Vic: Brumby considers end to 24-hour bars

AAP General News (Australia)
02-27-2008
Vic: Brumby considers end to 24-hour bars

MELBOURNE, Feb 27 AAP - Melbourne bars with a 24-hour licence could have their operating
hours cut under measures the Victorian government is considering to fight binge drinking
and violence.

The government already has moved to increase the police presence in the city with a
new 50-member safer streets squad and has introduced powers to ban people from the CBD
for 24 hours.

Premier John Brumby is examining further measures to tackle the problem and said reducing
opening hours and restricting 24-hour access to alcohol would be considered.

…

CELEBRITIES BOOST SALES OF LOCAL PRODUCTS

Elisa UngE-mail feedback to me at ung@northjersey.com; if you include yourname, town and phone number, your thoughts may be incl
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
05-08-2011
CELEBRITIES BOOST SALES OF LOCAL PRODUCTS
Byline: Elisa UngE-mail feedback to me at ung@northjersey.com; if you include yourname, town and phone number, your thoughts may be included in futurecolumns. Blog: northjersey.com/foodblog Twitter: elisaung
Section: BETTER LIVING
Type: News

Ali LaRaia didn't start out with a concerted strategy to promote her cookies by feeding them to famous people.

But LaRaia is a big fan of singer Sara Barielles, and when she went to a recent concert in Rhode Island, she brought along a big box of treats from Marianberry, the Glen Rock-based confectionery business she started with her mother last year. She passed it along to Barielles' lead guitarist, whom she ran into at a wine bar after the show.
Next thing you know, Barielles' 2 million Twitter followers saw this message from her: "Can't lie, we ate our weight in @eatMARIANBERRY cookies last night. I felt sick, but biscotti dipped in my coffee makes it all better."

Hits to Marianberry's website suddenly spiked, along with mailing orders. Shortly afterward, Jacqueline Laurita, one of the "Real Housewives of New Jersey," professed her love for the baked treats to her 100,000 followers. Marianberry had catered a party for the housewives that was filmed for an upcoming episode, and Laurita loved the cookies so much she "got in touch with us and wants to help us out," LaRaia said.

The celebrity enthusiasm is proof, LaRaia said, "that our cookies are so good that we didn't even have to do anything. Once we get it into someone's hands, they take it and run." It's all perfectly timed, too, as Marianberry's cookies will soon be sold in Bloomingdale's stores from Boston to Florida.

Food businesses and restaurants may spend big bucks on advertising and marketing, but there is nothing like a celebrity's thumbs-up - even inadvertently -- to send sales soaring.

Nancy Finkelstein remembers when Oprah Winfrey named Carousel Cakes' red velvet cake one of her "favorite things" in a 2007 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. "It totally made our Internet business explode," said Finkelstein, co-owner of the Rockland County-based company and its Ridgewood shop, Cupcakes by Carousel. That mention resulted from the work of a publicist, but Carousel has also gotten some unsolicited celebrity exposure, such as when actress Salma Hayek was spotted eating a slice of its coconut layer cake.

"I think the normal person thinks that celebrities can do and buy and get whatever they want. They can have anything, so if they think it's great ... it must be good," Finkelstein said. Carousel's website still calls the cake "Oprah's Favorite Red Velvet Cake," giving anyone who serves it automatic bragging rights. The company got another boost recently when the Ridgewood shop's red velvet cupcakes were featured in the same magazine, and Barbara Walters ate one on "The View."

Then there's reality TV - where a few minutes on screen can translate into a whole new customer base. After TLC's "Cake Boss" released doves from a wedding cake at Bella Notte in Little Falls, many viewers became new dinner guests.

"The Real Housewives of New Jersey," the popular Bravo show that starts its third season next week, has opened up a whole world of exposure. Sales of panini sandwiches at the Market Basket in Franklin Lakes, for instance, soared after one housewife was televised coveting them.

"It's positively affected our business no matter how [the housewives] behave in public," said Rina Oh, a spokeswoman for Portobello in Oakland, which was thrilled to unwittingly host a dramatic Housewives catfight last season.

Customers have even "booked parties at the banquet hall just because they've seen 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey.' That's strange, but that's how people are." And the restaurant continues to benefit from the favor of the housewives - former cast member Dina Manzo taped an episode of her upcoming HGTV show there a few weeks ago.

As the chef-owner of Gourmet In-flight Catering Inc., a Wood- Ridge business that cooks for private jets, Aret Cakir is accustomed to celebrity clients, including Jennifer Lopez, Keith Richards, Steven Spielberg and the late Patrick Swayze. Their demanding nature for items like ripe, sweet fruit in wintertime and top-notch meats results in higher quality for both the catering business and his restaurant, Martini Grill, Cakir says - but he says he also benefits simply from the association with famous people.

"People are fascinated by it," he says.

2011

FED:Tiger Airways gets new CEO

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2011
FED:Tiger Airways gets new CEO

Tiger Airways Australia is losing another chief executive.

TONY DAVIS took over as CEO last month, a few days after the airline was grounded by
the air safety regulator.

Now the airline's back in the air, Tiger's Singapore-based parent company says Mr DAVIS
is leaving the group to return to Europe to live.

Tiger Airways Holdings' acting boss CHIN YAU SENG becomes the group's CEO from November
1, and a new CEO for the Australian operation will be announced in due course.

AAP RTV mn/gfr/jmt

KEYWORD: TIGER (MELBOURNE)

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

WA:Racial harassment complaints rising in WA

AAP General News (Australia)
02-16-2011
WA:Racial harassment complaints rising in WA

PERTH, Feb 16 AAP - Western Australia's Equal Opportunity Commissioner says racial
harassment complaints are on the rise.

Yvonne Henderson says there have been 23 formal complaints so far this financial year,
compared to a total of 28 complaints made in the whole of the last financial year.

Ms Henderson says the increase has been in the area of goods and services, such as
shops, restaurants and hotels, where harassment complaints have gone from zero to nearly
nine per cent.

She says that while Aboriginal people were the traditional victims of racial harassment,
there had been a recent increase in people from Africa and the Middle East becoming targets.

"We get complaints that people are being watched and followed in shops and are being
asked to open their bags when other people don't get asked to open their bags," she told
AAP.

"Hypothetically, they might say `we don't want people like you here' or something like that.

"It's more than a slight, it's quite insulting."

Ms Henderson said there had also been an increase in complaints from men who say they
are not getting the same access as women to entertainment precincts.

AAP anr/dep

KEYWORD: HARASSMENT

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

HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:30

AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2010
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:30

CANBERRA - Consumers appear to have shunned shops and cafes during October, and even
before the hefty rise in mortgage rates the following month, new data released on Thursday
suggests. (Economy Update)

Economy Wrap to come



SYDNEY - The launch of the revamped MySchool website has been pushed back until 2011
because of inaccurate financial data about independent schools, the federal government
says. (MySchool Update with video)

BRISBANE - Julia Gillard will hold her first community cabinet in Queensland on Thursday
in the only marginal seat Labor managed to hold in the state at the last election. (Gillard
Cabinet)

Federal Wrap and Gillard Cabinet Wrap to come



CANBERRA - A battle is looming between credit unions and the big banks as the federal
government prepares measures to establish a fifth pillar for the banking sector. (Banks
Update)

MELBOURNE - Australians need to be able to easily switch accounts between banks to
take advantage of better deals if a "fifth pillar" of banking is created, a newly-formed
advocacy group says. (Banks Integrity)



AUCKLAND - A jet engine, flown in from Australia, has been fired up in a bid to smother
a blaze in a New Zealand mine so crews can begin to recover the bodies of 29 men entombed
underground. (NZ Mine)

See also NZ Mine Service

NZ Mine Wrap to come on world wire



LOS ANGELES - North Carolina police have confirmed DNA taken from human remains found
near a river bank last month match 10-year-old Australian girl Zahra Baker. (US Zahra
on world wire)



MELBOURNE - The Victorian Liberal-National coalition government has been officially
sworn in by state Governor David de Kretser at Government House. (PollVic Governor)

PollVic Wrap to come with pix and video



SYDNEY - MPs or their staff accessed nine sites containing sexually explicit images
of young people on their NSW parliamentary computers, an independent investigation has
found. (Porn NSW)

Porn NSW Wrap to come



SYDNEY - The production of child pornography has emerged as a "disturbing trend" in
Australia, police say. (Porn)



SYDNEY - A man who is believed to be one of the first punters to place a bet on an
allegedly rigged Bulldogs and Cowboys NRL game has been seen on CCTV footage. (League
Betting 2nd Update with pix and video)



SYDNEY - Agricultural chemicals supplier Nufarm Ltd says it expects operating profit
in the first half of 2010/11 to be $10-20 million, as it says its first quarter earnings
have been "well ahead" of the previous corresponding half. (Nufarm to come)



SYDNEY - Leighton Holdings Ltd subsidiary Thiess has won a $5.5 billion coal mine development
contract in India. (Leighton to come)



ZURICH, Switzerland - Bid boss Frank Lowy believes Australia's prospects of staging
the World Cup may have increased on the eve of the hosting announcement in Zurich. (WC22
Aust AM Update)



ADELAIDE - Paceman Mitchell Johnson has been dropped from Australia's side for the
second cricket Test against England. (Cricket Aust Update)

Cricket Aust Wrap to come



SYDNEY - Despite a heavy heart, rising Victorian golfer Matthew Griffin seized the
clubhouse lead with a flawless opening round at the Australian Open at The Lakes on Thursday.

