FED:National Newslist for Wednesday, Aug 10

AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2011
FED:National Newslist for Wednesday, Aug 10
AAP National Newslist for Wednesday (not for publication). This is a guide only and stories
are subject to change. AAP's news editors can be contacted on 02 93228610/8611.

TOP STORIES
- ASX on the rise at opening after US stocks and European markets follow Australia's lead
from Tuesday.

Aussie dollar on the rise against the greenback after briefly dropping below parity on Tuesday.

- Wayne Swan confident China's economy can withstand global downturn.

- DEEWR releases leading employment index at 1400 (AEST) ahead of Thursday's crucial labour
force report for July.

DISABILITY
- Productivity Commission releases report into National Disability Scheme 1130.

- Julia Gillard presser in Melbourne 1050 AEST.

- State reaction.

BOAT
- Federal govt pushes to expedite High Court injunction hearing on refugee swap deal with Malaysia.

- Govt confirms no asylum seekers will be sent to Malaysia until High Court case resolved.

- Human Rights advocate Father Frank Brennan says the Nauru solution could be considered
a lesser moral evil than the asylum-seeker swap deal with Malaysia.

CATTLE
- First shipment of live cattle to leave Darwin since lifting of suspension of trade.

- Animal lobbyists to hand over video footage of animals being slaughtered in Turkey.

- Animal welfare, meat industry representatives appear before Senate inquiry into live
cattle exports.

CLIMATE
- Most business owners give carbon tax package the thumbs down, a new survey FINDS.

- Senate inquiry told the govt hasn't asked Treasury whether its plan to introduce a carbon
tax in mid-2012 should be reconsidered given the current global market turmoil
- Other govt officials appear before Senate inquiry into carbon tax.

CENSUS
- National census shows Australians have embraced the online way of doing things.

- Media call 1000 with Paul Lowe, Head of the Population Census program in Canberra.

COURTS
CANBERRA
- The High Court challenge to federal funding of the national school chaplaincy program
continues 1015.

ADELAIDE
- Supreme Court trial continues for Angelika Gavare, charged with murdering a pensioner
and cutting up her body.

- District Court trial continues for Fabian Francis, charged with the abuse of his wife.

SYDNEY
- Jury out in trial of former National Crime Commission investigator Mark Standen on drug
precursor charges.

- Possible committal hearing for Philip Nguyen, charged over fatal shooting of police
officer William Crews.

MELBOURNE
- Sentence of Judy Moran and Geoffrey Armour over the shooting death of Des Moran. The
sentences will be conducted separately.

- Sentence for a man who knifed another man to death after a day of drinking and smoking
pot, Supreme Court.

- Judgment concerning Lleyton Hewitt who sued his former management company, Octagon,
Supreme Court. (This is belived to judgment on a side issue, not the final judgment.

- Supreme court mention for Matthew Johnson, charged with jailhouse murder of Carl Williams.

- Supreme Court sentence of a man who fired shots at a car following bad blood between
him and his victims following his rape acquittal, 1030.

- Jury deliberating in trial of a navy officer accused of raping a fellow defence force
member, County Court.

BRISBANE
- Man accused of Gold Coast sniper shooting applies for bail.

- Trial continues for two men accused of murdering Christopher Nancarrow and Anne-Maree
Kropp in early 1999.

- Manslaughter trial for man accused of mowing down a council worker.

OTHER NEWS
CANBERRA
- Australasian Railway Association chairman Lance Hockridge addresses National Press Club 1230.

- Defence civilian staff have voted to take protected industrial action over stalled pay
negotiations.

SYDNEY
- NSW parliament sitting.

- Federal Skills Minister Chris Evans speech to Industry Skills Council national conference (0900).

- Greenpeace launching its latest report on the tuna fishing industry (0900)
- Sydney International Art Series launch at Art Gallery of NSW (0945)
- Survey finds Australian kids are clashing with their parents over the importance of
climate change.

- New mums to lose guaranteed paid lactation breaks under the NSW government's new industrial
reforms.

- Travellers booking flights online could save hundreds by trawling lesser-known websites;
Choice.1215 - - - Coca-Cola Amatil chairman David Gonski and group managing director Terry
Davis to address business lunch hosted by Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce. Westin
Sydney. 1230.

- Woman critical with head injuries after alleged domestic violence attack involving a meat cleaver.

- Shots fired at house in Blacktown where family of six lived, but no one hurt.

MELBOURNE
- Julia Gillard visits early childhood intervention centre, Noahs Ark in Heidelberg.

- Federal parliament standing committee hearing into political party and election funding.

- Former AFL player Andrew Lovett, acquitted of rape last month, being investigated on
another sex claim.

- Police sergeant based in Melbourne's north-west has been charged with assault and stalking.

- Consumer Affairs Minister Michael O'Brien inspects dangerous children's nightwear seized raids.

- Premier Ted Baillieu to make an announcement about funding for Rock Eisteddfod - outseeking
doorstop
- Outwatching return to the skies for grounded Tiger Airlway ahead of court mention on Thursday.

BRISBANE
- Efforts underway to determine if dead white whale found off Palm Island is Migaloo.

- Three siblings who lost their parents in the Lockyer Valley floods to farwell young
brother who died in a fire last month.

- Results of historic Grantham land-swap ballot to be announced today.

- More than 40 per cent of older Australians say the internet is too expensive, leaving
them at risk of being shut off from health and other online services, a new study shows.

ADELAIDE
- Watching for more on Rann/Weatherill leadership transition.

PERTH
- State parliament sitting.

DARWIN
- Loading of first live cattle export shipment sincelifting of ban over cruelty in Indonesia
abbatoirs.

HOBART
- Outwatching forestry developments.

ENTERTAINMENT
- Launch of the Sydney International Art Series 2011-12
- Soundwave festival cancelled - seeking information.

FINANCE
ECONOMICS:
Sydney - ABS lending finance for June
Sydney - Westpac-Melbourne Institute Consumer Sentiment for August

EQUITIES
Sydney - Commonwealth Bank of Australia Ltd full year results
Sydney - Stockland full year results
Sydney - BHP Billiton chairman Jac Nasser to address American Chamber of Commerce in Australia
luncheon on "Challenges Facing the Global and Australian Resources Industry"

Sydney - Domino's Pizza Enterprises Ltd full year results
Perth - Leighton Telecommunications Western Australia Resource Summit

Also Aust Stocks, Aust Dollar and Finance Briefs to come.

SPORT
LEAGUE
SYDNEY - Bad boy Todd Carney, Nate Myles and Frank-Paul Nuuausala to face Sydney Roosters
disciplinary committee in the morning to decide puinishment for breaking a team alcohol
ban.

SYDNEY - Manly coach Des Hasler plus Jamie Lyon and Glenn Stewart for interviews at 110AEST,
Sydney Academy of Sport, Narrabeen.

SYDNEY - Cronulla skipper Paul Gallen fronts NRL judiciary to contest his grade one dangerous
contact charge.

WOLLONGONG - St George Illawarra player interview at training in Wollongong.

LONDON - English Super League Harlequins have signed dual-code international Craig Gower
for the start of next season.

AFL
ADELAIDE - AFL CEO Andrew Demetriou in 1430 media conference, SANFL offices, West Lakes,
while in Adelaide for meetings with struggling clubs Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide.

ESSENDON - Essendon news from launch of new base, Melbourne airport.

PERTH - Fremantle coach Mark Harvey press conference.

PERTH - West Coast coach John Worsfold press conference.

SYDNEY - Swans player interview, 1015, SCG.

ADELAIDE - Andrew Demetriou doorstop, 1400 local time, SANFL, West Lakes.

MELBOURNE - AFL media conference, various players, Arden St, 0945.

RUGBY
DURBAN, South Africa - News from Wallabies ahead of Tri Nations Test v South Africa at the weekend.

DURBAN, South Africa - The Wallabies will target influential halfback Fourie du Preez
as the Springboks' attacking spark that must be cut off in Saturday's Tri Nations Test
in Durban.

