FED:Media to be urged to report on suicide

AAP General News (Australia)
08-02-2011
FED:Media to be urged to report on suicide

The media will be urged to report on suicide and related issues under new guidelines
released by the Australian Press Council.

The new standards of practice include how to responsibly cover such sensitive topics
- and will be binding on all major newspapers and magazines around the country.

Traditionally, the Australian media has been reticent to report on suicides.

But council chair JULIAN DISNEY says that doing so responsibly can help raise public
awareness of the warning signs, deter those who may be thinking about taking their own
lives, and promote action to prevent suicide.

AAP RTV jlw/jmt

KEYWORD: SUICIDE (SYDNEY)

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

FED:National Newslist for Wednesday, April 6

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2011
FED:National Newslist for Wednesday, April 6
AAP's National Newslist for Wednesday (not for publication).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 93228611/8610.

TOP STORIES
LABOR
- Prime Minister Julia Gillard has defended the role of Labor factions as a brawl over
choosing a new national secretary causes splits in the party.

ASX
- Treasurer Wayne Swan insists Australia still wants foreign investment as concerns about
a merger between Australia and Singapore's stock exchanges delays an approval decision.

CLIMATE
- The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is releasing a survey which suggests
59 per cent of people don't support a carbon tax.

- Climate Change Minister Greg Combet in Wollongong.

COURTS
BRISBANE
- Daniel Morcombe inquest expected to resume on Sunshine Coast.

PERTH
- Trial of father and son continues for the murder of a convicted drug dealer and his wife.

ADELAIDE
- Supreme Court trial continues for Angelika Gavare, charged over the murder of an Adelaide
pensioner. This case mostly supressed. Story to be filed on merit.

MELBOURNE
- Federal Court hearing continues for News Ltd columnist Andrew Bolt who is being accused
of racially discriminating against Aborigines through his newspaper articles
- Committal expected to begin for a man who was allegedly speeding before a crash that
killed four people, Melbourne Magistrates Court.

- Application in the Court of Appeal by the mother of Linda Stilwell who is trying to
force Linda's suspected killer Derek Percy to give evidence at an inquest, Court of Appeal.

SYDNEY
- Sentencing of rugby league star Todd Carney for drink-driving on P-plates.

- Jury out in trial of security guard and three others for hotel robbery.

CANBERRA
- Stephen Smith presser on defence procurement but expected to be asked about scandal
involving a defence force cadet filming himself having sex with another cadet. 1000 AEST.

Video.

- Australian troops and their Afghan allies have significantly disrupted Taliban springtime
preparations for the upcoming fighting season, Defence says.

- ABS releases housing finance for February (1130 AEST); DEEWR releases employment leading
index (1400 AEST).

SYDNEY
- Barry O'Farrell and Gladys Berejiklian to make transport announcement. Video. 1100.

- Conservation society askes O'Farrell to stop second Sydney drug injecting centre at Potts Point.

- Seeking comment from Andrew Stoner and O'Farrell on possible upgrade of Pacific Highway.

- Federal Climate Change Minister Greg Combet meeting steelworkers at Port Kembla to talk
about proposed carbon price. 1100.

- A man has died after part of a ceiling collapsed at a smallgoods factory in the NSW Hunter region.

- Police presser re drive by shooting at Auburn. 1000.

- Police presser on hit-run accident at St Peters on March 14 which critically injured
a mother pushing a pram. 1100

MELBOURNE
- Vic parly sitting - question time 1400. video.

- United Voice Union presser claiming PPG Industries, which supplies paint and coatings
to Ford, Holden and Toyota, has hired more than 100 strike-breakers. 1000.

- Preview of Tutankhamun exhibition at Melbourne Museum with pix and video.

- Federal enviroment minister Tony Burke addresses a Stop Alpine Grazing meeting, 1900.

- Homicide detectives called in over death of 41yo man found badly beaten in his home.

- Wonthaggi desalination plant running behind schedule with builder facing penalties over
cost over-runs.

- Council to Homeless Persons (CHP)calling on the Vic govt to implement a plan to end homelessness.

BRISBANE
- Julia Gillard on ABC radio talking about insurers failing to meet with Qld flood victims;
comments on Bligh, Newman.