(Golf Aust)

SYDNEY - Age may have wearied Greg Norman's enthusiasm for the practice tee, but he
remains a wonderful striker of the golf ball. (Golf Aust Norman with pix)

Golf Aust Wrap to come with pix

MORE apm

KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL

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

Qld: Gold Coast standoff ends with man being tasered

AAP General News (Australia)
04-26-2010
Qld: Gold Coast standoff ends with man being tasered

BRISBANE, April 26 AAP - Gold Coast police have ended a six-hour standoff by using
a stun gun to subdue a man who broke into a unit and assaulted two people.

The 30-year-old intruder allegedly got into the duplex on North Street, Southport about
6.30am (AEST) on Monday and assaulted a man and a woman.

They managed to flee the building and notify police.

"It is believed the occupants of the unit do not know the man," a police spokeswoman said.

The intruder refused to leave the home and police negotiators were called in.

But, after several hours of stalemate, officers entered the property about 12.30pm
(AEST) and tasered the man to subdue him.

"They were allegedly confronted by an aggressive and threatening man," a police spokesperson
said in a statement.

"A Taser was deployed and the man was arrested without incident."

The Surfers Paradise man has been charged with burglary, assault occasioning bodily
harm whilst armed, a second charge of assault occasioning bodily harm, one count of serious
assault and one count of obstruct police.

He is to appear in the Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

AAP ka/it/apm

KEYWORD: STANDOFF WRAP

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

Intelliden: Network Automation Will Reach Tipping Point in 2010 Based on Five Major Tech Trends

Wireless News
12-14-2009
Intelliden: Network Automation Will Reach Tipping Point in 2010 Based on Five Major Tech Trends
Type: News

Five major technology trends are increasing demands on IP network infrastructures, and each will push network automation closer to the tipping point of widespread adoption in 2010, according to Intelliden, a provider of Intelligent Network Automation solutions that enable organizations to control, manage and scale their networks.

The research group further noted that continued trends toward cloud computing and infrastructure as a service, video-sharing and conferencing, wireless Long-Term Evolution (LTE), managed services, and smart grids depend on the highest levels of network reliability, agility and intelligence.
"Networks continue to grow in complexity and size to sustain these industry trends and technologies, and there is a greater need for network automation than ever before," said Glen Tindal, CTO and co-founder of Intelliden. "A single configuration error on a device has the potential to black out service to thousands of customers. Network automation can no longer be an after-thought. It needs to be an integral part of network overhauls and new build-outs."

Network traffic will reach record highs with the growing popularity of video-sharing from mobile phones and social media Web sites, the latest Internet gaming craze, high-definition videos on YouTube and free streaming movies. The video trend is driving up the requirements for network bandwidth and quality of service and resulting in adoption of bigger and faster network devices. Similarly, investment in new video conferencing technologies that reduce travel costs is creating more video traffic and bigger headaches for enterprise network organizations ill-prepared to meet the new stresses.

Sky-rocketing demand for broadband wireless data services to transmit high-bandwidth multimedia and Web applications will continue to drive the adoption of Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless broadband technology and the need for higher capacity closer to the network edge. Network pipes will need to continuously grow to keep pace with mobile devices. As LTE becomes a reality, networks will need to be more self-organizing, self-optimizing, intelligent and consistent in their delivery to cope with the new complexities that are pushing deployment of Ethernet backhaul and intelligence to the network edge.

Investment in managed services continued in 2009 with enterprises embracing cloud computing and infrastructure-as-a-service to meet demands and avoid build outs to their own infrastructures. Managed service providers will continue to offer value-added network services such as enhanced security, unified communications, monitoring and assurance. Expect wider adoption in the developed countries that are growing comfortable with the idea of network outsourcing and momentum in developing countries.

2010 seems destined to be the Year of Network Automation. Each of these technology trends demands new investments in network infrastructure to ensure service-on-demand capabilities and a competitive edge. Progressive network managers will tackle the question of how to manage their infrastructure with more self- managing and self-optimizing capabilities before it's too late.

More Information:

http://www.intelliden.com

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

Copyright 2009 Close-Up Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

NSW: The Australian's editor-in-chief defends story timing

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2009
NSW: The Australian's editor-in-chief defends story timing

SYDNEY, Aug 4 AAP - The Australian newspaper's editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell has defended
the timeframe used for publishing details of an alleged terrorist attack on Australian
soil.

The Australian newspaper learnt of the terror investigation last week and agreed to
hold off on publishing the story until Tuesday.

Victoria Police claim details of the operation hit the streets in the early hours of
Tuesday morning, potentially jeopardising a series of early morning raids.

But the newspaper has rejected the claim, saying early editions were held back while
the raids took place.

In a seven-month joint investigation, police uncovered an alleged plot by men of Somalian
and Lebanese descent to storm the Holsworthy Army Barracks in Sydney, home to several
thousand troops, and launch a suicide shoot-out.

Victoria's police chief Simon Overland said he was "extremely disappointed" details
of the operation were leaked.

"We will be vigorously pursuing the leak from my end and I expect that the federal
authorities will be doing the same," Mr Overland said.

He said he was disappointed the newspaper hit Melbourne streets at 1.30am (AEST) on
Tuesday - three hours before the raids began.

"This, in my view, represents an unacceptable risk to the operation, an unacceptable
risk to my staff," Mr Overland told reporters.

"It's a risk that I take extremely seriously and is cause for great concern."

But Mr Mitchell said copies of the paper carrying the story were not available at that time.

"We held the story out of all early editions," Mr Mitchell told the Australian website.

"No newspaper that was sold before the raids had any mention of them - they had Godwin
Grech on the front page.

"Only papers that were sold at newsagents after the raid, and those destined for home
delivery, had the raid story on page one."

The newspaper said it took part in a "complex logistical exercise" to hold back its
coverage of the raids until later editions and altered its online publishing schedule
to ensure the reports did not appear on the newspaper's website.

"Simon Overland is wrong," Mr Mitchell said.

"This is his sour grapes about not getting enough credit for Victorian police and him
protecting himself against complaints from Victorian editors."

Journalist Cameron Stewart, who was a spy with the Defence Signals Directorate before
joining The Australian in 1987, said the AFP nominated the publication date for the article
after he sought comment from them.

"They said please don't publish because you might comprise the investigation," he told Sky News.

"I listened to their arguments and we did not publish.

"We said that's fine, please nominate to us the date that we can publish.

"They nominated today and we did publish that."

He said the paper went to "extraordinary lengths" to ensure no editions of the newspaper
that contained the story hit the streets "until late in the piece".

The newspaper did not run the story in the first three editions, he said.

AAP krc/hn/jfm/de

KEYWORD: TERROR VIC PAPER

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

Vic: Healesville warned of fire threat

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2009
Vic: Healesville warned of fire threat

EDS: Reissuing to correct name of CFA in 2nd par to authority, not association as sent.



MELBOURNE, Feb 10 AAP - The town of Healesville will come under direct attack from
the raging bushfires in north-east Victoria on Tuesday with residents in a number of streets
warned to be vigilant of ember attacks.

The Country Fire Authority (CFA) says southerly winds are expected to strengthen which
will fan the fires that are continuing in the area.

"There's an urgent threat message out to the community there," said the CFA spokesman.

"It's not critical but the fire is spotting around there so the community is asked
to be very vigilant as the winds are moving around a bit and there are some strong southerlies
coming in later today."

The CFA says residents in the vicinity of Dowd, Romeo, Anderson and Gibbs roads, Juliet
Avenue and Donald Street may get heavy ember attack.

A fire also continues to burn southeast of Toolangi in a northerly direction and residents
are advised they also may face flying embers.

AAP jxt/ldj

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC THREATS (REISSUING)

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

Bkb: Spain into men's basketball final

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2008
Bkb: Spain into men's basketball final

BEIJING, Aug 22 AFP - Spain defeated Lithuania 91-86 to reach the final of the men's
basketball tournament at the Olympics on Friday.

AFP nh

KEYWORD: OLY08 BKBM SPAIN

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

Fed: overhaul of student funding needed, says VC

AAP General News (Australia)
04-17-2008
Fed: overhaul of student funding needed, says VC

Poor students are the latest casualty of spiralling housing costs .. with a warning
that they'll be forced out unless the government boosts financial support.

