17.3 billion dollar hit to revenues. The Department of Homeland Security estimated that operations costs would run as high as $838 million over four years, a figure the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office deemed low and described as "minimally credible."

Worse still, it will cost small businesses an estimated $2.6 billion to comply with the bill's unfunded mandate, and will impose a jobs tax on millions of ordinary Americans who have to comply with the new rules. In addition to squeezing small businesses and Americans seeking work, close to 800,000 legal American workers will lose their jobs because of system errors. Adding insult to injury, E-Verify has a poor track record of actually catching the undocumented. More than half of all undocumented workers (54 percent) will continue working without a problem. Far from achieving the restrictionist goal of kicking out all unauthorized immigrants, the remaining 46 percent will be pushed into the informal economy, where their economic contributions will not end up in the government's coffers.

The country is in a weakened economic state, yet lawmakers blithely break the piggy banks of American workers and small businesses in pursuit of flawed deportation-centric measures. Policymakers interested in generating revenue and creating a legal workforce should offer proposals requiring undocumented immigrants to register, pay a fine, and become full Americans. Only those building blocks will create a solid foundation for a workable E-Verify system.

To speak to an expert from the Center for American Progress about this issue, please contact Raul Arce-Contreras at rarcecontreras@americanprogress.org or 202.478.5318.

###

Studies from J.H. Shin et al Add New Findings in the Area of Power Delivery.

"The load analysis for the distribution system and facilities has relied on measurement equipment. Moreover, load monitoring incurs huge costs in terms of installation and maintenance," investigators in Taejon, South Korea report.

"This paper presents a new model to analyze wherein facilities load under a feeder every 15 min using meter-reading data that can be obtained from a power consumer every 15 min or a month even without setting up any measuring equipment. After the data warehouse is constructed by interfacing the legacy system required for the load calculation, the relationship between the distribution system and the power consumer is established. Once the load pattern is forecasted by applying a clustering and classification algorithm of temporal data-mining techniques for the power customer who is not involved in automatic meter reading, a single-line diagram per feeder is created, and power-flow calculation is executed," wrote J.H. Shin and colleagues.

The researchers concluded: "The calculation result is analyzed by using various temporal and spatial analysis methods, such as the Internet geographic information system, single-line diagram, and online analytical processing."

Shin and colleagues published their study in IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery (Spatiotemporal Load-Analysis Model for Electric Power Distribution Facilities Using Consumer Meter-Reading Data. IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery, 2011;26(2):736-743).

For additional information, contact J.H. Shin, KEPRI, Taejon 305830, SOUTH KOREA.

The publisher of the journal IEEE Transactions on Power Delivery can be contacted at: IEEE-Institute Electrical Electronics Engineers Inc., 445 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08855-4141, USA.

Keywords: City:Taejon, Country:South Korea, Region:Asia, Electric Power, Emerging Technologies, Energy, Machine Learning, Oil & Gas, Power Delivery, Power Distribution, Temporal Data Mining

This article was prepared by Information Technology Newsweekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Information Technology Newsweekly via VerticalNews.com.

суббота, 25 февраля 2012 г.

Youku Upgrades Fingerprinting System for Tighter Copyright Protection Measures.

Vobile, a provider of video content identification and management services, and Youku.com Inc., a Chinese Internet television company, announced that they have begun offering copyright holders increased protection against copyright infringement through upgrades to their video fingerprinting system.

According to a release, the update to Youku's copyright identification management platform comes on the heels of the company's agreement with major Hollywood studios regarding content protection. In addition to Youku's proprietary copyright screening system, now videos uploaded to Youku will be simultaneously checked against the VideoDNA Database (VDDB) developed by Vobile, an international provider of fingerprinting technology. The new platform provides unrivalled accuracy, and can generate fingerprint information for videos in a matter of minutes and compare them to existing fingerprints within less than a second.