- Gillard tours homes of flood victims at Goodna. AAP providing pool arrangements for
works, pix, video.

- Kevin Rudd and more than 70 foreign envoys to show Qld is open for business after summer
of disasters. Video.

- Parliament sits; expected to consider if and when jailed former minister Gordon Nuttall
will be called before bar of parliament.

- Newman to begin selling himself in regions with tour of north Qld from Thursday.

- More on two girls, including overseas exchange student, killed in water ski accident.

- Food security conference.

ADELAIDE
- Pressure mounts on Kevin Foley to step down in the next few days after beibng assaulted
for second time.

- State parliament sits.

PERTH
- Magellan Metals suspend lead shipments again after lead was found in mud beneath a container
at Fremantle port.

- China's fourth most powerful leader has arrived in Perth for talks with the West Australian
government about trade, mining an cooperation on major projects.

HOBART
- Outwatching more on temporary detention centre near Hobart.

- Outwatching developments on no confidence motion against Tasmanian Children's Minister Lin Thorp.

- Two men have been charged with murder after burnt human remains were discovered near Launceston.

- Former political rivals Duncan Kerr and Michael Hodgman unite against proposed job cuts
at the Hobart Mercury.

DARWIN
- Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin to announce a new sports program for remote communities.

- Centre for Independent Studies report on the non-enforcement of responsible service
of alcohol laws in some bars have contributed to the growing alcohol problem in remote
Indigenous communities.

ENTERTAINMENT
- Cate Blanchett to launch The Oasis Homeless Short Film Competition.

FINANCE
ECONOMICS:
Sydney - ABS housing finance for February

EQUITIES:
Sydney - ACCC vs Metcash to resume in Federal Court
Sydney - Seven vs James Warburton back in NSW Supreme Court
Melbourne - Computershare Ltd chief executive Stuart Crosby to address American Chamber
of Commerce in Australia luncheon
Sydney - Stockland chief executive Matthew Quinn to address a Committee for Economic Development
of Australia luncheon

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

SPORT
LEAGUE
SYDNEY/BRISBANE - Wrap of NRL news.

SYDNEY - NRL chief executive David Gallop with Dragons winger Jason Nightingale and former
stars Trent Barrett and Hazem El Masri, 1100, Entertainment Centre, Moore Park for schools
program launch.

SYDNEY - Parramatta hooker Matthew Keating 1000 interview outside Eels offices after being
hospitalised by a dog bite which has put him out of NRL action for several weeks. Video.

AFL
MELBOURNE - Media conference with Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse and Carlton coach Brett
Ratten ahead of Friday's MCG blockbuster, 0900, Zinc, Fed Square.

GOLD COAST - Gold Coast's Jarrod Harbrow and Charlie Dixon in media conference, 1030, Suns offices.

PERTH - West Coast and Fremantle news.

RUGBY
BRISBANE - Australian rugby news.

SYDNEY - NSW Waratahs team named to play Western Force.

SWIMMING
SYDNEY - World championship trials continue, SOPAC, heats in morning, finals in evening.

SYDNEY - Swimming star Alicia Coutts is hoping to crack the 54-second barrier for the
first time in the 100m freestyle as she bids for a hat-trick of national titles on Wednesday
night.

GOLF
AUGUSTA, Georgia - Preview Aussies in Masters starting Thursday, with factbox.

AUGUSTA, Georgia - Robert Allenby and Geoff Ogilvy will hardly be able to ease their way
into the Masters in quiet anonymity.

SOCCER
SYDNEY - ACL match: Sydney FC v Shanghai Shenhua (China), SFS, 2000.

SYDNEY - Follow up from ACL match Melbourne Victory v Tianjin Teda.

BOXING
SYDNEY - Danny Green to announce next fight opponent, 1100, InterContinental Hotel.

BASKETBALL
PERTH - Preview opening match of NBL semi-finals; series one, game 1: NZ Breakers v Perth
Wildcats in Auckland on Thursday.

OLYMPICS
MELBOURNE - Media conference with snowboard cross world champion Alex Pullin and halfpipe
world champions Nate Johnstone and Holly Crawford, 1100, Ice House, Docklands.

TENNIS
CHARLESTON, South Carolina - Georgian qualifier Anna Tatishvili sent Jelena Dokic crashing
out of the Family Circle Cup on Tuesday with a three-set upset win.