IAN CHUBB .. vice-chancellor of the Australian National University .. says it's shameful
that young people are being hit with such high costs to go to university.

He says we can't afford to under-invest and under-provide for the development of our talent.

Professor CHUBB is calling for a thorough overhaul of financial support for students
.. including income and housing support .. and Austudy.

He says the current policy of restricting Austudy to those aged 25 or older will be
a silly outcome in the future educational environment.

AAP RTV ca/sb/ibw/wz

KEYWORD: STUDENTS (CANBERRA)

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

Qld: Severe thunderstorms head for Brisbane

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2007
Qld: Severe thunderstorms head for Brisbane

BRISBANE, Dec 12 AAP - The weather bureau has issued a severe thunderstorm warning
for South-East Queensland this afternoon.

The bureau said that at 3.30pm (AEST), severe thunderstorms were detected on the radar
near Ipswich, west of Brisbane, and at Archerfield, Upper Brookfield and Enoggera Reservoir.

They were forecast to affect Brisbane CBD, Samford, Aspley and Albany Creek by 4.05pm
(AEST) and the northern and northwestern suburbs of Strathpine, Kallangur, Narangba and
Dayboro by 4.35pm (AEST).

Very heavy rain, flash flooding and damaging winds were likely and people were advised
to take shelter, move cars under cover and secure loose items outdoors.

AAP rad/cjh/de

KEYWORD: STORM QLD

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

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

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2007
VIC: Main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers = 2

THE AGE

Page 1: Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd has pre-empted next week's federal budget by announcing
a $300-million scheme for people to make their homes greener by improving energy efficiency
and water conservation; Australia's record-breaking cricketers enhanced their claim to
being the greatest one-day team in history by winning their third consecutive World Cup.

Page 2: One in four doctors has admitted to doing paid work for a drug company, throwing
the spotlight again on the pharmaceutical industry's influence on prescribing habits.

Page 3: Melbourne's impoverished water catchments have missed out again despite weekend
rain drenching some parts of Victoria.

World: A fierce political battle over a Democratic Party plan to pull US troops from
Iraq is moving towards a critical stage as President George W Bush prepares to veto the
bill, but talks on a new bill have quietly begun.

Finance: Poverty in the Asia-Pacific region is both a threat and an opportunity for
Australian businesses, according to a report being released today commissioned by some
of the nation's biggest companies.

Sport: AFL footballer Geoff Farmer's turbulent football career may be over after Fremantle
yesterday hit its volatile star with a lengthy suspension over a weekend nightclub incident
that has led police to charge him with assault.

AAP jrd/rs

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS VIC 2 MELBOURNE

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

Fed: Sir Robert one of Austs most accomplished citizens: Downer

AAP General News (Australia)
12-30-2006
Fed: Sir Robert one of Austs most accomplished citizens: Downer

Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER has described former Liberal senator and ambassador
to the US .. Sir ROBERT COTTON .. as one of Australia's most accomplished citizens.

Sir ROBERT died on Christmas Day in Sydney .. aged 91 .. after a long illness.

The former senator .. who once ran for the prime ministership against then-Labor PM
BEN CHIFLEY .. had a long and distinguished career in politics and business.

Mr DOWNER says Sir ROBERT made a strong and lasting personal contribution to Australia's
deep and enduring relationship with the United States.

AAP RTV kc/els/

KEYWORD: COTTON DOWNER (CANBERRA)

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

Fed: Ajax customers sign rescue deal

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2006
Fed: Ajax customers sign rescue deal

MELBOURNE, Aug 22 AAP - Ford Australia and brake components manufacturer PBR have signed
a deal to keep key parts supplier Ajax Engineered Fasteners open, possibly averting a
dispute that threatened to cripple Australia's car industry.

Negotiations over a multimillion-dollar rescue package for the troubled Victorian nuts
and bolt maker resumed at 9pm (AEST) yesterday and continued well into the night.

Ford Australia spokeswoman Sinead McAlary confirmed Ford and PBR signed the agreement
about 2.30am (AEST) today.

"A number of other (Ajax) customers have not signed but they will sign in the morning,"

Ms McAlary told AAP.

"Now we have to work through the logistics and take it back to the Ajax employees but
it's a very positive development."

MORE jrd/jlw/

KEYWORD: AJAX DEAL

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

Fed: Petrol prices due to rise

AAP General News (Australia)
04-14-2006
Fed: Petrol prices due to rise

Petrol prices are steady on the first day of the Easter weekend .. but motorists have
been warned to expect a jump any day.

Federal Treasurer PETER COSTELLO says Australia's seeing the effects of a record high
in world oil prices .. but others say Australia is not investing enough in alternative
fuels.

Mr COSTELLO says while demand is strong .. oil prices will be strong .. until supply is boosted.

He says the best news would be an increase in supply out of Iraq .. more certainty
in Iran .. and more certainty out of countries like Nigeria and .. thus more reliable
supplies.

Earlier this week .. analysts had predicted petrol could hit a record high of one-dollar-40
a litre .. but this hasn't happened so far.

AAP RTV kl/wz

KEYWORD: PETROL (MELBOURNE)

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

SA: Would-be actor to face trial on sex charges

AAP General News (Australia)
12-16-2005
SA: Would-be actor to face trial on sex charges

ADELAIDE, Dec 16 AAP - An aspiring Hollywood actor will face trial in Adelaide on a
string of sex charges.

Personal trainer and would-be-actor Benjamin William Ainsworth, 29, pleaded not guilty
in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today to two counts of rape and nine counts of unlawful
sexual intercourse.

Ainsworth also pleaded not guilty to further charges of assault with intent to rape,
false imprisonment and aggravated serious criminal trespass.

The charges relate to the alleged rape or attempted rape of three young women at knifepoint
between July 2000 and October 2003 in Adelaide.

Ainsworth was remanded in police custody to face trial in the South Australian District
Court on January 23.

AAP la/cdh/lma/bwl

KEYWORD: AINSWORTH

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

Vic: Corby trial witness in protective custody

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2005
Vic: Corby trial witness in protective custody

A court's heard that a Victorian prisoner who appeared in an Indonesian court in support
of accused drug trafficker SCHAPELLE CORBY is now being held in protective custody.

The County Court has heard that JOHN PATRICK FORD is now locked inside his cell for
23 hours for his own safety because of evidence he gave to police over the CORBY case
and other matters.

FORD told the Denpasar District Court last month that CORBY was an unknowing pawn caught
up in a drug smuggling operation at Australian airports.

The 45-year-old has applied to be released on bail ahead of a trial where he's to face
several charges, including rape, in five weeks time.

County Court judge ROY PUNSHON says he'll hand down his decision on FORD'S bail application
tomorrow morning.

AAP RTV sew/mp/low/jv

KEYWORD: FORD (MELBOURNE)

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

APACS

APACS Abbreviation for Association for Payment Clearing Services.

Comverse Infosys and PricewaterhouseCoopers Sign Co-Marketing Agreement.

Business Editors and High-Tech Writers

WOODBURY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 31, 2001

Contact Center Leaders To Offer PricewaterhouseCoopers' pdchange

Scorecarding Service, Benchmarking Products And Comverse Infosys'

ULTRA Quality Assurance To Contact Centers Globally

Comverse Infosys Inc., a subsidiary of Comverse Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CMVT) and a leading provider of business intelligence through digital voice, data and video recording for contact centers, government, law enforcement and other commercial applications, announced today that it has reached an agreement with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to co-market and sell on a global basis a variety of quality assessment and benchmarking tools and services for contact centers.

The agreement includes pdchange, the internet-based application service through which PricewaterhouseCoopers offers evaluation and benchmarking of agent performance for contact centers, as well as the integration of the pdchange evaluation tool into Comverse Infosys' ULTRA(TM) Intelligent Recording(TM) and monitoring products. Comverse Infosys and PricewaterhouseCoopers will also work to jointly develop new applications to enhance agent performance and improve contact center quality. Comverse Infosys' contact center monitoring products include real-time monitoring with e-coaching tools, multi-channel agent performance measurement, synchronized ScreenCapture(TM), and customer relationship management (CRM) enhancement offerings such as Voice in CRM (vCRM(TM)), a unique Comverse Infosys application recently introduced in PricewaterhouseCoopers' CRMLive(TM) exhibit.

The combination of Comverse Infosys' products and PricewaterhouseCoopers' pdchange services brings a special offering to the contact center market. By combining "best of breed" technology from Comverse Infosys with the pdchange product and service offering, contact centers can more accurately measure agent performance, increase customer satisfaction, reduce the costs of training and acquiring agents and grow profitability.