"Youku has acquired content rights at an unprecedented rate over the past year," said Youku Chairman and CEO Victor Koo, "and we intend to continue working with media content providers to make sure that we offer the richest range of licensed video content. We are serious about maintaining good relationships with our partners, and to that end we will continue to offer rights-protection measures that equal or surpass industry standards."

As a founding member of the China Network Copyright Committee, Youku has led the way for Chinese companies in protecting content creators' rights online. The company now continues its tradition of respect for copyright by partnering with Vobile, whose technology can identify copyrighted content even in cases where uploaders have deliberately tampered with the video or audio to reduce identifiability, thus offering an additional layer of protection for studios and rights holders, the Company said.

"Vobile worked with Youku to integrate its technology into the site's existing framework," said Youku CTO Leo Jian Yao. "The seamless integration between our systems means that Youku can check uploaded content against our own databases in parallel with Vobile's. We will be updating our fingerprint databases every day through our partnership with Vobile, ensuring that our systems are up to date at all times. Respect for intellectual property rights is every bit as important to us as it is to our content partners, and we will continue to develop and strengthen our copyright protection measures in the future."

"Vobile has provided its industry-leading VDNA content identification and management services to partners around the world," said Vobile founder and CEO Yangbin Wang. "We're excited to work with Youku in close partnership and help Youku ensure that it provides licensed, high-quality TV and film content to the world's largest Internet market."

More information:

www.vobileinc.com

((Comments on this story may be sent to newsdesk@closeupmedia.com))

Yamaha Takes New Directions With MusicCAST, New Controller.

By Joseph Palenchar

Buena Park, Calif.-- Yamaha significantly revamped its MusicCAST wireless multi-room-audio system and unveiled a new type of audio component as its strikes out into new directions.

With the shipment of the MusicCAST2 wireless system, Yamaha made its MusicCAST system more affordable, eliminated an embedded music-storing hard drive, and embraced such new music sources as iPods, networked PCs and network-attached storage (NAS) devices.

With the shipment of three NeoHD media controllers, the company created a new type of home-audio component said to simplify the operation of connected music sources and home-theater components.

All NeoHD controllers, including the $599-suggested YMC-500, are loosely based on A/V receivers, but their front panel sport only an on/off button and one large control wheel. They feature an FM tuner but incorporate five-channel amp, surround decoders, virtual surround technology, HDMI and IR-repeater connections, USB port, and connections to an optional iPod dock and Bluetooth transceiver.

A second version, the $799 YMC-700, adds Ethernet port and embedded Wi-Fi to stream music directly from the Internet and from networked PCs. A third version, the $799 NeoHD System 2.1, bundles the YMC-500 with a 2.1-speaker system to deliver virtual 5.1 surround.

All three models serve up a simplified onscreen icon-based user interface to a connected TV. And all three come with embedded database of IR codes to control connected TVs and sources from an included handheld IR remote, which also features a minimal number of buttons. IR codes not embedded can be learned by the device.

Here's how the controllers' interface works:

After a consumer hits the remote's power button, the Media Controller and connected TV power up. The TV screen presents the user with three choices: watch, listen or play. After a choice is selected, the display prompts the user to choose among more specific activities, such as watch live TV, watch a movie, listen to a CD and the like. Next, icons for the requisite A/V components appear on the screen. Once the user selects a component, the component automatically powers up.

To connect with A/V components in the home, all three devices feature one HDMI output to a TV, three HDMI inputs and three IR outputs to control up to six IR-controlled sources in the A/V equipment stack, the company said. The controllers also feature a variety of other video inputs and audio inputs as well as proprietary connections to an optional $99-suggested Yamaha iPod dock and to an optional $129 Yamaha Bluetooth transceiver. A USB port connects to USB-equipped sources, such as non-iPod MP3 players and USB drives.

For surround-sound playback, the YMC-500 and YMC-700 features five speaker-level outputs, a preamp-level subwoofer output and embedded surround decoders.

The System 2.1, though featuring five speaker outputs, connects to a bundled 2.1-speaker system to deliver a virtual 5.1 surround field.