CRICKET
KANDY, Sri Lanka - 1st ODI: Australia v Sri Lanka, from 1900AEST.

KANDY, Sri Lanka - Australia needs to let go of the heroes of the past and concentrate
on the cricketing talent it holds now, according to captain Michael Clarke.

BIRMINGHAM, England - England captain Andrew Strauss insisted he had no qualms about playing
the third Test against India at Edgbaston following a night of rioting in Birmingham.

GOLF
ATLANTA, Georgia - News and preview Aussies in the US PGA Championship starting Thursday.

SOCCER
CARDIFF - Socceroos news ahead of friendly international v Wales early Thursday AEST.

CARDIFF - Socceroos captain Lucas Neill is confident he will have a new club by the end of the week.

HOCKEY
SYDNEY/MELBOURNE - Kookaburras coach Ric Charlesworth media conference, 1100.

CYCLING
PARIS - World road race champion Thor Hushovd is to join Australia's Tour De France winner
Cadel Evans in riding for American team BMC next year.

TENNIS
TORONTO, Canada - Jelena Dokic's poor preparation for the US Open has continued with the
2000 Wimbledon semi-finalist forced to retire in the opening round of the Rogers Cup in
Toronto.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL
LONDON - Reunited Australian pair Natalie Cook and Tamsyn Hinchley notched up a round
one victory against Spain at London's Olympic Games beach volleyball test event.

SQUASH
CANBERRA - Australian Open continues.

RACING
SYDNEY - Acceptances for the San Domenico Stakes meeting at Rosehill on Saturday.

SYDNEY - Review of Wednesday's Canterbury meeting.

MELBOURNE - Review of Wednesday's Melbourne Racing Club meeting at Mornington.

MELBOURNE - Acceptances for Saturday's feature race meeting at Caulfield.

BRISBANE - Acceptances for Saturday's Eagle Farm meeting.

BRISBANE - Review of Wednesday's Doomben meeting.

AAP bwl

KEYWORD: NATIONAL NEWSLIST

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

Vic: Suspect in sisters' murder had chilling criminal past

AAP General News (Australia)
02-02-2006
Vic: Suspect in sisters' murder had chilling criminal past

MELBOURNE, Feb 2 AAP - William John Watkins, shot dead by a West Australian police
officer and the prime suspect in the rape and murder of two Melbourne sisters, had a chilling
criminal past.

Despite a successful education, a good family life and a job as a diesel mechanic,
his drinking caused a relationship breakdown with the mother of his two children.

His record includes a rape, the vicious assault of a blind woman, six burglary convictions,
two assaults on police, several drink-driving offences and one dishonesty offence.

In May 2000, Watkins was sentenced to a maximum of four years and three months in jail
after pleading guilty to rape, aggravated burglary and theft.

He broke into the home of a sleeping woman, raped her and stole $40 from a purse in
suburban Yarraville, on November 7, 1999.

The victim, who had used marijuana before going to bed, initially thought Watkins was
her husband.

Watkins hid his face and she became suspicious and noted physical differences to her husband.

"It was at that stage the appalling realisation came to your victim and she called
out: `Who are you?'," sentencing judge Judge Bill White said.

Two months later he was sentenced to an additional 12-months' jail after he pleaded
guilty to the brutal bashing of a blind pensioner in her home in January 1998.

The petrified woman twice rang police for help after she heard noises at the screen
door and the footsteps of a person walking around the rear of her home, also in suburban
Yarraville.

The woman could not remember anything about the incident except for calling police
and then waking up in hospital with a fractured jaw and facial injuries.

Nor could Watkins, who said he remembered nothing and pleaded guilty after being told
his fingerprints were found at the scene.

A psychiatrist's report submitted at his sentencing for the rape said Watkins posed
a "low to moderate" risk to the community.

AAP mf/dk/cdh/sd

KEYWORD: SHOT SISTERS WATKINS

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

FED:Shake-up urged for urban water

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2011
FED:Shake-up urged for urban water

CANBERRA, April 13 AAP - Costly and inefficient, Australia's urban water sector is
in desperate need of a shake-up, a draft Productivity Commission report says.

It's recommended a slew of changes to give certainty to the sector, weighed down by
low water availability, the burden of growing populations as well as ageing infrastructure.

While state governments had responded with endless water restrictions and by spending
big bucks on desalination, the report urged a different approach.

It believes the focus needs to be on ensuring the sector is on the same page when it
comes to securing a plentiful and affordable water supply for our towns and cities.

Instead of relying on the easy fix of water restrictions, which cost at least $1 billion
annually in lost consumption, efforts should be made to shore up supply.

Desalination, the booming augmentation method of choice, is too expensive, the report said.

It suggests Australia reconsider other methods, even if it means having to scrap state
bans on controversial systems like recycling water.

One of the key recommendations laid out on Wednesday was to ensure all stakeholders
were coordinated in their approach.

As an urgent priority, there should be overarching objectives for policy in the sector,
the report said.

Pricing also needs to be more flexible, with the report criticising the use of inclining
block tariffs, whereby the price of water changes as more is consumed.

The report wants the price of water to reflect its relative availability.

It has also recommended that the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) reviews concession
deals on utility services and develops a set of principles to better protect consumers.

State and territory governments have been urged to move away from regulatory price
setting to allow the market a say, although they would still monitor prices.

Meanwhile, the report also found that water utilities in regional areas were doing it tough.

"A significant number of regional water utilities are earning negative or very low
real rates of return," it read.

"This could have serious implications for water system infrastructure over the longer
term, particularly if negative or low returns are sustained over a number of years."

Although there's no "one size fits all" solution, the report said things could improve
with reforms to be implemented across the sector that better define the roles and responsibilities
of stakeholders.

For instance, procuring water augmentation should be assigned to retailer-distributors
given they're best at understanding the risks and benefits.

Presiding commissioner Wendy Craik said it was clear Australia's urban water sector
was in trouble.

"There are some fundamental weaknesses, with conflicting objectives, unclear roles
and responsibilities and deficient governance arrangements," Dr Craik said in a statement.

Under the reforms, she said householders and the community would ultimately benefit.

"Water consumers would get more choice about price, reliability and security of supply
while holding water utilities responsible and accountable," she said.

The commission is now seeking public feedback on the draft report and will hold further
public hearings across the country in May and June.

The final report is due to be delivered to the government by the end of August.

AAP cj/mp

KEYWORD: WATER

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

WA:Man charged over Perth woman's death

AAP General News (Australia)
12-24-2010
WA:Man charged over Perth woman's death

A Perth man has appeared in court today .. charged over the death of his estranged
wife whose body's been found in an inner suburban flat.

In Perth Magistrates Court today 34-year-old BRADLEY WAYNE JONES has been charged with
causing grievous bodily harm to 31-year-old SAORI JONES.

Police say the charges could be upgraded following a post-mortem examination.

The body of Ms JONES .. a mother of two .. was found yesterday in her Yokine flat after
she'd been reported missing since December 7.

JONES has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear in the Stirling Gardens Magistrates
Court on January 12.



(EDS: Changes keyword from BODY)



AAP RTV ldj/tm

KEYWORD: JONES (PERTH)

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

FED:Labor spruiks health, online future

AAP General News (Australia)
08-16-2010
FED:Labor spruiks health, online future

By Sandra O'Malley, Senior Political Writer

BRISBANE, Aug 16 AAP - Labor has moved to define itself as the party of the future,
drawing on its advantages in broadband and health to convince Australians to give it another
three years in government.

Five days out from election day, Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Monday gave the biggest
speech of her political career - holding forth for 40 minutes without an autocue - at
the official launch of Labor's election campaign in Brisbane.

Labor is hoping the launch will give it enough momentum in the final week of the campaign
to carry it to victory following a rollercoaster four weeks.

At the pointy end of the campaign, opinion polls are moving in Labor's favour, with
the latest Newspoll showing it continues to hold a narrow lead over the the coalition
- 52 to 48 per cent - after the distribution of preferences.

Ms Gillard aims to win voters over with a $392 million package to help people access
health services over the internet and a warning that a shift to Opposition Leader Tony
Abbott would take the nation backwards.