"We are very pleased to have teamed with a leader like PricewaterhouseCoopers to improve the quality assurance market in contact centers," said Dan Bodner, President and CEO of Comverse Infosys. "Comverse has built a powerful platform to improve contact center effectiveness through Intelligent Recording, customer experience management and voice analytics to help companies create the Customer-Intelligent Enterprise. PricewaterhouseCoopers is a recognized leader in implementing quality assurance, CRM and business intelligence solutions."

"The agreement with Comverse enables us to offer pdchange and our contact center quality assurance programs in conjunction with a leader in recording and contact center solutions," said Stanley Brown, Leader of PricewaterhouseCoopers' Centre of Excellence in Customer Care. "The Comverse solutions are an important set of analysis tools that help improve agent performance, customer experience and processes in today's competitive business environment."

About PricewaterhouseCoopers

The Management Consulting Services practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers helps clients maximize their business performance by integrating strategic change, process improvements and technology solutions. Through a worldwide network of skills and resources, consultants manage complex projects with global capabilities and local knowledge, from strategy through implementation. PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwcglobal.com) is the world's largest professional services organization. Drawing on the knowledge and skills of more than 150,000 people in 150 countries, we help our clients solve complex business problems and measurably enhance their ability to build value, manage risk and improve performance in an Internet-enabled world.

PricewaterhouseCoopers refers to the member firms of the worldwide PricewaterhouseCoopers organization.

About Comverse Infosys, Inc.

Comverse Infosys, Inc., based in Woodbury, New York is a world leader in the development, manufacture and marketing of business intelligence through digital recording of voice, data and video for contact centers, government, law enforcement and other commercial applications. The company's products are installed in financial institutions, customer service centers, telemarketing centers, and other contact centers worldwide. Comverse Infosys has a global presence with sales and support services across the U.S. and in 50 countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Comverse Infosys is a subsidiary of Comverse Technology, Inc., an S&P 500 and NASDAQ-100 Index Company and the world's largest provider of systems and software enabling enhanced services for wireless and wireline communications network operators. For more information on Comverse Infosys, Inc., visit us at www.cominfosys.com.

About Comverse Technology, Inc.

Comverse Technology, Inc., headquartered in Woodbury, New York, designs, develops, manufactures and markets computer and telecommunications systems and software for communications and information processing applications. In addition to its Infosys Division, Comverse Technology's operations include Comverse which is the world's leading supplier of systems and software enabling network-based enhanced services; and Ulticom, which is a leading provider of network signaling software for wireless, wireline, and Internet communication services. Comverse Technology is an S&P 500 and NASDAQ-100 Index company. Visit Comverse Technology's web site at www.cmvt.com.

Intelligent Recording, ULTRA, ScreenCapture and vCRM are trademarks of Comverse Infosys, Inc. All other trademarks and registration marks are the property of their respective companies.

Certain information included in this press release is forward-looking and is subject to important risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual results or events.

Note to Editors: The name PricewaterhouseCoopers is one word, with upper case P, upper case C, and all other letters in lower case.

BERTELSMANN ECOMMERCE GROUP APPOINTS CAROLA HOLTERMANN AS DIRECTOR MARKET COMMUNICATIONS.

Bertelsmann eCommerce Group strengthens corporate communications department

PR Newswire, London, September 1. This press release is transmitted on behalf of Bertelsmann eCommerce Group.

Cross-reference: photo was sent via satellite and is available at: http://recherche.newsaktuell.de/galerie.htx?type=obs

Hamburg, Germany and New York -

Carola Holtermann, will be joining the Bertelsmann eCommerce Group (BeCG) as of November 1, 2000. In her new capacity as Director Market Communications, she will be responsible for BeCG's worldwide market and expert communications, focusing specifically on the strategic role of eCommerce in corporate marketing concepts, and on the future development of digital distribution, channels and models. Her department will also concentrate on obtaining market-relevant data by means of the appropriate market research activity. Holtermann will report to Frank Sarfeld, BeCG Senior Vice President & CCO.

At present, Carola Holtermann is Director Marketing & Market Communications for AOL Europe IMG, where she is in charge of all pan-European sales marketing, market research and expert communications activities. Prior to this, she headed the Marketing & Communications department for Gruner + Jahr's Electronic Media Service, where she played a key role in pointing the way in the areas of online sales marketing and online market research. Frank Sarfeld, Senior Vice President & Chief Communications Officer commented:

"We are very happy to have an online market research and online marketing strategy expert such as Carola Holtermann for our BeCG Communications team. Distinguished professionals like Carola are an important prerequisite for achieving our goal of building up a globally leading eCommunity, Content and Commerce network as quickly as possible."

About BeCG Bertelsmann eCommerce Group (BeCG)

Formed in June, brings together Bertelsmann's entire portfolio of e-commerce companies and holdings such as BOL.com, BarnesandNobles.com, CDNow and the Bertelsmann Broadband Group in order to drive Bertelsmann's global e-content, community and commerce business. The group's objective is to build the leading global community and commerce network across all technologies and platforms while providing an unmatched consumer experience around all forms of media and entertainment. Through the acquisition of CDNOW and strategic alliances with AOL and TerraLycos, Bertelsmann has direct access to some 200 million customers worldwide. With 27 Million unique visitors per month, Bertelsmann is the global Internet leader among all media companies.

BeCG is a subsidiary of Bertelsmann AG, the world's most international media company with over 75,000 employees in more than 54 countries. Bertelsmann's business units include publishing firms, music and film companies, multimedia services, online commerce companies, daily newspapers, consumer magazines, radio and television stations, book clubs, trade journals, and other service companies that provide information, education and entertainment to a worldwide audience.

No way to survive.

Report into deadly space shuttle accident in 2003 released after four-year investigation Astronauts on the shuttle Columbia were trying to regain control of their craft before it broke apart in 2003, but there was no chance of surviving the accident, a NASA report has said. From the crew's perspective, the shift from what appeared to be a normal descent on February 1, 2003, into disaster happened so fast that the astronauts didn't even have time to close the visors on their helmets. Columbia broke apart about 20km over Texas as it headed for landing at the Kennedy Space Centre. The cause of the accident was traced to a hole in one of the shuttle's wings, which was hit by a piece of falling foam insulation during launch 16 days earlier. Seven astronauts, including Israel's first astronaut Ilan Ramon, were killed when superheated atmospheric gases blasted inside the breach like a blow torch, melting the ship's structure. The crew cabin broke away from the ship and started spinning rapidly. Analysis of the wreckage indicated the crew members had flipped cockpit switches in response to alarms that were sounding. The astronauts had also reset the shuttle's autopilot system, the report said. "We have evidence from some of the switch positions that the crew was trying very hard to regain control. We're talking about a very brief time in a crisis situation," said NASA's deputy associate administrator, Wayne Hale. But rapid depressurisation caused the Columbia crew to lose consciousness, and medical findings show that they could not have recovered, said the report, which took four years to compile. "This report confirms that although the valiant Columbia crew tried every possible way to maintain control of their vehicle, the accident was not ultimately survivable," said Hale, who oversaw the shuttle programme during its return to flight after the accident. Analysis shows the astronauts' shoulder harnesses failed and their helmets did not adequately protect their heads. The lack of safety restraints caused traumatic injuries. The investigation also found problems with the shuttle's seats and parachute landing system, which requires astronauts be conscious to operate manually. Even if the safety gear had worked, the astronauts would have died due to the winds, shock waves and other extreme conditions in the upper atmosphere. Designing spacesuits that are more automated and integrated into future spaceships is among 30 recommendations made in the report. "I call on spacecraft designers from all the other nations of the world, as well as the commercial and personal spacecraft designers here at home to read this report and apply these hard lessons which have been paid for so dearly," Hale said. Also killed in the accident were shuttle commander Rick Husband, pilot William McCool and astronauts Michael Anderson, David Brown, Kalpana Chawla and Laurel Clark. Much of what is in the report was discovered by the Columbia accident investigation team, which released a series of findings and recommendations six months after the disaster. The panel advised retiring the space shuttles as soon as NASA finishes using them to complete construction of the International Space Station, a $100 billion project of 16 partner countries that has been under way for more than a decade. The shuttle Challenger broke apart in 1986. Since the accident, NASA has flown 11 shuttle missions and has nine left in its schedule. A tenth mission to fly a physics experiment to the space station is under consideration.

[c] 2007 Al Sidra Media LLC

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

Researchers from University of Montana Describe Findings in Addiction Medicine.(Report)

"This study examined the utilization of the Internet by young adults as a source of information for the misuse of prescription drugs. Collected during 2008-2009, the data presented here comes from semistructured interviews (N = 62) conducted in a northwestern city of the United States through support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse," scientists in Missoula, United States report (see also Addiction Medicine).

"Previous studies characterize young adults as particularly vulnerable to online prescription drug information that analysts portray as having a significant, invariably detrimental, impact on youth drug use behaviors. The results presented here suggest that young adults are more skeptical and information savvy than many substance abuse analysts acknowledge," wrote G. Quintero and colleagues, University of Montana.