RACING
SYDNEY - Preview of Saturday's AJC Australian Derby.

SYDNEY - Acceptances for Group One TJ Smith Stakes and Group One Sires' Produce Stakes
at Randwick on Saturday.

SYDNEY - Australian Easter Yearling sale continues at Newmarket.

MELBOURNE - Preview Caulfield races Saturday.

BRISBANE - Preview Saturday's Doomben races.

MELBOURNE - Review of Sandown races Wednesday.

BRISBANE - Review of Wednesday's Eagle Farm races.

AAP bwl

KEYWORD: NATIONAL NEWSLIST

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

NSW:Main stories in Thursday's newspapers=2

AAP General News (Australia)
12-16-2010
NSW:Main stories in Thursday's newspapers=2

The Sydney Morning Herald:

Page 1: Twenty-seven people were confirmed dead after a boat carrying asylum seekers
crashed onto rocks off Christmas Island. Secret United States embassy cables have criticised
the handling of asylum seekers by former prime minister Kevin Rudd.

Page 2: The NSW ombudsman has called for a more rigorous system of checking the backgrounds
of people who work with children.

Page 3: Pubs have won their campaign against new planning rules designed to reduced
the level of alcohol-related violence.

World: (Washington) The Obama administration has concluded that North Korea's new plant
to enrich nuclear fuel uses technology more advanced than Iran's.

Finance: The NSW government-owned electricity generators signalled limited profit and
dividend growth in the coming years.

Sport: An Ashes series-sealing loss in Perth could prompt Australian cricket's kingmakers
to install Michael Clarke as captain.

MORE bzs/jfm

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS NSW 2 SYDNEY

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

NSW:Prison inmate escapes jail

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2010
NSW:Prison inmate escapes jail

A prison inmate has escaped a correctional facility in the NSW New England area and
is considered dangerous.

DOUGLAS BONEY was last seen yesterday afternoon at the Glen Innes facility.

A light-coloured Ford Falcon with NSW registration AA-65-DA was seen in the vicinity
of the prison around the time of the 40 year old's escape.

He's described as being of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander appearance .. 180 centimetres
tall .. with a solid build and black hair.

Police believe he might be in the Moree area.

Anyone who sees BONEY is urged not to approach him but should ring triple-zero immediately.

AAP RTV vpm/af

KEYWORD: BONEY (SYDNEY)

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

SA: Ellis speaks out against New Year's binges

AAP General News (Australia)
12-29-2009
SA: Ellis speaks out against New Year's binges

ADELAIDE, Dec 29 AAP - Binge drinking to ring in the new year can turn a festive occasion
into a nightmare, Federal Youth Minister Kate Ellis has warned.

As Australians turned their attention towards New Year's Eve preparations, Ms Ellis
maintained the government's stance against heavy drinking among young people, as outlined
in the National Binge Drinking Strategy.

"I dont want to see a night out turn into a nightmare for young people and their families
- it's no way to start the New Year," she said in a statement.

"In Australia, 70 per cent of teenagers have witnessed alcohol-fuelled violence and
73 per cent of all physical assaults are alcohol related.

"That's shocking and we're working hard to address it.

"If you're over 18, enjoy a drink, but don't ruin the party for everyone with drunken
violence and reckless decisions."

The Australian Hotels Association reminded would-be patrons they would be refused entry
to pubs and clubs around the country if drunk and counselled parents to keep track of
their children.

"The hotel industry's message to young Australians is a very simple one - know your
limits and don''t make a fool of yourself by drinking too much on New Year's Eve," AHA
spokesman Hamish Arthur said.

"Given the vast majority of drinking takes place away from licensed premises, people
who are drunk can expect to be denied entry to hotels.

"Parents should know where their kids are planning to celebrate New Year's Eve and
if their children are not of the legal drinking age, parents shouldn't buy alcohol for
them."

AAP dfb/dep

KEYWORD: EVE ELLIS

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

NSW: Libs talk tough but yet to act on donation reform: Rhiannon

AAP General News (Australia)
08-17-2009
NSW: Libs talk tough but yet to act on donation reform: Rhiannon

SYDNEY, Aug 17 AAP - The Liberals continue to talk tough about cleaning up the political
donation problems plaguing NSW's electoral system but are yet to properly act, the Greens
say.

Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell has urged the NSW government to support an inquiry
by the state's corruption watchdog into political donations and government decision-making.

An Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry would at least end the
perception of a "decisions for donations" culture around NSW, Mr O'Farrell says.

"Whether (Premier Nathan) Rees likes it or not, the community is concerned about this
issue and we need an ICAC inquiry to deal with it," he has said.

The coalition will also introduce legislation to specifically charge ICAC with the
power to monitor the issue of donations and decision making.

But Greens MP Lee Rhiannon says while Mr O'Farrell "talks big" on donations he has
refused to disclose which donations were made personally to him.

Instead all donations are disclosed as being made out to the Liberal Party.

Ms Rhiannon says while this isn't illegal, it is not in keeping with the standards
Mr O'Farrell has stated he believes in.

The coalition has accepted donations from leading lobbyists and also voted with the
government to defeat election funding reforms moved by the Greens, she says.

"Mr O'Farrell is trying to walk both sides of the road here," Ms Rhiannon said.

"He's trying to keep the donations coming in, he obviously wants to win the election.

"But he has sensed the public mood. The public want change in this area, so he's trying
to fly the flag for donation reform.

"You have to doubt if he will follow through when he's failed to do so when he's had
the opportunity."

Ms Rhiannon said if Mr O'Farrell was serious about cleaning up the system he would
have told his MPs there would be no more fundraising, no more meeting with lobbyists and
no more banking of donation cheques.

"We obviously need someone to give the political lead in NSW and to stop the buck passing,"

she said.

AAP nr/evt/sn

KEYWORD: DONATIONS NSW

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

Fed:Bleak business outlook could see jobless rate at 9 pct:ACCI

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2009
Fed:Bleak business outlook could see jobless rate at 9 pct:ACCI

The nation's biggest business group is predicting unemployment to top nine per cent
by the end of this year.

A report by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry suggests the unemployment
rate will continue rising .. after jumping to a four-year high of 5.2 per cent in February.

The report also shows projections for business conditions have fallen into negative
territory for the first time.

GREG EVANS from the Chamber says with sales and profitability falling to 11-year lows
.. it all adds up to a bleak 2009.

AAP RTV cb/rl/ka

KEYWORD: BUSINESS (CANBERRA)

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

Qld: Possum loss blamed on climate change

AAP General News (Australia)
12-03-2008
Qld: Possum loss blamed on climate change

BRISBANE, Dec 3 AAP - Where is the white lemuroid possum?

Scientists in far north Queensland suspect the missing creature may be the first extinction
of a mammal caused by climate change.

The possum, whose only habitat is above 1000 metres in the moutain rainforests around
Daintree, north of Cairns, has not been seen for three years.

Experts fear a temperature rise of up to 0.8C could be responsible.

It would be the first known loss of a mammal and the most significant since the extinction
of the Dodo and the Tasmanian Tiger.

"It is not looking good," researcher Steve Williams told The Courier Mail.

"Prior to 2005 we were seeing a lemuroid every 45 minutes of spotlighting at one main
site at Mt Lewis," he said.

"If they have died out it would be first example of something that has gone extinct
purely because of global warming."

Professor Williams, director of the Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change
at James Cook University, said it only takes four or five hours of temperatures above
30C to kill the highly vulnerable species.

He said record high temperatures in the summer of 2005 could have caused a massive die-off.

An expedition will be mounted next year in an attempt to locate survivors.

AAP stg/imc

KEYWORD: EXTINCT

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

Fed: Lawyers doubt cooperation with Haneef inquiry

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2008
Fed: Lawyers doubt cooperation with Haneef inquiry

The judicial inquiry into the MOHAMMED HANEEF saga starts in Canberra this afternoon.

Former New South Wales Supreme Court judge JOHN CLARKE QC will conduct a one-hour preliminary
hearing into the Indian national's case .. which will include an outline of how he intends
to conduct the inquiry.

But Dr HANEEF's lawyers are concerned whether the main players will cooperate fully.

ROD HODGSON .. one of Dr HANEEF's lawyers .. says Mr CLARKE needs coercive powers to
force witnesses including former Immigration Minister KEVIN ANDREWS and AFP chief MICK
KEELTY to give evidence.