In a decidedly low-key launch at the Brisbane Convention Centre, Labor tried to shrug
off the troubles that have damaged the party over the past few months.

Dumped former leader Kevin Rudd was given a warm standing ovation by the 300 people
who gathered for the event, which lacked the optimism and spirit of the coalition launch
held just metres away eight days ago.

Introduced by her deputy, Wayne Swan, and former prime minister Bob Hawke, Ms Gillard
made special mention of the man she cut down seven weeks ago because the Rudd government
had "lost its way".

"(Kevin Rudd is) a man of great achievements, with great achievements to lie in the
future for our nation. Thank you, Kevin," she said.

While focusing on the positives of the past three years of Labor government, Ms Gillard
warned against the "negativity" of Mr Abbott.

"We're better than that ... we are a confident, optimistic people. There is no challenge
too great that we can't tackle it, if we do it together," she said.

She took inspiration from Labor icon Ben Chifley and United States President Barack
Obama in her appeal to voters to make the right decision on August 21.

"Ben Chifley spoke to us about that light on the hill. In a different age, in a different
nation, in a different time, President Barack Obama inspired a nation by saying 'yes we
can'.

"Friends, I'm too humble to compare myself to either (leader) ... but I am asking ...

when you vote on Saturday ... to say as you cast that vote 'yes we will' ... move forward
with confidence and optimism."

In her speech, Ms Gillard drew together the strands of the narrative she has been forming
over the past four weeks on the economy, jobs and education.

"A job is essential for a family's future, a strong economy is essential for a nation's
future. I will build that strong economy," Ms Gillard said.

Her economic vision, she explained, was based on prosperity for the nation and the individual.

"I want each of us to prosper and all of us to prosper," she said.

Unlike the coalition, which had a policy-free campaign launch, Ms Gillard announced
a $392 million package, bringing together developments in e-health and broadband to give
patients across the nation better access to specialists and medical advice.

"This is the future of health care," she said.

Mr Abbott derided the policy as old hat.

"We already have various health call centres ... and we already have, under the existing
Medicare system, remote consultations," he told reporters.

"Much of what she talked about today in fact already exists."

There was scant mention of border protection - the issue both sides of politics believe
could be decisive for voters in crucial marginal seats in western Sydney and Queensland.

Ms Gillard only referred to it to mock Mr Abbott's recent revelation that naval commanders
would ring him while at sea so that he could personally decide whether to turn back asylum
seeker boats.

"What Mr Abbott wants that commander to do is to take their eyes off the safety of
their crew, take their eyes off the ocean, take their eyes off people smugglers, go inside
the cabin and give him a call," she said.

"Then presumably, from the safety of Kirribilli (House in Sydney) as he watches luxury
yachts go by, Mr Abbott is going to provide some advice to that commander about how to
stop the boats.

"Friends, this is a nonsense."

AAP so/sb/jl/was

KEYWORD: POLL10 WRAP

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

Fed: Reservists will be paid to march on Anzac Day

AAP General News (Australia)
04-08-2010
Fed: Reservists will be paid to march on Anzac Day

CANBERRA, April 8 AAP - The federal government insists army reservists will be paid
to participate in Anzac Day events, despite defence budget cuts.

The federal opposition claims reservists, who have fought in Afghanistan, East Timor
and the Solomon Islands, won't be paid to march this year, unlike the regular forces.

Parliamentary secretary for defence support, Mike Kelly, says the claim is false.

"No changes have been made to the policy," he said in a statement, adding that reservists
are encouraged to march given their "major contribution".

AAP sld/rl/com/

KEYWORD: ANZAC RESERVES

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

Fed: The lull before the data storm

AAP General News (Australia)
08-25-2009
Fed: The lull before the data storm

By Colin Brinsden, Economics Correspondent

CANBERRA, Aug 25 AAP - Pencil, calculator, slide-rule, abacus, dartboard at the ready
- or whatever tool you use to calculate your economic growth forecasts.

The next seven days brings a host of statistics to help economists fine-tune their
forecasts for gross domestic product (GDP) for the June quarter.

This will be contained in the national accounts due on Wednesday next week.

It really is the lull before the storm.

Will GDP growth expand on the surprise 0.4 per cent increase posted in the March quarter?

- the number which meant Australia avoided a recession, in a technical sense at least.

Or will there be another small negative - as there was in the December quarter last
year - as the economy skims the recession that has hurt many other countries across the
globe?

In his recent appearance before federal politicians, Reserve Bank Governor Glenn Stevens
was confident that Australia had suffered only a "shallow' recession, and that June quarter
GDP would be a positive.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia chief economist Michael Blythe agrees, and has 0.5 per
cent growth pencilled in for the June quarter.

That lifts the annual rate to a puny 0.6 per cent.

Based on what they know already, economists are leaning towards a positive outcome
with consumer spending providing a large prop for economic activity in the three months
to June as a result of the government's cash handouts.

Although, retail activity waned somewhat in the month of June, spending over the entire
quarter grew by a solid 2.0 per cent over the previous quarter.

However, Nomura Australia chief economist Stephen Roberts isn't convinced retail spending
will get the economy across the line, and is looking for a GDP contraction of 0.4 per
cent in the quarter.

After all, household activity is only part of the GDP equation.

The data flow kicks off on Wednesday with the Australian Bureau of Statistics' `construction
work done' report for the June quarter.

Economists' forecasts centre on a three per cent decline, hardly a positive start.

While the number of home building approvals has been on the rise - aided by an influx
of first home buyers lured by low interest rates and a more generous housing grant - economists
say this will be part of the growth story in coming quarters when the houses are actually
built.

Non-residential construction is expected to be dire, reflecting the sharp downturn
in business investment.

Which brings us to Thursday's private capital expenditure figures for the quarter,
which are expected to be ugly.

Economists forecast a further 5.0 per cent reduction, coming on top of the hefty 8.9
per cent drop in the March quarter.

Although businesses have been taking advantage of the government's temporary depreciation
allowance on capital goods - which saw a major jump in vehicle sales up until June - capital
goods imports slumped in the quarter.

Still, such weakness in imports could mean that exports will again contribute to growth
when next Tuesday's balance of payments are released.

Monday's quarterly company profits data are likely to be weak, although another wildcard
will be inventories - goods on shelves and in warehouses - in the same business indicators
report.

Have companies started rebuilding their stocks with consumer and business sentiment
rebounding strongly, or has recent strong spending just depleted stockpiles further?

There are a lot of numbers to get through.

But will economists be entirely confident that have got there forecasts right next
Tuesday evening?

Nomura's Mr Roberts freely admits his negative growth forecast could be "quickly blown
out of the water" if for example business investment proves less weak than expected.

Even then, it only needs revisions to previous GDP outcomes next Wednesday to knock
forecasts out of kilter.

"Many years of experience has shown that your second last forecast is always the best,"

quipped CBA's Mr Blythe.

"It's the last piece of data that pushes your forecast entirely the wrong direction."

Let the number tinkering begin.

AAP cb/sb/goc/jlw/

KEYWORD: ECONOMY (AAP NEWS ANALYSIS)

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

Fed: Hicks found unconditional love in ruins of terror bombing

AAP General News (Australia)
04-16-2009
Fed: Hicks found unconditional love in ruins of terror bombing

By Jeff Turnbull

MELBOURNE, April 16 AAP - For Gill Hicks, the Australian woman who lost her legs in
the July 7, 2005 London terrorist bombings, full recovery and salvation came only after
she rejected all hatred for her assailants.

Adelaide-born Ms Hicks said that as she lay close to death in the wreckage of a London
Underground train carriage, she experienced unconditional love from strangers who risked
their lives to pull her free.

That love continued with the police and the nurses and doctors in the London hospital
where she spent three and a half months recovering and learning to walk on prosthetic
legs.

When her surgeon discovered she was an Australian, he said: "That makes sense. You
are tough little buggers, aren't you."

Then he proceeded to keep her up to date with the cricket scores.