The researchers concluded: "In addition, knowledge and experiences generated from legitimate medical uses of pharmaceuticals influence individuals' information assessment and evaluation practices employed in the nonmedical misuse of prescription drugs."

Quintero and colleagues published their study in Substance Use & Misuse (''Most of the Time You Already Know'': Pharmaceutical Information Assembly by Young Adults on the Internet. Substance Use & Misuse, 2011;46(7):898-909).

For additional information, contact H. Bundy, University of Montana, Dept. of Anthropol, 32 Campus Dr., Missoula, MT 59803, United States.

The publisher's contact information for the journal Substance Use & Misuse is: Informa Healthcare, Telephone House, 69-77 Paul Street, London EC2A 4LQ, England.

Keywords: City:Missoula, State:Montana, Country:United States, Region:North and Central America, Addiction Medicine

This article was prepared by Biotech Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Biotech Week via NewsRx.com.

Top rates for alert savers.(Business)

SAVERS need to be on their toes to grab the top-paying fixed-rate bonds. While some banks and building societies have cut the rate savers get, others are launching top-paying accounts to take their place.

Last week, Nationwide cut the rates it pays to new savers. Its three-year bond, which paid 3.36pc after tax (4.2pc before) was replaced with one paying between 2.92pc (3.65pc) and 3.12pc (3.95pc), depending on the account's balance.

But Barnsley BS has launched a three-year fixed-rate internet-based account at 3.24pc (4.05pc), fixed for three years. Other good threeyear deals include Sainsbury's Bank at 3.28pc (4.10pc) and Saga, open to those aged 50 and over only, at 3.36 pc (4.2 pc).

Nationwide's three subsidiaries, Cheshire, Derbyshire and Dunfermline building societies, all pay 3.32pc (4.15pc) through their branches.

Top one-year fixed-rate bonds come from internet bank FirstSave at 2.8pc (3.5pc) and Tesco, Barnsley BS at 2.72pc (3.4 pc) and Sainsbury's at 2.60 pc (3.35 pc).

Among the best deals from large banks and building societies with a large branch network is Santander at 2.52pc (3.15 pc). The Nationwide trio pay 2.56 pc (3.2 pc) fixed for one year through their branches.

On two-year deals Santander pays 3.2pc (4pc) on balances of [pounds sterling]25,000 or more fixed until July 7, 2013 -- the top rate in the High Street.

For smaller balances Halifax pays 3.04pc (3.8pc) on [pounds sterling]500 plus.

MICROS to Present at the Jefferies 2011 Global Technology, Internet, Media and Telecom Conference.(Conference news)

COLUMBIA, Md., May 9, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- MICROS Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: MCRS), a leading supplier of information systems to the hospitality and retail industries, today announced that its Executive Vice President of Investor Relations, Peter J. Rogers, Jr., will present at the following investor conference on May 10, 2011 in New York City:

Jefferies 2011 Global Technology, Internet, Media and Telecom Conference: Mr. Rogers will present on Tuesday, May 10th, from 11:10 am to 11:40 am, EDT. The presentation is being webcast at http://www.wsw.com/webcast/jeff56/mcrs/.

The presentation will be conducted in a "Fireside Chat" format with questions directed to Mr. Rogers by Mr. Ross McMillan, Jefferies Technology Analyst, and the audience.

MICROS's investors and other interested parties who are not attending the conference are invited to listen to the presentation via the webcast. The webcast will be available for 90 days after the presentation.

About MICROS Systems, Inc.

MICROS Systems, Inc. provides enterprise applications for the hospitality and retail industries worldwide. Over 330,000 MICROS systems are currently installed in table and quick service restaurants, hotels, motels, casinos, leisure and entertainment, and retail operations in more than 150 countries, and on all seven continents. In addition, MICROS provides property management systems, central reservation and customer information solutions under the brand MICROS-Fidelio for more than 26,000 hotels worldwide, as well as point-of-sale, loss prevention, and cross-channel functionality through its MICROS-Retail division for more than 100,000 retail stores worldwide.

MICROS stock is traded through NASDAQ under the symbol MCRS.

Additional information about MICROS can be obtained by calling Peter J. Rogers, Jr., MICROS Executive Vice President of Investor Relations at 443.285.8059.

The MICROS logo is a registered trademark of MICROS Systems, Inc.

Contact:	Peter J. Rogers, Jr.
	Executive Vice President, Investor Relations
	443-285-8059
	progers@micros.com

SOURCE MICROS Systems, Inc.

Demystifying dance.(P)(Dance review)

By Rashod Ollison

The Virginian-Pilot

The right words escape Virginia Johnson.

The artistic director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem struggles to describe the depth and spectacle of the ensemble's new production, playing tonight at the L. Douglas Wilder Center in Norfolk as part of the Virginia Arts Festival.

"When I'm watching these young people, I am astounded how it communicates a message without words," Johnson said during a phone call from New York City. "That's one of the things about dancing: It is an understanding, a connection to the human experience that's very unique."

After a three-year hiatus due to financial issues, the ensemble, the most visible component of the company, has been reformed. Johnson, who became artistic director last year, said the dancers were chosen from the company's school.

"We're very excited about the level of work they do and the potential that they have to be the nucleus of our reborn Dance Theatre of Harlem Company," Johnson said.

Tonight, the 12 dancers, ranging in age from 18 to 24, will perform neoclassical styles to the vintage soul of James Brown and Aretha Franklin.

"There's a whole spectrum of ideas in one work," Johnson said. "That has always been true with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and will always be true."

The vision of the company, which was founded by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook in 1969, now reflects more nuanced images of blackness. Newly commissioned works encompassing spoken word and a variety of music will push that vision forward, Johnson said.

"We're starting to look at the African American experience as how it contributed to America's greatness, that we are not on the side but part of the mainstream," said the Washington, D.C., native, who started as a dancer with the company the year it opened. "There's a tremendous negative perception of African Americans in some people's minds. It's important to bring forward messages and images of African Americans that go beyond being impoverished."

Newly commissioned pieces will premiere in the 2012-13 season. In the meantime, tonight's production adds rich dimension to this year's Virginia Arts Festival, said VAF Director Rob Cross.

Since the ensemble's last performance in the area in 2002, "we've had requests from the community to bring back Dance Theatre of Harlem," he said. "Now that they are touring with the ensemble, we are very excited to be presenting this iconic American company in partnership with Norfolk State University."

In addition to tonight's performance, the company will do several educational outreach programs in the area, including a student matinee at Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center in Newport News. They will also participate in a symposium Friday morning at Norfolk State.

Part of the mission of the revitalized DTH is to make the art of dance more accessible, Johnson said.

"It's about using the art form of ballet to communicate real, human, relatable experiences," she said. "Now that we're in the 21st century, we're in a very different world from 1969."

Today, just about anything is accessible via the Internet, including rehearsals at the New York City school. On Thursdays, the company invites the public to sit in and watch how it all comes together.

"We take apart the dancing and show how it works and open a dialogue," Johnson said. "It's simple and difficult at the same time, these different styles of movement. We show how to take someone's idea and make your body do it."

Whether in rehearsals or in performance, the ultimate goal of the Dance Theatre of Harlem is to connect with people and demystify the demanding world of dance.

"We're venturing beyond the traditional curtain goes up, some people dance, you clap and the curtain goes down," Johnson said. "We're trying to connect to our audience. We love sharing what we believe in with other people."

Rashod Ollison, (757) 446-2732,

rashod.ollison@pilotonline.com

Check out Rashod's blog at www.hamptonroads.com/behindthegroove

CAPTION(S):

Rachel Neville

The performers in the Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble range in age from 18 to 24 and were chosen from the famed company's school.

ADB Helps Poor Households in Cambodia's Resource-Rich Tonle Sap Basin.

M2 PRESSWIRE-9 July 2009-Asian Development Bank: ADB Helps Poor Households in Cambodia's Resource-Rich Tonle Sap Basin(C)1994-2009 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

RDATE:08072009

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is providing a $3.45 million technical assistance grant to Cambodia to help diversify and boost the incomes of thousands of marginal farmers, small land holders, and poor householders living in and around the resource-rich Tonle Sap Basin.

The technical assistance will be funded by a $2.7-million grant from the Government of Finland, a $500,000 grant from the Republic of Korea e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund, and a $250,000 grant from ADB. ADB will manage the funds. The Government of Cambodia will provide $200,000 equivalent.

The project will support training programs, demonstrations of modern agricultural practices, and the introduction of communication facilities in remote rural communities to provide access to internet-based agricultural knowledge banks.

Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and provides an irreplaceable source of livelihood for more than one million people, or a third of the country's total population. Despite its plentiful resources, the region remains one of the poorest in Cambodia, with almost 40% of its residents living on less than $1.25 a day. A reliance on old, unproductive farming practices and a lack of resources and access to information on modern techniques have left many households eking out a subsistence living.