In updating its MusicCAST wireless multi-room-audio system, Yamaha is recognizing that music resides in multiple sources scattered around the house. The previous MusicCAST system was built around a source component that incorporated FM tuner, CD ripper and 160GB hard drive, which stored music that was streamed via Ethernet or 802.11b Wi-Fi to amplifier-equipped tabletop clients. The main unit, controlled via IR remote, also connected to legacy devices such as A/V receivers to stream their audio content to other rooms.

The new system, in contrast, depends on one or more networked PCs or NAS devices as main music sources as well as on connected iPods, Bluetooth-equipped cellphones and music-laden USB drives. The latter three devices must be connected to the system's tabletop clients or to select networked Yamaha A/V receivers.

The new model also adds a pocket-size Wi-Fi remote controller, or Network Music Commander, with large color LCD screen to control all networked sources and networked clients from anywhere in the house. Like before, the MusicCAST2 streams Internet radio with a networked PC turned off.

One tabletop client features an embedded amp, which powers any pair of speakers. A second client comes with an embedded preamplifier for connection to a room's existing sound system. The preamp model also features three IR outputs to connect to the components of a home-theater system, including A/V receivers, DVRs and TVs. Once connected to the client, home-theater components can be controlled from the pocket-size Wi-Fi controller, which also controls networked Yamaha A/V receivers.

MusicCAST2 consists of the $499-suggested pocket-size MCX-RC100 Network Music Commander remote with included tabletop charging cradle, the $399 MCX-A300 amplified client and the $399 MCX-P200 preamp client. A two-zone bundle retails for a suggested $1,199.

The previous MusicCAST system, launched in late 2005 with 160GB hard drive/CD ripper, retailed for a suggested $2,199 with amplified clients costing $599 each.

пятница, 24 февраля 2012 г.

Open season in Texas.(Cheney's quail shooting accident)(Editorial)

The following editorial appeared in the Chicago Tribune on Thursday, February 16, 2006:

___

OK, it's probably wrong to make fun of Vice President Dick Cheney's unhappy birdshot assault on one of his friends during a hunting trip.

But the humorists, at least, are on firmer ground than the conspiracy theorists. Cheney, despised by his enemies and mysterious in his ways anyhow, is at the center of another controversy. What happened when, why did it take so long to get the word out and is there a cover-up? And so on.

Life was so much easier for the White House when Cheney was just cussing out leading Democrats on the floor of the Senate, wasn't it?

Cheney shot Texas attorney Harry Whittington. The county sheriff's staff that responded to the call concluded it was a hunting accident. Cheney surfaced Wednesday and, such the gentleman, conceded that it wasn't Harry's fault that Harry got shot.

The White House press corps is all a-twitter because nobody told the world about the shooting for 20 hours. The press corps is right _ next time the vice president shoots somebody we need to hear about it quick _ but the press corps has managed to be right and still look self-righteous and self-absorbed. Except for Whittington, this all amounts to nothing more than a political embarrassment. National security is not at stake, though it might be a good idea to hike the color-coded terrorism warning next time Cheney heads into the woods. Just to be safe.

Yes, that was a joke, and it was probably wrong. But then, we really should not pass on this opportunity to make as many jokes as possible, because we really haven't had such a ripe opportunity to jab a veep since ... well, since Dan Quayle.

It's the political equivalent of a rabbi, a minister and a priest walking into a bar, except it involves lawyers and birdshot and the vice president.

So, Vice President Cheney goes hunting and he raises his shotgun to fire and all the Secret Service guys shout, "DUCK!" _ and the rest of the hunters go, "Where?"

What more could you possibly want?

___

(c) 2006, Chicago Tribune.

Visit the Chicago Tribune on the Internet at http://www.chicagotribune.com/

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

Games Industry Runs Away with Wired News' Seventh Annual Vaporware Awards.