The final stage of her recovery was to walk out of the hospital without hating the
people who had changed her life forever.

"It was love that kept me alive. Love is the main contributor to rebuilding and creating
my new life," Ms Hicks said.

"Not being filled with hatred is a disabler - they don't expect that and don't know
how to deal with it.

"The greatest thing I could do is to say the cycle of hate has to stop with me. Looking
at it as an eye for an eye is never going to change the world in a positive way."

Ms Hicks is now an ambassador for Peace Direct, which focuses on building peace in
areas of conflict across the world.

She recently walked 400km from Leeds, where some of the bombers came from, to London
as part of the cause.

Ms Hicks, who has lived in the UK for 16 years, delivered an inspirational address
to the Rotary Club of Southbank on Thursday which was raising funds for bushfire survivors.

About 30 people from the devastated townships were in the audience as she told them
she cried as she watched from afar the tragedy of the Victorian bushfires.

"I hated being a mere observer to the pain of those who were devastated by the loss
of communities and the loss of life in the bushfires," she said.

"My heart was with them, firstly as a fellow human being who equally had been through,
and knew, tragedy, but it was also as an Australian.

"A lot of my friends asked me why I was so upset and why I was crying and I said that's
what it means to be Australian, to be connected, and I felt helpless."

She said it was important for her to be able to contribute to the bushfire recovery
and to be physically in Australia.

She said living through tragedy and rebuilding your life was not easy.

"It's bloody hard going through something and thinking where do you start to rebuild," she said.

"I view it as a journey where you slowly put the pieces back together..."

Christine Nixon, head of the Victorian Bushfire Reconstruction and Recovery Authority,
shared the stage with Ms Hicks and said the clean-up of the ravaged communities was starting
to gain traction.

She said so far 150 sites have been cleared but around 4,000 homes and businesses were
burnt to the ground.

"About 3,000 families and individuals have signed up to have that clean-up undertaken
and many of them have been contacted and the clean-up is underway.

"Over the next couple of weeks it will pick up and continue but it is a major undertaking
to clean up all those sites."

AAP jxt/mh/jnb/jlw

KEYWORD: HICKS (PIX AVAILABLE)

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

Fed:Jobless rate rises to 4.4 per cent

AAP General News (Australia)
12-11-2008
Fed:Jobless rate rises to 4.4 per cent

CANBERRA, Dec 11 AAP - The jobless rate has risen to its highest level in a year, climbing
to 4.4 per cent as a result of the severe economic slowdown.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November compares with 4.3 per cent in
the previous month, data released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Thursday shows.

The workforce was also cut by a seasonally adjusted 15,600 in November, although full-time
jobs rose by 8,800.

Economists had expected a 15,000 drop in jobs and an unemployment rate of 4.5 per cent.

The government has forecast the jobless rate rising to 5.0 per cent by June next year.

The monthly labour force data comes after the world's second biggest miner Rio Tinto
said it would be slashing its worldwide workforce by 14,000, including 5,500 full-time
jobs.

It has yet to specify how many Australian jobs will go.

MORE cb/kms/cdh

KEYWORD: JOBS

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

ACT: Mother killer set free after 22 months in jail

AAP General News (Australia)
08-07-2008
ACT: Mother killer set free after 22 months in jail

CANBERRA, Aug 7 AAP - A Canberra man who stabbed his mother to death has been set free
after 22 months in jail.

Glen Malcolm Porritt, 23, was found guilty in April of the manslaughter of his mother,
Nanette Porritt, at the family's Canberra home in December 2005.

ACT Supreme Court Chief Justice Terrence Higgins today sentenced Porritt to five years
jail, with a 22-month minimum term.

The sentence started on the day Porritt was taken into custody on October 7, 2006,
and therefore he was due to be released today, Justice Higgins said.

The sentence was "more severe than any other sentence for unlawful homicide" in the
cases he had cited.

The explanation for Porritt "tragically misreading the cues his mother gave him on
December 21, 2005" was that he was later found to be suffering from Aspergers disorder.

Porritt was found not guilty of murder because Justice Higgins was not satisfied Porritt
had intended to kill his mother or had been recklessly indifferent to the probability
of her dying.

Ms Porritt died after she picked up a knife and told her estranged son to leave the
family home following a heated argument.

Porritt then disarmed his mother and inflicted 57 stab wounds on her face, neck and chest.

He has since admitted what he did was wrong.

During sentencing submissions in June, it was revealed he told his probation and parole
officer: "I should have left the house when she (his mother) asked me to. I didn't. I'm
responsible".

Justice Higgins said he accepted that Ms Porritt was angry with her son for threatening
to sue his parents for perceived injustices during his youth.

These included "extreme punishments that were persisted in to an unreasonable degree"

such as withholding acne medication.

On the day of her death, Ms Porritt "tragically reinforced her demand (that Porritt
leave the house) by picking up and brandishing a sharp knife".

Porritt was criminally negligent because he followed her upstairs when she went to
call the police and "became trapped in the bedroom".

"His mother, not unnaturally, was seriously alarmed ... and flashed at him with the knife."

In a panicked attempt to leave the room Porritt then fatally stabbed his mother "negligently
unmindful" of his then possession of the knife.

The stress of being charged with his mother's murder and being remanded in custody
had led to Porritt developing a schizophrenic-type disorder, Justice Higgins said.

Porritt has been placed under an involuntary mental health treatment order and prescribed
anti-psychotic medication.

He was also placed on a good behaviour order for four years.

AAP jcd/rl/cjh/cdh

KEYWORD: PORRITT

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

VIC: Main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers=2

AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-2008
VIC: Main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers=2

The main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers:

THE AGE:

Page 1: Never, perhaps, has a deeper silence descended upon a prime ministerial speech
in the House of Representatives than during yesterday's historic apology.

Page 2: On the day of his historic apology, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was embarrassed
by two of his staff joining protesters in turning their backs on Opposition Leader Brendan
Nelson during his speech.

Page 3: Kevin Rudd has vowed to bridge the political divide on indigenous issues, asking
Brendan Nelson to work with him to tackle appalling housing conditions in remote settlements
and enshrine indigenous rights in the constitution.

World: Investigators believe gangs of armed men led by Alfredo Reinado intended to
kidnap, not assassinate, East Timor's top two political leaders in Monday's attacks in
Dili.

Finance: A strong second-half profit performance buoyed by a first-time contribution
from the mega Alcan acquisition has strengthened Rio Tinto's resolve to continue its
fierce rejection of BHP Billiton's proposed $A163 billion scrip takeover bid.

Sport: Cricket Australia is prepared to weather another sub-continental storm by sticking
to independent security advice that has all but condemned its tour of Pakistan.

AAP jrd/jfm

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS VIC 2 MELBOURNE

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

Fed: Business council calls for overhaul of Australia's schools

AAP General News (Australia)
08-27-2007
Fed: Business council calls for overhaul of Australia's schools

The Business Council of Australia says governments should boost spending on Australia's
schools .. as part of a broader overhaul of the education system.

The council says Australia's school system is at risk of falling behind those in other
developed countries.

It says governments need to increase their investment in education .. which has declined
from 4.5 per cent of GDP in 1995 to 4.3 per cent in 2003.

The BCA warns in a paper that Australia has one of the lowest secondary school completion
rates in the developed world.

AAP RTV pj/wz/psm/

KEYWORD: EDUCATION (CANBERRA)

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

Fed: Local councils are just the beginning for IR laws:Gillard

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2007
Fed: Local councils are just the beginning for IR laws:Gillard

By Vincent Morello

SYDNEY, April 12 AAP - Hospitals, aged care facilities and other public institutions
may be compelled to bring their employees under the Work Choices laws or have their federal
funding withdrawn, the federal opposition says.

Opposition industrial relations spokeswoman Julia Gillard expects the government to
ambush public institutions if Prime Minister John Howard wins a fifth term later this
year.

Ms Gillard went on the attack following media reports today that the Howard government
is backing local councils to bring their employees under federal industrial relations
laws.

She said Mr Howard did not give voters any indication at the 2004 election that the
government would be introducing the workplace laws and only did so after it gained control
of the Senate.