The technical assistance will be used to support training sessions and demonstrations of high yielding farming techniques in four provinces - Banteay Meanchey, Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, and Siem Reap. Funds will also be used for a pilot communication project that will establish internet linked e-kiosks and other facilities, providing updated information on modern crop, livestock, and aquaculture production practices, as well as best practices for water management.

'The technical assistance will help diversify and improve the incomes of small land holders, marginal farmers, and poor households in the Tonle Sap Basin by increasing their access to good agricultural practices, technologies, and information,' said Giap Minh Bui, rural development economist in ADB's Southeast Asia Department.

The cofinancing from Finland is coming from the Channel Financing Agreement, a joint technical assistance program between the Government of Finland and ADB. The Republic of Korea e-Asia and Knowledge Partnership Fund, administered by ADB, supports projects that boost knowledge development and information technology in the region.

The project will be carried out from September this year until August 2012 with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries as the executing agency.

CONTACT: Ramoncito dela Cruz, ADBe-mail: rpdelacruz@adb.orgTel: +632 632 5881Tel: +63 917 891 7644

((M2 Communications 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)).

Value of North American IT M&A transactions in first half more than doubles over first half last year; The Internet, industry concentration and market entry drive M&A transactions.

FORT LEE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 1996-- The value of merger and acquisition transactions involving North American Information Technology (IT) companies in the first half of 1996 totaled $97.1 billion compared to $46.6 billion in the first half of 1995, an increase of 108 percent, according to a report published by Broadview Associates, the leading M&A advisor to the global IT industry. The record breaking mid-year value was 17 percent above the full-year 1995 value of $83.1 billion.

The value of merger and acquisition transactions in the global IT industry in the first half of 1996 totaled $125.7 billion compared to $66.1 billion in the first half of 1995, an increase of 90 percent. The number of reported transactions announced on a global basis totaled 1,624, up from 1,383 in the first half of 1995.

"The vast increase in transaction value reflects both an increased volume of deals and a robust valuation for technology stocks," said Charlie Federman, chairman of the executive committee at Broadview Associates. "In North America, the number of IT industry mergers and acquisitions totaled 955 in the first half of 1996 compared to 739 deals in the first half of 1995, a gain of 29 percent. The full valuations public IT companies have enjoyed over the past year has increased both the seller's price expectations and the buyer's capacity to pay, leading to higher deal prices."

Internet-Related Opportunities, Industry Concentration and Market Entry Propel M&A Activity

The Internet spurred transactions in each sector of the IT industry as nimble companies rushed to capitalize on opportunities created by the growth of the Internet. "As the Internet frenzy escalated over the months, the M&A activity surrounding this platform has dramatically increased. Time to market is an essential determinant of success. M&A enabled telecommunications services companies to provide national-scope Internet access, internetworking hardware companies to become providers of the building blocks of the Internet infrastructure, and software companies to provide Internet connectivity software and WWW development tools and services. The free information distribution made possible by the Internet also made many digital content and media companies more attractive than ever to acquirers," said Federman.

Many of the 1996's most notable transactions, including Northrop Grumman Corp.'s $3.0 billion acquisition of Westinghouse Electronic Corp.'s Defense Electronics business and Pure Software's $954 million acquisition of Atria Software, were driven by concentration strategy.

A number of dramatic market entry moves played out in the first half as well. "Established companies seeking new sources of growth made bold entry moves into a variety of information technology sectors. Local telephone access provider MFS Communications' $2.0 billion acquisition of Internet access provider UUNet Technologies and CUC International's $1.1 billion acquisition of Davidson & Associates and $919 million acquisition of Sierra On-line are primary examples of a buyer using acquisition to enter a new market as a leader," said Federman.

Transaction Value Up Across Most Sectors -- Telecom Leads

The value of transactions in telecommunications services increased 198 percent, up to $50.6 billion in the first half of 1996 from $17 billion in 1995. Two deals made possible by relaxed telecommunication regulation, Bell Atlantic/NYNEX and SBC Communications/Pacific Telesis, accounted for over $38 billion of the first half's total. Deal count in the telecom sector increased 24% from 108 to 134, led by Internet-related buying -- Internet access companies have been acquiring presence in local markets to quickly build a regional or national network. While numerous, these deals are generally small averaging $6 million per transaction (excluding MFS/UUNet). "Internet access has increasingly become a commodity. We expect further consolidation in that arena, with only a handful of survivors," said Federman.

While deal count in the software sector was up 27% in the first half from 244 to 310, transaction value declined 48 percent to $8.8 billion from $16.9 billion in the first half of 1995. The large transaction value last year was attributed primarily to three "mega" deals: First Financial Management Corporation's $6.7 billion acquisition of First Data Corporation, IBM's $3.5 billion acquisition of Lotus Development Corporation and Computer Associates International's $1.7 billion acquisition of Legent Corporation -- contributing $11.9 billion or 70 percent of the software and services sector's total transaction value in the first half of 1995. In first half of 1996 by contrast, Computer Sciences Corporation's acquisition of Continuum at $1.5 billion was the only deal larger than $1 billion in the software and services sector.

The systems management software and programmer development tool segments of the software sector saw a tremendous surge of activity in the first half. Deals such as IBM's $731 million acquisition of Tivoli, Microsoft's $130 million acquisition of Vermeer, and Netscape's $120 million acquisition of Insoft were important "time to market" plays for these large buyers. Some of the highest valuation deals were in network security. "By hooking their networks into the Internet, corporations create an electronic entry point for hackers to steal data and vandalize systems. To protect themselves, corporations are seeking out sophisticated network security software. Many vendors are using M&A to position themselves as leaders in the increasingly important security market," said Federman. "Notable network security transactions included Security Dynamics Technologies Inc.'s $198 million acquisition of RSA Data Security, and Secure Computing Corporation's $193 million acquisition of Border Network Technology and $71.3 million acquisition of Enigma Logic."

Acquisitions of media and content services companies jumped 322 percent to $11.4 billion in the first half of 1996 from $2.7 billion in 1995 primarily due to acquisition of digital entertainment and education companies, digital information companies, and an increased rate of consolidation among traditional print media companies. "Thomson Corp.'s $3.4 billion acquisition of West Publishing gave the diversified publishing giant a strong presence in the important legal market. Also, financial investors continue to pursue vendors of business-related digital information -- notably Bain Capital's and Thomas Lee Co.'s $1 billion acquisition of TRW's Information Systems & Services business and Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe's $275 million pending acquisition of Knight Ridder's Financial Information Division," said Federman.

Transaction value in the hardware sector rose 162 percent to $20.2 billion in the first half of 1996 compared to $7.7 billion in the same half of 1995. Transaction count in this sector rose from 120 to 156, a 30% increase. "This activity was largely due to Lockheed's $7 billion acquisition of Loral, the $3 billion Northrop Grumman acquisition of Westinghouse's Defense Electronics division, and Internet-related deal activity in the internetworking segment. Bay Network's acquisitions of Performance Technology and Penril Datacomm Networks' DSP modem business enabled Bay to compete with high-end dial-in service providers, an Internet-driven business. Transactions such as Cisco's $3.7 billion acquisition of Stratacom will enable the development of the high-end backbone for the Internet, and facilitate the expansion of Internet infrastructure" said Federman.

$6.0 billion worth of supporting products and services sector deals were announced in the first six months of 1996, up 161 percent from $2.3 billion in the same half of 1995. The increase was fueled partly by system integration companies seeking to establish a broader geographic presence in order to better support and service Fortune 500 companies. Also note, U.K.-based component distributor, Farnell Electronics completed a major concentration play in the first half with its $2.8 billion acquisition of Premier Industrial Corp.

Stock Is Increasingly The Transaction Currency of Choice

Strong public company valuations have driven the count of pure stock deals up to 44 percent of the first half total, compared to 43 percent in 1995. The combination of pure stock and combined stock and cash deals accounted for 69 percent of deals in the first half of 1996, up dramatically from 59 percent last year.

Broadview Associates

With 175 staff worldwide, Broadview Associates has completed over 80 M&A transactions in the past year. The company's strategic focus is to forge transactions that enable both industry leaders and emerging organizations to thrive in the global IT industry. Notable recent transactions include Secure Computing's acquisition of Border Network Technologies, IBM's acquisition of Data Sciences, U.S. Robotics' acquisition of Scorpio Communications, Bay Networks' acquisition of Performance Technology, GE Capital's acquisition of CompuNet and 3Com's acquisition of AXON Networks.