Mr CLARKE is due to report to the federal government by September 30.

AAP RTV ews/pjo/tm/crh/ibw

KEYWORD: HANEEF (BRISBANE)

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

NSW: Man, 23, fined for illegal fireworks possession

AAP General News (Australia)
12-27-2007
NSW: Man, 23, fined for illegal fireworks possession

SYDNEY, Dec 27 AAP - Celebrations to mark the new year traditionally involve firecrackers,
but revellers have been warned of a crackdown on their unauthorised use in Sydney.

A 23-year-old man was hit with a $550 on-the-spot fine yesterday for illegal fireworks
possession, NSW Labor MP Tony Stewart said today.

Police found the man near Parry Park, at Greenacre in the city's west, after receiving
complaints, Mr Stewart said in a statement.

"Police attended the scene after receiving a number of calls from local residents complaining
about the use of illegal fireworks," he said.

It is illegal for anyone without a WorkCover permit to use, possess or sell fireworks,
and offences can attract on-the-spot fines ranging from $550 to $5,500.

"My message to anyone thinking of using fireworks is simple - police are now vigilantly
targeting fireworks, and if you are caught you will cop a huge on-the-spot fine," Mr Stewart
said.

AAP dr/hn/jl/mn

KEYWORD: FIREWORKS

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

Qld: Govt using 'push polling' on council mergers: Seeney

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2007
Qld: Govt using 'push polling' on council mergers: Seeney

BRISBANE, Aug 19 AAP - Queensland's opposition has accused the state government of
"push polling" in a bid to legitimise its forced council mergers.

Premier Peter Beattie today released new government-commissioned research that found
73 per per cent of Queenslanders believed stronger councils were needed to handle population
growth.

Fifty per cent supported new local government boundaries passed by state parliament
two weeks ago, while 48 per cent disagreed with them.

The research also showed 52 per cent of Queenslanders believed referendums should be
held on the mergers.

Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney said the government had fashioned the questions in a biased way.

"The government have been asking the questions that they need to get the answer that
they want," he told reporters today.

"For the premier to come out this morning and claim that somehow or other the poll
justifies this decision is breathtakingly dishonest."

Mr Seeney said people had been asked, "Do you think councils need to be strengthened?"

"It's a bit like asking people whether they love their mother. Of course you're going
to say yes to that," Mr Seeney said.

He said other questions included "Are you aware the local government reform laws have
passed through parliament?", immediately followed by "Do you believe referendums are a
waste of money?"

"It's classic push polling," Mr Seeney said.

"It is fundamentally dishonest for the premier to claim that this has any integrity at all."

Mr Beattie has admitted he "stuffed up" by legislating to stop polls on controversial
local government mergers and backed away from his earlier threats to sack any councils
that held referendums on the issue.

Mr Seeney welcomed the premier's backdown.

"But there's a lot more backing down for Peter Beattie to do on this issue," he said.

AAP rm/jl/de

KEYWORD: COUNCILS SEENEY

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

Vic: Two teenagers injured in garage explosion

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2007
Vic: Two teenagers injured in garage explosion

MELBOURNE, April 3 AAP - A teenage boy is in a serious condition with burns to 15 per
cent of his body after an explosion in a suburban garage in Melbourne.

A Metropolitan Ambulance Service (MAS) spokesman said the accident happened about 12.30pm
(AEST) in the backyard of a house at Seabrook, in Melbourne's south-west.

Paramedics said that two boys, believed to be aged about 13, had been playing with
petrol when it ignited, causing an explosion.

"One (boy) is in a serious condition with burns to 15 per cent of his body, mainly
to his face, neck and arms," the spokesman said.

He was taken to the Royal Children's Hospital.

The other teenager was taken to the same hospital, where he was being treated for minor injuries.

The MAS said the outcome of today's accident could have been much worse.

"With school holidays now in full swing, we would urge people to ensure flammable materials
are put away safely," the spokesman said.

AAP sam/srp/de

KEYWORD: EXPLOSION

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

NSW: Bushfire crews want mild conditions but not light rain

AAP General News (Australia)
12-03-2006
NSW: Bushfire crews want mild conditions but not light rain

SYDNEY, Dec 3 AAP - Firefighters have welcomed milder weather conditions at NSW bushfire
hotspots, but light rain is proving more of a hindrance than a help.