"They didn't tell you the truth about what they planned before the last election, I
don't think they'll tell you the truth about their full plans after the next election,"

Ms Gillard told reporters in Sydney.

"But I anticipate it will include things like tying federal government funding to hospitals,
to aged-care institutions and the like - to making it compulsory to offer Australian Workplace
Agreements (AWA)."

If elected, Labor would abolish the laws and allow workers on AWA's to decide if they
want to enter into collective bargaining agreements.

MORE vpm/wjf/jt/de

KEYWORD: COUNCILS GILLARD

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

Main stories in today's 0900 ABC News

AAP General News (Australia)
12-11-2006
Main stories in today's 0900 ABC News

PERTH, Dec 8 AAP - The main stories in the 0900 ABC news:

- Opponents of Chile's former dictator Augusto Pinochet have clashed with police in
front of the presidential palace in Santiago.

- Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd says his new frontbench team will be a unified force.

- People in the Indonesian province of Aceh are going to the polls today to directly
elect their own leaders for the first time.

- Financial counsellors say people have toned down their expectations for Christmas
celebrations this year.

- More than 230 Australians who have served with the defence force in Iraq and Afghanistan
have been given disability pensions.

- In cricket, the Australian squad will begin its preparations today for the third
Ashes test against England starting in Perth on Thursday.

AAP ag/

KEYWORD: MONITOR ABC 0900

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

Fed: Reserve Bank could deliver more bad news for homeowners

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2006
Fed: Reserve Bank could deliver more bad news for homeowners

CANBERRA, Aug 4 AAP - Homeowners will get a clearer picture today about whether they
will face another interest rate rise before Christmas when the Reserve Bank issues a snapshot
of the economy.

After Wednesday's decision to lift rates by 25 basis points, the bank will today release
its detailed quarterly statement on monetary policy.

The statement provides an overview of the Australian economy and offers a crystal ball
on inflation and the likelihood of another increase in interest rates.

Most analysts are predicting another rate hike before the end of the year, which would
push the standard variable home loan rate to above eight per cent.

Prime Minister John Howard yesterday played down talk Australia could be headed for
a recession after this week's rate rise - the second in three months.

Official interest rates now stand at six per cent, their highest level since 2001.

Mr Howard says it's misguided to be talking about a looming recession and insists the
economy is still strong.

Westpac customers will be the first to feel the impact of the latest interest rate
rise after the bank became the first major lender to pass on the extra 25 basis points.

Labor says the impact of interest rate rises is greater these days because household
debt has soared in the past decade.

Opposition treasury spokesman Wayne Swan says Australians are now paying a record proportion
of their weekly wage just to cover their mortgages.

AAP dcr/goc/grc/nf

KEYWORD: ECONOMY DAYLEAD

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

SA: State pride takes a dip in SA

AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-2006
SA: State pride takes a dip in SA

ADELAIDE, Feb 14 AAP - State pride in South Australia has taken a battering falling
to its lowest level in four years, according to a bank survey.

The latest Bank SA state monitor report found state pride among consumers fell nine
percentage points to 80 per cent last month while among businesses the slide was 11 per
cent, also to 80 per cent.

Bank SA managing director Rob Chapman said state pride rarely wavered but had taken
a significant blow recently with the delay in the opening of Adelaide's new airport terminal
the key reason.

Problems with electricity blackouts in hot weather and issues with the delivery of
new trams for the city were other reasons cited by survey participants.

"We'd expect this to be a temporary swing, as the vast majority of people are still
proud of SA," Mr Chapman said.

"We're likely to see a bounce back in the next survey, especially with the airport
getting the green light," Mr Chapman said.

"However, in the short term it's certainly knocked overall confidence levels, particularly
among consumers who are also battling high petrol prices and post-Christmas debts."

Mr Chapman said the Bank SA survey also indicated a softening in consumer spending
was likely over the next six months although employment prospects remained strong.

Many companies surveyed expected to employ more people with 69 per cent of business
owners predicting a significant improvement in their performance in the next six months.

The Bank SA survey is conducted three times each year and quizzes 300 consumers and
300 businesses across the state.

AAP tjd/maur

KEYWORD: PRIDE

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

sulphanilic acid

sulphanilic acid (4-aminobenzene sulphonic acid) A colourless crystalline solid, H₂NC₆H₄SO₂OH, made by prolonged heating of phenylamine (aniline) sulphate. It readily forms diazo compounds and is used to make dyes and sulpha drugs.

cu.

cu., cubic The three-dimensional derivative of a linear measure. See relevant latter. See note under square; see also cc.

COORS SCORES NFL BEER DEAL $300 MILLION CONTRACT OUSTS ANHEUSER-BUSCH AND MILLER BREWING CO.(Business)

Byline: Rachel Brand News Staff Writer

Coors Brewing Co. has signed an ``extraordinary'' five-year agreement to become the National Football League's official beer sponsor.

The $300 million contract unseats reigning beer kings Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing Co., which had been national NFL sponsors for 12 and 18 years respectively.

The agreement, announced Tuesday, grants Coors the use of the NFL, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl logos in its advertising. Coors also has the collective rights to all 32 team logos when used as a group.

``What I'm sure they're banking on is a lot of increased product sales,'' said sports marketing consultant Dean Bonham. Bonham writes a sports business column for the Rocky Mountain News.

Unlike in prior years, individual teams will keep local rights to their logos. They can then negotiate separate agreements in local markets. In the past, Anheuser-Busch and Miller shared exclusive rights to individual logos.

``The agreement allows us to add another beer company to our group of NFL sponsors, with Coors being the national sponsor and A-B and Miller keeping ties to individual team sponsorships,'' league spokesman Brian McCarthy said.

Anheuser-Busch and Miller also can continue to advertise during the NFL games, but they won't have the rights to use the NFL shield or team logos, he said.

Miller responded by saying it plans to contact individual teams to set up deals. Coors was not available for comment.

Despite the local wiggle room, analysts say the contract is a remarkable coup for the No. 3 brewer and signals a hefty investment in sports tie-ins and local promotions.

``It's extraordinary,'' Bonham said. ``Coors is unquestionably the David of the beer world; A-B is the Goliath, and Miller is their little brother.''

In order to nab the agreement from their rivals, ``clearly, they had to swallow hard and segregate out a very large percentage of their advertising budget,'' Bonham said.

Viewers can expect a wide range of consumer promotional tie-ins in each of the NFL's 32 markets. Internet promotions, advertisements and other sweepstake-like deals should raise Coors' profile as a national player.

Bonham cautioned against scrutinizing the ``who gets what'' aspects of the deal, as many details have not been revealed.

e-Builder Announces Strategic Funding from The McGraw-Hill Companies.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2000

Strategic Investment Joins Construction Industry Internet

Pioneer with the Leading Industry Content Provider

e-Builder, Inc., the pioneer and leading provider of Internet applications for the construction industry, announced today that it has secured investment capital and forged a strategic alliance with The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), the world's premier information provider to the $1.7 trillion commercial construction industry. As part of the agreement the two companies will use construction.com, The McGraw Hill Companies' leading online construction marketplace, as a vehicle to deliver integrated online content, tools, and services never before available in the industry.

The funding will be used to bolster the company's marketing efforts, expand its sales force and broaden its research and product development. Additionally, resources will be dedicated to jointly develop content and services exclusive to e-Builder and The McGraw-Hill Companies.

"We've spent the past five years forging our reputation as an industry leader, and by pairing our robust e-Builder technology with McGraw-Hill's heritage, powerful brands, unparalleled content, and online community, we will solidify our reputation as the preeminent business-to-business information exchange for the construction industry," said Jonathan Antevy, CEO of e-Builder. "This partnership will greatly benefit the industry and streamline construction for entire production teams -- from owners to architects, to engineers, to contractors, to subcontractors. Entire teams now have the ability to manage complex construction processes using the power of the Web."