Wired News (http://www.wired.com/), a daily news website that chronicles the Internet and technology and a unit of Terra Lycos , the global Internet Group, today announced the winners of its seventh annual "Wired News Vaporware Awards," (http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,61935,00.html). The Vaporware Awards 2003 celebrates all those eagerly anticipated gizmos that were put off, put away or quietly put down (and, of course, those that existed merely as a figment of someone's imagination).

The winners were chosen by Wired News' readers. A call for submissions (http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,61586,00.html) went out in December, and the number of responses was among the largest ever.

"The annual Wired News Vaporware Awards program is one of our most popular features, giving our loyal, opinionated readers a chance to vent on things they care deeply about," said Alison Macondray, Publisher and Executive Producer of Wired News.

According to the site: "Once again this year, the list of shame was dominated by games -- a reflection on the hyper-competitive industry, and its reliance on hype as a marketing strategy.

"Valve had a spectacular year -- from a vaporware point of view. Not only did it win with Half-Life 2, another of its MIA titles -- Team Fortress 2 -- came in at #4, and Counter-Strike: Condition Zero earned a dishonorable mention.

"But once again, 3D Realms takes the cake. Duke Nukem Forever would have won for the third year in a row -- it was nominated almost as many times as all the other nominations together. But Wired News decided it is so vaporous -- it is entering its sixth year in development -- it deserves a Lifetime Achievement Award."

   The winners are:    Lifetime Achievement Award: Duke Nukem Forever (3D Realms)    1. Half Life 2 (Valve)    2. Fallout 3 (Black Isle Studios)    3. Phantom Game Console (Infinium Labs)    4. Team Fortress 2 (Valve)    5. WiFi SD Card for Palm (SanDisk)    6. RealPC (FWB)    7. HDTV Tivo (Tivo)    8. Wrist PDA (Fossil)    9. Amiga OS 4.0 (Amiga)    10. RadioShark (Griffin Technology)   

Dishonorable mentions go to SCO for its as-yet-unseen Unix code that the company alleges was ripped off in Linux; Microsoft's secure computing initiative; Bush's WMDs; Valve's Counter-Strike: Condition Zero; and the Oqo mini-computer, which is so vaporous (it came in at #4 last year) that no one is looking forward to it any longer.

About Wired News

Launched in 1996, Wired News (http://www.wired.com/) is a daily source of exclusive, original news chronicling the impact of technology on people's daily lives. The site is winner of the 2003 "People's Choice" Webby Award in the Best Practices category, honoring overall excellence, and was a finalist in both the 2003 Online Journalism Awards for enterprise journalism, and in five categories of the 2003 Maggie Awards, including best overall site.

About Terra Lycos

Terra Lycos is a global Internet group, with a presence in 40 countries in 19 languages. The group, which resulted from Terra Networks, S.A's acquisition of Lycos, Inc. in October 2000, operates some of the most widely visited websites in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America, and is the largest access provider in Spain and Latin America.

Terra Lycos' network of Web sites includes Terra in 18 countries, Lycos in 22 countries, Angelfire.com, Atrea.com, Azeler.es, Educaterra.com, Gamesville.com, HotBot.com, Ifigenia.com, Invertia.com, Lycos Zone, Maptel.com, Matchmaker.com, Quote.com, RagingBull.com, Rumbo.com, Tripod.com, Uno-e.com and Wired News (Wired.com), among others.

Terra Lycos, with headquarters in Barcelona and operating centers in Madrid and Boston, as well as elsewhere, is listed on the Madrid stock exchange (ticker: TRR) and on the NASDAQ electronic market (ticker: TRLY).

Lycos(R) is a registered trademark of Carnegie Mellon University. All other product or service marks mentioned herein are those of Terra Networks, S.A., Lycos, Inc. or their respective owners. All rights reserved.

   Contact:    Brian Payea    Terra Lycos    781-370-2885    brian.payea@corp.terralycos.com  

CONTACT: Brian Payea of Terra Lycos, +1-781-370-2885, brian.payea@corp.terralycos.com

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