Cooler temperatures are being experienced through much of the state, including around
the western areas of Mudgee, Coonabarabran and Narrabri where major bushfires are burning.

However, Rural Fire Service (RFS) spokeswoman Rebel Talbert said the rain was not helping
backburning operations.

"It's cooled right down across the entire state which is good because it gives us an
opportunity to get in there and do some containment work on these fires," she said.

"But some of the rain we've received is hampering the backburning efforts."

It would take "copious amounts of rain for weeks on end" for it to have any positive
affect, she said.

Backburning operations over the next three days will be vital for fire crews, with
early forecasts predicting a return to extreme conditions on Wednesday.

About 200 firefighters will spend today attempting to work on a series of fires burning
around Coonabarabran, including one that poses a threat to a large koala population in
the Pilliga Nature Reserve.

Coonabarabran residents are also being urged to prepare their homes for the onset of
fire, with another blaze burning around Timor Road.

In Narrabri, backburning operations will also continue on a series of fires that have
already burnt out more than 14,000 hectares.

Crews in Mudgee have also been hampered by rain as they try to contain a blaze in the
Wallaby Rocks areas.

Blazes are also burning around Mudgee in the Bylong complex and Blue Springs.

No fires are currently posing any immediate threat to property.

AAP nr/nf

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES NSW DAYLEAD

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

Fed: Minister stops short of apology over Kovco body bungle=2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2006
Fed: Minister stops short of apology over Kovco body bungle=2

Private KOVCO accidentally shot himself in the head in Baghdad last Friday .. while
cleaning his pistol.

His family was due to meet his body at the airport shortly after midnight .. ahead
of a funeral with full military honours.

But Mr NELSON says Private KOVCO'S body is still in Kuwait .. with the federal government
now considering a private charter to bring him home.

Dr NELSON flew to Sale in Victoria's east early today to tell Private KOVCO's wife
SHELLEY in person of the debacle.

She asked to speak to Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD .. who was woken about 11 pm so she
could express her anger.

Dr NELSON says a senior defence force official and an independent pathologist will
be despatched to the Middle East next week to investigate the mistake.

AAP RTV cmb/gfr/rt

KEYWORD: KOVCO BODY 2 MELBOURNE

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

Lac Long Quang and Au Co

Lac Long Quang and Au Co See Vietnamese Mythology.

Local businesses help fundraiser that gives calling cards to soldiers

Three local establishments make it easy for Naperville residents to give back to United States troops serving overseas. Liberty Tax Service, From My Room and Congregation Beth Shalom are all local drop-off centers for Cell Phones for Soldiers, a program in which discarded cell phones are turned into prepaid calling cards for the military.

Cell phones can be dropped off at drop boxes at any one of these three program participants' locations. When they have a full box, they ship it to a recycling company in Michigan, which pays for each donated phone. That money, in turn, is used to buy prepaid calling cards that are sent to soldiers abroad. Each phone is worth about an hour of phone card minutes.

The local businesses each have their own motivation for doing so.

Reasons for giving

For Matt Leahy, co-owner of Liberty Tax Service, along with his father Edward Leahy, the reason they decided to collect phones was personal. Matt's sister, Jill Leahy, is engaged to Cpl. Jason Wood, who recently returned from Iraq.

"They (United States troops) are extremely appreciative of any support they can get," Matt Leahy said. "It's tough to communicate with family (while deployed overseas). You have to provide your own phone cards. They really appreciate a free phone card."

In conjunction with Wood's return, Liberty Tax Service recently held a roadside party where they collected phones, had food donated by Salerno's Pizza and gave away prizes. State Rep. Jim Meyer and VFW consultant John Mars also stopped by to show their backing for the program.

"It's really a humbling experience to provide even the smallest amount of support for these individuals who are protecting our freedom," Matt Leahy said.

Connie Ballas, owner of the consignment shop, From My Room, is always looking for ways to be involved in the community. Cell Phones for Soldiers provided a great way to do that. She also has a son-in-law who is in the Army and has twice been deployed to Iraq. She found Cell Phones for Soldiers through an Internet search and decided she wanted to get involved.