"After reviewing the needs of our customers, we elected to invest in e-Builder based on the company's strong understanding of the industry, the easy-to-use nature of the e-Builder offering and the strength of the management team. The decision was also made after an exhaustive examination of many potential partners. We clearly believe that e-Builder is the best possible choice for our customers," said Norbert Young, president, The McGraw-Hill Companies Construction Information Group. "Additionally, this investment

represents a major milestone in our strategy for construction.com to be the single point of contact for construction professionals to do business with each other, from project identification, to project collaboration, to project bidding and procurement."

e-Builder provides a suite of businesses-to-business tools that dramatically enhances the exchange of information among construction project participants. Its project collaboration tool is designed to meet the needs of architecture, engineering and construction firms with projects valued over $1M, and is a complete turnkey solution that eliminates the need for expensive resources usually required in operating network-based applications. e-Builder also produces significant cost savings as compared to traditional project management approaches.

About The McGraw-Hill Companies

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a global information services provider serving the financial services, education and business information markets through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, Business Week and the McGraw-Hill educational imprint. The corporation has more than 400 offices in 32 countries. Sales in 1999 were $4.0 billion.

About construction.com

Construction.com is the industry marketplace that enables construction professionals to do their job faster, better and cheaper. Building on The McGraw-Hill Companies' heritage as the world's premier information provider to the $1.7 trillion commercial construction industry, construction.com uses the Internet platform to deliver industry intelligence and interactive solutions that help professional decision-makers to be more successful on the job. By leveraging the powerful content of The McGraw-Hill Companies' leading editorial brands, including F.W. Dodge, Sweet's Group, Engineering News-Record, Architectural Record, and Design-Build, construction.com integrates unmatched market intelligence, unique project management tools, and end-to-end access to the construction community. Construction.com is also working with Bentley Systems, Incorporated, on extending the service in support of open standards such as aecXML, a component description language specifically designed to bolster unrestricted collaboration between professionals in the architecture, engineering and construction industries. With its headquarters in New York City, construction.com employs more than 2,000 professionals around the world.

About e-Builder

e-Builder, Inc., headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, develops business-to-business Internet tools for the commercial construction industry. Its suite of products enable and enhance the exchange of information among construction industry participants and helps projects come in on time and on budget. e-Builder is the pioneer of Internet-based tools for construction and in 1995 was honored by Engineering News-Record, a respected publication of The McGraw-Hill Companies, as one of the Top 25 Newsmakers of the year. e-Builder is sold worldwide direct and through its preferred partner network. Customers include: America Online, The Beck Group, Beers Construction, Columbia/HCA, HOK Architects, Lucent Technologies, NBBJ Sports Architects, Skanska USA, Swinerton & Walburg, Tishman Construction and more. For more information on e-Builder, visit the company's web site at www.e-builder.net. For sales information, call 1-800-580-9322 or e-mail info@e-builder.net.

Visit www.e-Builder.net for more information or contact:

The Sprint Foundation donates $100,000 to American Red Cross in support of storm-relief efforts.

Sprint Emergency Response and Network Disaster Recovery Teams provide immediate aid and wireless support to consumers and emergency personnel

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- The Sprint Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Sprint (NYSE: S), has made a $100,000 donation to the American Red Cross in support of the recent tragic storms experienced by much of the southern United States. The donation will support the American Red Cross' disaster-relief efforts to help those affected by tornadoes, floods and other forms of severe weather in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas.

"Our hearts go out to those who have suffered such devastation in the past 48 hours," said Ralph Reid, president and executive director of the Sprint Foundation. "Sprint and the Sprint Foundation have been long-time partners of the American Red Cross, and we know that their tireless workers are doing everything possible to aid those affected by this tragedy."

In addition to the $100,000 donation, the Sprint Foundation is matching American Red Cross donations made in support of the storms made by Sprint employees and retirees and members of the Sprint board of directors.

As it does following any significant natural disaster event, Sprint has deployed backup generators, network engineers, emergency personnel and other critical assets to locations experiencing impact to its networks and to areas most in need of support.

Sprint has permanent generators at all of its wireless and wireline switches - the network components where wireless data and calls are routed to their final destination. In addition, permanent generators are installed at all of the company's network Points of Presence (POP), the facilities where traffic enters and leaves the company's global IP network, which facilitates dedicated data services for Sprint's corporate and government customers, as well as other critical communications. These backup generators have automatic cutover switches to immediately neutralize any loss of commercial power.

Sprint also has a strong track record of providing critical communications and personnel to assist first responders with relief efforts. Sprint's network and business continuity personnel, along with the Sprint Emergency Response Team (ERT) have deployed Cell Sites on Wheels (COWs) and Satellite Cell on Light Trucks (SatCOLTS) to provide immediate restoration of service and help facilitate wireless and IP communications among disaster relief and emergency response agencies.

In the aftermath of the recent tornadoes in the southeast, the Sprint Emergency Response Team mobilized its assets of seasoned personnel, wireless devices and SatCOLTs to provide wireless and IP service and support to numerous public safety officials and medical personnel, including the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office in Fort Wayne, Ala. and Huntsville Hospital and Trauma Center in Huntsville, Ala.

Sprint ERT maintains a 24-hour hotline, 365 days a year, to rapidly address client needs and, during times of state- and federally declared national disasters, provides 25 mobile devices and wireless service free of charge for 14 days to state and local agencies.

To enhance their on-the-ground communications during major hurricanes, first responders can use Nextel Direct Connect[R] BlackBerry[R] devices with Direct Connect[R] and Direct Talk(SM) capabilities. Direct Talk-enabled handsets can communicate off-network via push-to-talk with other Direct Talk-capable handsets, completely independent of any wireless network - a critical feature for public safety personnel during emergency response situations.

Additionally, as part of its ongoing work with weather data and hurricane forecasting expert Mark Sudduth of HurricaneTrack.com, Sprint has supplied his team with Sprint 3G and 4G mobile phones and broadband devices to give them fast and reliable mobile Internet connectivity during their online and video reporting during hurricane and storm seasons. Sudduth is based in Wilmington, N.C., and has reported on close to 40 named tropical storms and hurricanes along the Atlantic Coast since 1998.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 51 million customers at the end of 1Q 2011 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 6 in its 2010 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation's greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.

About the Sprint Foundation

Since its establishment in 1989, the Sprint Foundation has supported community organizations across the country with a special emphasis on K-12 education, positive youth development, arts and culture outreach, and Internet safety. Through direct grants and a robust matching-gifts program for employees and retirees, the Sprint Foundation creatively and thoughtfully delivers Sprint's commitment to championing the communities where Sprint customers and employees live.

The AMA and Major Medical Societies Announce New Consumer Internet Service.

**Information embargoed until Oct. 28, 1999 at 9:00 a.m. EDT**

WHAT:

A media briefing to unveil the first national physician society-owned health

care service on the Internet that delivers credible content to consumers and

patients, AND connects them with their own physicians. This site is controlled by medical societies, the finest source of medical information for

physicians and patients.

WHEN:

Thursday, October 28

9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Breakfast will be served

WHERE:

Le Parker-Meridien

Salon Vendome, 3rd Floor

119 West 56th Street

(Between 6th and 7th)

New York, New York

WHO:

Physician leaders from societies including:

The American Medical Association

The American Academy of Pediatrics

The American Academy of Ophthalmology

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists

Speakers will be available for one-on-one interviews.

CONTACT:

Elisia Greiner/Stephanie Decker

Porter Novelli

212-601-8083/8055

To participate via telephone, please call 888-677-5722, passcode 27170.

More security problems for WebGL Context highlights additional WebGL vulnerabilities and raises more questions for Khronos.

M2 PRESSWIRE-June 16, 2011-: More security problems for WebGL Context highlights additional WebGL vulnerabilities and raises more questions for Khronos(C)1994-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

RDATE:16062011

Researchers at Context Information Security who exposed security flaws in WebGL last month have identified further concerns about early implementations of the new technology that allows web pages to draw fast 3D graphics to deliver a much richer experience to web users. In one example, a vulnerability in the Mozilla Firefox browser made it possible for malicious web pages to capture any screenshot from a target PC - including the user's desktop, other web pages or applications. By revealing that none of the current implementations comply with WebGL conformance standards, Context also raises serious questions for Khronos, the consortium which has drawn up the WebGL specification and conformance tests.