A complete copy of Broadview Associates' merger and acquisition report, which includes graphs and charts depicting merger and acquisition activity, is available upon request or via Broadview Associates' website at http://www.broadview.com. Broadview Associates also compiles and releases reports detailing merger and acquisition activity in Europe and the United Kingdom. A complete copy of Broadview Associates' US IT Index, a technology stock index that tracks 1,500 IT companies, is also available upon request. -0-

Broadview's Merger and Acquisition Report reflects data extracted from the company's Merger and Acquisition Database. The data is based on transactions that were announced in the first six months of 1994, 1995, and 1996, and includes the most current information available. The Report incorporates revised data to reflect final transaction valuations or the unexpected terminations of transactions, as well the reclassification of transactions in converging and expanding industry segments.

CONTACT: Janet Swift Hazel Kochocki

Broadview Associates The Weber Group

(201) 346-9000 (617) 520-7018

jswift@broadview.com hkochocki@webergroup.com

http://www.broadview.com

WiDAQ Systems.(BUSINESS BIRTHS)(Company overview)

Owner: Tony Purdom

Startup date: Jan. 5

Address: 312 S. Mary Ave., East Wenatchee

Phone: 509-393-9962

If things go well for Tony Purdom, he will see his new company's main product driven almost to the ground. Repeatedly.

Purdom is the founder of WiDAQ Systems, a company that sells wireless field sensors that measure humidity and temperature. To work best, these sensors have to be installed a foot or two above ground level.

While Purdom did not invent the sensors, he started selling them Jan. 5 and providing technical support and data storage to those--mostly farmers and orchardists--who buy and use them.

The purpose of WiDAQ, which stands for Wireless Data Acquisition, ("DAQ is an old term for data acquisition," he said. "It's not a typo.") is to provide high-resolution data in the field to farmers and orchardists, Purdom said.

"They can monitor the temperature and make decisions based on that," he said. "The data can also be used for spray records, recording the temperatures during the days they were spraying, and calculating when to spray for certain pests."

Purdom said the equipment is suited for all sorts of farming but it is most useful in large fields, as it makes what otherwise would be a time-consuming data collection process, much quicker, more accurate and streamlined.

"For instance, during a frost, you got your whole orchard crew checking temperatures," he said.

With the sensors, which are about the size of a carton of eggs, all that work is handled by the equipment and it's accomplished in a matter of seconds.

"It allows you to see better what goes on throughout the site," he said.

The data gathered by the WiDAQ sensors includes air and soil temperatures, both highs and lows, vibration, pressure and motion.

This data is driven through a watertight repeater unit the size of a small briefcase to a computer gateway. Each repeater can transfer information from up to 26 sensors and each computer gateway can gather the information from up to 100 sensors and 14,000 events, according to WiDAQ's Web site.

While the sensors have a 1-mile range, the repeaters have a 7-mile range, Purdom said.

The repeaters create an invisible "mesh," a wireless network of signals and connections, which covers more ground. This makes the data more thorough and drives it faster to the gateway.

This data can then be sent to a grower's computer, according to WiDAQ's Web site, and all the data from all the sensors are hosted in a password-protected server operated and maintained by WiDAQ.

The sensors were developed and are manufactured by Point Six Wireless, a company out of Kentucky. Sensors cost about $300 and the repeaters cost about $400.

These costs will come down as the technology becomes more prevalent, Purdom said.

Purdom, who now lives in East Wenatchee, grew up in Omak.

He first studied computer programming in 1991 when he attended Communication Specialist School while stationed in Petaluma, Calif., with the Coast Guard. He was in the Coast Guard until 1993.

Since then he has been a member of the Air National Guard, attended Central Washington University and has held a handful of computer-related jobs including stints as a software programmer at Duke Engineering in Wenatchee, a software development company, and two years as network administrator for the Washington State Apple Commission.

During this time working in different computer related jobs was when he first came across a system that was used to gather temperature data on the fields.

The first tries he saw did not work really well, as they mainly consisted of one router inside an office gathering all the data. He started researching wireless sensors and came across Point Six's product and applied the "mesh" idea and more sensors were added.

Now, he said, "there are no major issues, the technology is solid on both ends."

Purdom, working out of his home and with no employees, said he may one day need an office for additional technicians, but for now the company is running efficiently the way it is.

The need for a staff or an office will depend on how much business the company has, he said.

Purdom said that while he has not made any money on sales of the systems, there has been "a lot of interest in the system." A handful of entities, including farms and irrigation districts have approached him, he said.

Overhead costs are running close to $1,000 per month, which includes his Internet connection, server lease and electricity, among others. The initial self-funded investment to start the company ran close to $6,000,

Numbers aside, the biggest challenge is educating the grower on the technology, which he said is just emerging.

In five years, Purdom hopes to see the hardware become less expensive, making it more cost-effective for growers to install more sensors and have what he calls "higher-resolution data," a sharper overview of what is happening in a field.

He also sees the temperature sensors being used in warehouse floors, or by wine grape producers.

"Once people understand how reliable this is, this is going to explode," he said. "There will be applications for it we haven't even thought of."

ECUI, GACF, PTLD, QOIL have also been added to naked short lists today.

M2 PRESSWIRE-22 February 2006-BUYINS.NET: ECUI, GACF, PTLD, QOIL have also been added to naked short lists today(C)1994-2006 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:22022006

BUYINS.NET, www.buyins.net, announced today that these select companies have been added to the NASDAQ, AMEX and NYSE naked short threshold lists: Ecuity, Inc. (OTCBB: ECUI), Global Aircraft Solutions, Inc. (OTCBB: GACF), Petrol Industries, Inc. (OTC: PTLD), Quest Oil Corporation (OTCBB: QOIL). For a complete list of companies on the naked short lists please visit our web site. To find the SqueezeTrigger Price before a short squeeze starts in any stock, go to www.buyins.net.

Ecuity, Inc. (OTCBB: ECUI) operates as a facilities-based telecommunication carrier serving primarily the small office and home office market, as well as fiber to the premises (FTTP) and broadband residential markets in the United States. The company provides legacy telecommunication services and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services. The legacy telecommunications services include long distance services, Internet dial-up services, Web-hosting, and digital subscriber line broadband Internet services. The VOIP services over FTTP include fiber to residences and businesses, business VoIP services, VoIP over WiFi, 'SmartCall' services for VoIP using a soft-client down-loaded to the computer of a user or other computing device, and conference calling. Ecuity offers its services through direct sales to small business and residential customers; retail sales through channel partner agreements; and wholesale sales through strategic partner agreements. The company was formerly known as Y3K Secure Enterprises Software, Inc. and changed its name to Ecuity, Inc. in 2004. Ecuity is based in Bellevue, Washington. With 271.66 million shares outstanding and an undisclosed short position, there is a failure to deliver in shares of ECUI.

Global Aircraft Solutions, Inc. (OTCBB: GACF) and its subsidiaries engage in the provision of aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services, as well as in the sale and brokerage of aircraft parts. The company services include maintenance, repair, overhaul, and modification services for transport category aircrafts, aircraft components, and aircraft interiors. Its modification services include the conversion of passenger aircraft to freighter configuration and technical support for third party modification programs. It also offers phase check, corrosion control and prevention program, inspections, avionic upgrade, interior reconfiguration and refurbishment, strip and paint, modification, and flight test support services. The company also engages in the sale and brokerage of aircraft parts, airframe components, engines, and engine materials. Its customers comprise aircraft operators or owners, including passenger and cargo air carriers; and aircraft leasing companies. Global Aircraft Solutions is based in Tucson, Arizona. With 38.32 million shares outstanding and an undisclosed short position, there is a failure to deliver in shares of GACF.

Petrol Industries, Inc. (OTC: PTLD) engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, production and sale of oil, gas, and natural gas liquids primarily in the United States. It primarily operates in the Caddo Pine Island Field and the Shreveport Field located in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. As of December 31, 2004, the company had proved developed reserves of approximately 7,857 barrels of oil. Petrol Industries was formed in 1968 and is based in Shreveport, Louisiana. With 9.90 million shares outstanding and an undisclosed short position, there is a failure to deliver in shares of PTLD.

Quest Oil Corporation (OTCBB: QOIL) an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition and development of oil and gas properties worldwide. The company, through its subsidiary, Quest Canada Corporation, holds a 100% working interest in the Acadia North Project located in the Acadia area of Eastern Alberta, Canada. The company was incorporated in January 1999 as Luna Technologies, Inc. and changed its name to Luna Medical Technologies, Inc. in May 1999. It further changed its name to LanWerX Entertainment, Inc. in May 2003; to GameState Entertainment, Inc. in September 2003; and to Quest Oil Corporation in 2004. Quest Oil is headquartered in Arlington, Texas. With 65.79 million shares outstanding and an undisclosed short position, there is a failure to deliver in shares of QOIL.