The findings are published today along with videos in a Context blog at: http://www.contextis.com/webgl/ Context's original investigations discovered design level security issues that provide a 'back-door' to low-level parts of the operating system via some graphics cards, which were never designed to defend against this type of threat. Following further investigations, Context researchers have discovered that neither Chrome nor Firefox passed the 144 Khronos conformance tests for WebGL, including a number that are directly related to security.

"While Mozilla has taken steps to mitigate the original vulnerabilities and will fix this latest threat in the new version of its browser, scheduled for release on 21 June, we believe this is the tip of the iceberg for the difficult adoption of this immature technology, leaving users vulnerable," says Michael Jordon, Research and Development Manager at Context.

"The fact that security-related Khronos conformance tests are not clearly identified has been a contributory factor in security issues being missed by developers of the current browser implementations of WebGL," adds Jordon.

"It would be unreasonable to expect full conformance to the complete specification of any new standard but some areas of WebGL need to be carefully implemented to prevent security issues arising. Browser developers should now start banning non-conformant configurations as they are identified until the security issues that have been highlighted are resolved." Context's research also found that Khronos' recommended defence against the Denial of Service issue, WebGL_ARB_robustness, is not fit for purpose. It is only supported by certain chipsets and operating systems such as NVidia on Windows and Linux, and the extension only offers mitigation and not a comprehensive solution to WebGL DoS issues.

The risks from WebGL depend on the web browser, operating system and graphics card being used. WebGL is currently supported only on Firefox and Chrome and currently users of Internet Explorer, Safari or Opera are not vulnerable to WebGL issues. "We would advise anyone at risk to disable WebGL until the security vulnerabilities have been addressed," added Jordon. "We have been working with developers of the Firefox plug-in NoScript (http://noscript.net/) to include support to selectively disable WebGL and would recommend this plug-in to protect users from malicious Internet content." The full Context blog including two videos can be seen at: http://www.contextis.com/webgl/ About Context Context Information Security is an independent security consultancy specialising in both technical security and information assurance services.

Founded in 1998, the company's client base has grown steadily based on the value of its product-agnostic, holistic approach and tailored services combined with the independence, integrity and technical skills of its consultants.

The company's client base now includes some of the most prestigious blue chip companies in the world, as well as government organisations. As best security experts need to bring a broad portfolio of skills to the job, Context staff offer extensive business experience as well as technical expertise to deliver effective and practical solutions, advice and support.

Context reports always communicate findings and recommendations in plain terms at a business level as well as in the form of an in-depth technical report.

Issued by:

Context Information Security, Tel: + 44 (0)20 7537 7515 email: blogs[at]contextis[dot]com www.contextis.com

For more information for editors, please contact: Peter Rennison / Allie Andrews PRPR, Tel + 44 (0)1442 245030 / 07831 208109 pr[at]prpr[dot]co[dot]uk / allie[at]prpr[dot]co[dot]uk

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

Teams Repair Damaged AT&T Fiber, Restoring Internet Service to Cobridge Communications Customers in Marshall, Texas.

MARSHALL, Texas, May 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- An outage impacting 3,100 Cobridge Communications internet customers, as well as customers from other providers, was resolved as of 3:34AM on Thursday.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110420/CG86560LOGO)

Engineers and technicians from both Cobridge and AT&T worked as a team to repair the cut AT&T fiber, located about 50 miles North of Longview, TX. "The efforts of both Cobridge and AT&T employees helped in resolving this issue in a more expeditious manner. I thank our employees from both sides for their cooperation," said Cobridge CEO Scott Widham.

Cobridge internet customers in Marshall, whose accounts were in good standing at the time of the outage, should expect to see a credit for 2 1/2 days of internet services within the next two bill cycles.

Cobridge purchased the Marshall system from Charter Communications in October 2010, and last month launched Cobridge Voice, a high-speed internet linked digital phone service to residential customers.

About Cobridge Communications

Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Cobridge Communications provides telecommunications services including state-of-the-art television, high-speed internet, telephone, and business class services. Cobridge operates primarily in rural and suburban markets across six states. For more information, please visit www.cobridge.net.

SOURCE Cobridge Communications

Leslie's Swimming Pool Supplies to Open New Store in South Carolina.

New Store in Simpsonville, South Carolina to grand open on April 29, 2011

SIMPSONVILLE, S.C., April 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Leslie's Poolmart, Inc. (Leslie's), the nation's leading retailer of swimming pool supplies and related products, announced their plans to grand open a store in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Leslie's opened the doors of its newest store at 339A Harrison Bridge Rd., on Thursday, March 24, 2011. The store will celebrate their grand opening April 29 - May 2, 2011, with specials and festivities throughout the weekend, including 20% off everything in the store!

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110325/MM71827LOGO )

"Leslie's is proud to be opening new store locations this year to serve our customers and add jobs throughout the country," stated Larry Hayward, CEO, Leslie's Poolmart, Inc. "Our new stores will offer customers an expansive selection of swimming pool supplies, pool equipment and recreational items. Leslie's associates serve as a valuable resource for swimming pool owners and provide detailed, knowledgeable information needed for their pool care. All of our store locations provide free water testing and free labor on all in-store equipment repairs. Additionally, all customers visiting our new stores will receive 20% off their entire purchase during our grand opening event," added Hayward.

The new store will be open 7 days a week. Arthur Johnson will serve as store manager of the new Leslie's, and he brings several years of experience in the pool and spa industry. Store contact information is: Leslie's Pool Supplies, 339A Harrison Bridge Rd., Simpsonville, SC 29680. Phone: (864) 962-2300.

Founded in 1963, Leslie's Poolmart, Inc. is the world's largest specialty retailer of swimming pool supplies and related products. The Company currently markets its products through over 660 retail store locations in 35 states; a nationwide mail-order catalog; and an Internet e-commerce site, www.lesliespool.com.

Steven L. Ortega Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Leslie's Poolmart, Inc. (602) 366-3812

Media/Press contact: Jodi Marsh - Communications Jodi.marsh@ivieinc.com (317) 450-9025

SOURCE Leslie's Poolmart, Inc.

POKERSTARS APPLAUDS PASSAGE OF INTERNET GAMBLING REGULATION ACT.

(Full text of statement. Contact details below.)

MEDIA RELEASE PR40631

PokerStars Applauds the Passage of the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act

LONDON, England, July 30, /PRNewswire-AsiaNet

PokerStars, the world's largest poker site, welcomes news of the successful mark up of H.R. 2267: The Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act in the House Financial Services Committee by an overwhelming, bipartisan margin of 41-22.

The bill, sponsored by Committee Chairman Barney Frank, offers a long overdue common sense approach to internet gaming regulation in the United States. PokerStars wholeheartedly supports the efforts of Chairman Frank and the bill's proponents.

This bill represents the most significant US legislative accomplishment in the history of the internet gaming industry. The Committee vote was one step in a road to passage of H.R. 2267 in the US Congress. Further steps are required and a great deal of hard work for the legislators lies in store.

It is important to note that H.R. 2267 was passed out of Committee with the addition of certain amendments. Two in particular warrant additional comment:

Representative Brad Sherman offered language accepted by the Committee which would in part render as unsuitable for licensure any person who fails to certify in writing that it and its affiliated business entities have never committed an intentional felony violation of Federal or State gambling laws.

Ranking Member Spencer Bachus and Representative Michelle Bachmann also sponsored an amendment, accepted by the Committee, which would in part render unsuitable for licensing any person who knowingly participated in illegal internet gambling activity after enactment of the UIGEA in 2006.

The UIGEA by its clear terms shall not be construed as "altering, limiting or extending any Federal or State law or Tribal-State compact prohibiting, permitting, or regulating gambling within the United States". Therefore, in light of the more comprehensive view on this point set forth in Rep. Sherman's amendment, the Bachus/Bachmann amendment, with its UIGEA timeline, appears redundant (as Ranking Member Bachus himself observed during the mark up).

Nevertheless, PokerStars supports the provisions in both amendments as neither would adversely affect the availability of a license for a respected operator such as PokerStars. As reflected in legal opinions provided to PokerStars, its activities in the US are and at all times have been lawful.

Paul Telford, PokerStars' General Counsel stated that "PokerStars maintains its strong support for H.R. 2267 and encourages the full House and ultimately the Senate to move quickly to secure passage during the current Congressional term. PokerStars, a pioneer in operating online poker under stringent regulatory frameworks, looks forward to working with incumbent and new operators in promoting a safe and healthy online poker industry in the United States, as it currently does under similar licensing models in Italy and France".

About PokerStars

PokerStars, the worldwide leading online poker provider, is based in the Isle of Man, where it is licensed and subject to a stringent regulatory regime.

These regulations have been deemed by the United Kingdom as being properly designed to prevent underage gambling, to protect vulnerable people from gambling addiction, to protect the security of customer deposits, to prevent money laundering, and to protect the integrity of the games.

Recent additions to the PokerStars family are:

- PokerStars.it, which operates in Italy under a license issued by the Italian Government. PokerStars.it is the largest independent online poker site in Italy.

- PokerStars.fr, which operates in France under a license issued by the French Government, and is the market leader in French poker market.

Source: PokerStars

ASIA PULSE ry 30-07 1119

Wireless Phone Users in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, Now Experience Even Clearer Reception and Fewer Dropped Calls.

Verizon Wireless has activated a new cell site which will enable more customers to use their wireless phones concurrently to make calls; send and receive email and text, picture and video messages; access the Internet; view high-quality videos; and download music, games and ringtones, while enjoying clearer reception and fewer dropped calls.

The new cell site improves Verizon Wireless voice and data coverage on Fort Leonard Wood Army Base and in the surrounding areas.

"Network reliability is the No. 1 reason that customers choose and stay with Verizon Wireless," said Brendan Fallis, president-Kansas/Missouri Region, Verizon Wireless. "Getting through on the first try and maintaining a connection are important to our customers. We continue to optimize our network so that it remains the most reliable in the nation."

Reliable service is fundamental to customer loyalty, and Verizon Wireless boasts the highest customer loyalty in the industry, as measured by the company's low percentage of customer turnover.

"The value we offer our customers is closely tied to our industry-leading customer retention," Fallis said. "Wireless consumers today understand that value is not defined by price alone. A major reason our customers choose Verizon Wireless and stay with us is because we offer the nation's most reliable network."

This network improvement is part of Verizon Wireless' continual effort to expand coverage, improve capacity and enhance the quality of its wireless voice and data network in Missouri and throughout the country. Verizon Wireless has invested more than $50 billion since it was formed - $5.5 billion on average every year - to increase the coverage and capacity of its premier nationwide network and to add new services. In 2008, the company invested more than $49.6 million in its Missouri network.

Keywords: Verizon Wireless, Data Network, Networks, Wireless Phone, Wireless Technology.

This article was prepared by Electronics Newsweekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Electronics Newsweekly via VerticalNews.com.

Nortel Ethernet Access Enables UNET to Unleash Next-Gen Broadband in The Netherlands New Ethernet Access Solution Beats Bandwidth Crunch, Delivers Ultra High-Speed Internet Services for Businesses and Homes.

M2 PRESSWIRE-30 September 2008-Nortel: Nortel Ethernet Access Enables UNET to Unleash Next-Gen Broadband in The Netherlands New Ethernet Access Solution Beats Bandwidth Crunch, Delivers Ultra High-Speed Internet Services for Businesses and Homes(C)1994-2008 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:30092008

ALMERE, THE NETHERLANDS - UNET plans to deliver ultra high-speed Internet for homes and businesses across the Netherlands using a new Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT ] Ethernet Access solution . The Netherlands-based broadband service provider is a key player in next-generation IP networking and broadband services concentrating on business-to-business and wholesale market segments in The Netherlands.

A constant challenge for service providers like UNET lies in overcoming the first-mile bandwidth bottleneck and increasing Average Revenue Per User. Nortel's Ethernet Access solution, using Wave Division Multiplexing Passive Optical Network (WDM-PON) architecture, solves this by using the existing optical backbone and enabling multiple wavelengths to be carried over the existing optical fiber. This approach delivers ultra high-speed Internet services in the critical first mile by enabling service providers to offer dedicated bandwidths straight to homes and businesses. The approach hugely simplifies the implementation and turn-up of the network to enable delivery of value-added services and next-generation bandwidth hungry multimedia services.

"Multi-user, multi-device small to medium sized enterprises and homes are very much a part of the communications landscape in The Netherlands," said Ger Bakker, director of technology, UNET. "We see the optimization of UNET's fiber-optics backbone network using Nortel's Ethernet Access solution as essential to the future of broadband for these homes and businesses. Our plans include using UNET's optical network to provide entire communities outside of major city centers with fiber-to-the-business infrastructures."

Seeking service triple plays including richer multimedia content to drive user growth and reduce customer churn is key for service providers deploying fiber access. IPTV and VoD are drivers of this trend in Europe - particularly HDTV - as well as emerging applications such as multimedia conferencing, multiplayer online gaming, online content and media and applications. However delivering these services with their associated bandwidth demands has severely tested the network capabilities of the providers.

With its Nortel solution, UNET plans to deliver advanced Ethernet services for triple or multi play business customers and services for broadcast media and security such as camera and sound recording. UNET plans a phased rollout of these services beginning in 2008.

"In The Netherlands, where there is already significant broadband penetration, UNET is now able to create opportunities to capitalize on its technology for growth by delivering high-bandwidth services to business and residential customers while reducing operational costs," said Tim Watkins, president Northern Region, Nortel.

The Nortel Ethernet Access solution for UNET uses WDM-PON to accelerate the deployment of fiber-to-the-home and fiber-to-the-building with a simple engineering and deployment model. This solution combines the best attributes of an Ethernet Point to Point system (bi-directional high bandwidth performance, deployment flexibility per user for business and/or residential customers) with the fiber efficiency and OPEX simplicity of a passive optical system.

About UNET

UNET is a telecommunication multi-services provider and one of the leading providers of innovative broadband services in The Netherlands. UNET started in the early days already with fiber technology and therefore a pioneer on this broadband technology in The Netherlands. The company was founded in 2003 and is part of the BBIS group. In March 2004, it started offering its fiber based Internet, VoIP telephony and IPTV services in Almere. UNET has now a strong footprint in the fiber network areas in the Netherlands; this includes over 40 business-parks in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Almere, Lelystad, and a dozen smaller cities in the Netherlands. For more information visit UNET on the Web at www.unet.nl .**

About Nortel

Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that make the promise of Business Made Simple a reality for our customers. Our next-generation technologies, for both service provider and enterprise networks, support multimedia and business-critical applications. Nortel's technologies are designed to help eliminate today's barriers to efficiency, speed and performance by simplifying networks and connecting people to the information they need, when they need it. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries around the world.

Certain statements in this press release may contain words such as "could", "expects", "may", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "targets", "envisions", "seeks" and other similar language and are considered forward-looking statements or information under applicable securities legislation. These statements are based on Nortel's current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about the operating environment, economies and markets in which Nortel operates. These statements are subject to important assumptions, risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict and the actual outcome may be materially different from those contemplated in forward-looking statements. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other factors, see Nortel's Annual Report on Form10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other securities filings with the SEC. Unless otherwise required by applicable securities laws, Nortel disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

*Nortel, the Nortel logo and the Globemark are trademarks of Nortel Networks.

**This is a 3rd party link as described in our Web linking practices.

CONTACT: Greta Brown, Contact for Press and Analysts, NortelTel: +44 (0)1628 432 968e-mail: gretab@nortel.comMiranda MacDonald, Contact for Press and Analysts, NortelTel: +1 905 863 1098e-mail: mirandam@nortel.comWWW: http://www.nortel.comWWW: http://www.nortel.com/news

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