About BUYINS.NET

WWW.BUYINS.NET is a service designed to help bonafide shareholders of publicly traded US companies fight naked short selling. Naked short selling is the illegal act of short selling a stock when no affirmative determination has been made to locate shares of the stock to hypothecate in connection with the short sale. Buyins.net has built a proprietary database that uses Threshold list feeds from NASDAQ, AMEX and NYSE to generate detailed and useful information to combat the naked short selling problem. For the first time, actual trade by trade data is available to the public that shows the attempted size, actual size, price and average value of short sales in stocks that have been shorted and naked shorted. This information is valuable in determining the precise point at which short sellers go out-of-the-money and start losing on their short and naked short trades.

BUYINS.NET has built a massive database that collects, analyzes and publishes a proprietary SqueezeTrigger for each stock that has been shorted, www.buyins.net/squeezetrigger.pdf. The SqueezeTrigger database of nearly 600,000,000 short sale transactions goes back to January 1, 2005 and calculates the exact price at which the Total Short Interest is short in each stock. This data was never before available prior to January 1, 2005 because the Self Regulatory Organizations (primary exchanges) guarded it aggressively. After the SEC passed Regulation SHO, exchanges were forced to allow data processors like Buyins.net to access the data.

The SqueezeTrigger database collects individual short trade data on over 7,000 NYSE, AMEX and NASDAQ stocks and general short trade data on nearly 8,000 OTCBB and PINKSHEET stocks. Each month the database grows by approximately 50,000,000 short sale transactions and provides investors with the knowledge necessary to time when to buy and sell stocks with outstanding short positions. By tracking the size and price of each month's short transactions, BUYINS.NET provides institutions, traders, analysts, journalists and individual investors the exact price point where short sellers start losing money.

All material herein was prepared by BUYINS.NET, based upon information believed to be reliable. The information contained herein is not guaranteed by BUYINS.NET to be accurate, and should not be considered to be all-inclusive. The companies that are discussed in this opinion have not approved the statements made in this opinion. This opinion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. This material is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as an offer or solicitation of an offer to buy or sell securities. BUYINS.NET is not a licensed broker, broker dealer, market maker, investment banker, investment advisor, analyst or underwriter. Please consult a broker before purchasing or selling any securities viewed on or mentioned herein. BUYINS.NET may receive compensation in cash or shares from independent third parties or from the companies mentioned.

BUYINS.NET affiliates, officers, directors and employees may also have bought or may buy the shares discussed in this opinion and may profit in the event those shares rise in value. Market commentary provided by Thomas Ronk.

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You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and BUYINS.NET undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

CONTACT: Thomas Ronk, CEOTel: +1 800 715 9999e-mail: Tom@buyins.netWWW: http://www.buyins.net

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Which bank delays its net deadline.(Commonwealth Bank of Australia)(Brief Article)

Apr 18, 2005 (The Australian - ABIX via COMTEX)

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) will launch its new internet banking system, called NetBank2, in June 2005. The system was scheduled to be fully implemented in March 2005, however the bank has since pushed the launch date back by three months. The CBA has not disclosed the reason for the delay, however it claims that there have been no major problems with the project. It is believed that the new service contains features such as home loan transaction histories and international money transfer facilities.

Publication Date: 19 April 2005

 COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA - ASX       CBA 

By Kelly Mills

 All copyright subsisting under the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth) resides in us. 

No part of the copyright materials may be reproduced, re-used, re-transmitted, adapted, published, broadcast or distributed for any commercial purposes whatsoever without our prior written permission.

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

Qwest Communications Continues Delivering High-Performance Network to Internet2 in Extended Agreement.

DENVER -- Qwest's OC-192 Optical Network Remains Core Transport for Internet2's Abilene Network

Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE:Q) today announced an agreement to continue providing optical and SONET network services to Internet2, a university-led research and development consortium that includes more than 300 U.S. universities, research institutions, corporations and government agencies working together to create and deploy next-generation Internet technologies.

In this latest agreement, Qwest will continue as the backbone transport provider for the Abilene Network -- Internet2's advanced transcontinental backbone -- through September 2007. The new agreement builds on an original agreement executed in April 1998 and subsequently extended for five years in October 2001.

Under the extension, the Abilene Network will continue using nearly 10,000 route-miles of Qwest's 10-Gigabit-per-second optical network, providing Internet2 members with advanced, reliable connectivity for ongoing collaboration and innovation.

"Thanks to this extended agreement, the Abilene Network will continue to provide the advanced capabilities, performance and bandwidth that our members have come to rely upon as we work together to test, build and deploy the next generation of Internet technology," said Douglas Van Houweling, president and chief executive officer of Internet2. "Qwest remains a reliable and committed partner in meeting the ever-evolving needs of our community."

"Qwest is pleased to continue its partnership with Internet2, and to provide the network infrastructure for top research and education institutions worldwide to run next-generation IP applications," said Clifford S. Holtz, executive vice president of Qwest's business markets group. "Internet2 members continually put our network to the test by running applications that require very high bandwidth, and Qwest is pleased to surpass their expectations with our best-in-class network solution."

The Abilene Network, which currently connects over three million users, 220 research and education institutions, and 34 state education networks, operates at a speed 15,000 times faster than the average household broadband connection and with a capacity to send 9.7 million five-paragraph e-mails in one second. The network remains one of the most advanced and far-reaching education and research networks globally. Internet2 continues to work with its members to create a new hybrid optical and packet network architecture to accommodate emerging network applications requiring even greater capacity and flexibility.

Abilene supports advanced native services, such as IP multicast and IPv6 and provides a transparent view of network performance through the Abilene Observatory measurement collaboration. In recent years, the Abilene Network has played host to numerous successful efforts in the Internet2 Land Speed Record competition, through which various sets of members have set Guinness World Records for the speed of vast amounts of data sent at great distance across the network.

About Qwest

Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE: Q) is a leading provider of voice, video and data services. With more than 40,000 employees, Qwest is committed to the "Spirit of Service" and providing world-class services that exceed customers' expectations for quality, value and reliability. For more information, please visit the Qwest Web site at www.qwest.com.

About Internet2(R)

Led by more than 200 U.S. universities working with industry and government, Internet2 develops and deploys advanced network applications and technologies for research and higher education, accelerating the creation of tomorrow's Internet. Internet2 recreates the partnerships among academia, industry and government that helped foster today's Internet in its infancy. For more information, visit: www.internet2.edu.

About the Abilene Network

The Abilene Network is an Internet2 high-performance backbone network that enables the development of advanced Internet applications and the deployment of leading-edge network services to Internet2 universities and research labs across the country. The network has become the most advanced native IP backbone network available to universities participating in Internet2. The Abilene Network supports the development of applications such as virtual laboratories, digital libraries, distance education and tele-immersion, as well as the advanced networking capabilities that are the focus of Internet2. Abilene complements and peers with other high-performance research networks in the United States and internationally. For more information, visit: http://abilene.internet2.edu/.

Forward-Looking Statement Note

This release may contain projections and other forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results. Readers are referred to the documents filed by us with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the most recent reports which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: access line losses due to increased competition, including from technology substitution of our access lines with wireless and cable alternatives; our substantial indebtedness, and our inability to complete any efforts to de-lever our balance sheet through asset sales or other transactions; any adverse outcome of the current investigation by the U.S. Attorney's office in Denver into certain matters relating to us; adverse results of increased review and scrutiny by regulatory authorities, media and others (including any internal analyses) of financial reporting issues and practices or otherwise; rapid and significant changes in technology and markets; any adverse developments in commercial disputes or legal proceedings, including any adverse outcome of current or future legal proceedings related to matters that are the subject of governmental investigations, and, to the extent not covered by insurance, if any, our inability to satisfy any resulting obligations from funds available to us, if any; potential fluctuations in quarterly results; volatility of our stock price; intense competition in the markets in which we compete including the likelihood of certain of our competitors emerging from bankruptcy court protection or otherwise reorganizing their capital structure and competing effectively against us; changes in demand for our products and services; acceleration of the deployment of advanced new services, such as broadband data, wireless and video services, which could require substantial expenditure of financial and other resources in excess of contemplated levels; higher than anticipated employee levels, capital expenditures and operating expenses; adverse changes in the regulatory or legislative environment affecting our business; and changes in the outcome of future events from the assumed outcome included in our significant accounting policies.

The information contained in this release is a statement of Qwest's present intention, belief or expectation and is based upon, among other things, the existing regulatory environment, industry conditions, market conditions and prices, the economy in general and Qwest's assumptions. Qwest may change its intention, belief or expectation, at any time and without notice, based upon any changes in such factors, in Qwest's assumptions or otherwise. The cautionary statements contained or referred to in this release should be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that Qwest or persons acting on its behalf may issue. This release may include analysts' estimates and other information prepared by third parties for which Qwest assumes no responsibility.

Qwest undertakes no obligation to review or confirm analysts' expectations or estimates or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

By including any information in this release, Qwest does not necessarily acknowledge that disclosure of such information is required by applicable law or that the information is material.

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