"We're always looking for ways for people to take their old things and put them to good use," Ballas said. "I thought it was a good thing to do."

Barbara Bernstein, education director of Congregation Beth Shalom, read about the program and thought it would be a good way to teach the 240 students who attend the religious school at her synagogue about giving back.

"We like the kids to think about how they can help the world," Bernstein said. "I don't want them to think that only bringing money is how they help other people."

Million-dollar program

Teenagers Robbie and Brittany Bergquist from Norwell, Mass., founded Cell Phones for Soldiers with $21 of their own money. The non-profit organization has raised almost $2 million in donations and distributed more than 500,000 prepaid calling cards to soldiers serving overseas. Through increased fundraising efforts, the Bergquist family hopes to raise more than $9 million in the next five years to fund new programs, such as providing videophones with prepaid service to allow soldiers abroad to see their families.

In addition to the Naperville businesses that serve as cell phone donation centers, there are more than 3,000 collection sites throughout the country.

"For the people who are dropping off, it makes them feel good," Matt Leahy said. "It makes us feel good. It makes the soldiers feel good to call home when they get that card."

Comment at napersun.com

A sign directs northbound drivers on Route 59 in Naperville to the "Roadside Party" for Cell Phones for Soldiers on Saturday. Liberty Tax Service, From My Room and Congregation Beth Shalom all are drop-off locations for the nonprofit that turns cell phones into phone cards for those serving in the military.Jon Cunningham / Special to The Sun

BUSINESS BRIEFING.(Business)

Byline: Compiled from The Associated Press, Bloomberg News, Scripps Howard News Service and News staff reports

NATIONAL

Chrysler to idle seven factories

The Chrysler arm of DaimlerChrysler AG said Friday it would idle seven factories in the United States and Canada for one week to cut vehicle inventories.

The move comes as sales of Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles have been erratic in recent months, with several models posting large declines. About 20,000 workers will be idled, but will receive 95 percent of their regular pay under union contracts.

Price of fuel boosts air fares

Rising fuel costs pushed up air fares 4.3 percent in September, the Air Transport Association reported. The trade group representing major airlines said coach ticket prices were up 3.7 percent compared to September 1999 and first-class fares increased 5.9 percent.

RadioShack cited for violation

The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $51,000 civil penalty suit against RadioShack Corp.'s Internet unit for violating the U.S. Department of Transportation's hazardous materials rule.

RadioShack.com shipped 15 nonrefillable metal containers of a hazardous material through Fed-Ex Corp. from Fort Worth, Texas, to El Monte, Calif., and failed to properly classify, describe, package, mark and label the contents for shipment, said FAA spokesman Roland Herwig. Herwig declined to comment further.

FedEx employees discovered the irregularities after the shipment was sent to the destination, the statement said.

RadioShack has 30 days to respond to the agency, the FAA said in a statement.

Chemical maker exploring sale

Chemical manufacturer Hercules Inc. said it has hired Goldman Sachs & Co. to help the company explore a possible sale.

Chief Executive Thomas Gossage confirmed the Wilmington, Del.-based company is in talks with a potential buyer for its FiberVision unit.

Earlier this month, Hercules chairman and chief executive Vincent J. Corbo, under fire for a restructuring plan that hasn't worked fast enough to help the company, abruptly resigned.

Gossage, 66, who led a turnaround of Hercules' fortunes in the early 1990s, was named interim successor to Corbo, 57.

Gulfstream, Air Force have deal

Georgia-based Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., a subsidiary of General Dynamics, said it has signed a 10-year, $477 million agreement to lease the Air Force five additional C-37A jets.

The C-37 is the military's designation for the Gulfstream V, a popular business jet and the company's flagship. The first two planes are to be delivered in July and August, with the rest by September 2003.

The Air Force plans to use the planes for the Department of Defense regional commanders-in-chief mission. The lease also calls for Gulfstream to provide maintenance for the planes.

WORLD

Dutch phone giant to cut jobs

Royal KPN NV, the biggest Dutch telephone company, said it plans to cut 23 percent of its jobs as part of a program announced last week to trim $589 million in annual costs by 2003.

The former state-owned monopoly plans to eliminate 8,000 positions in 2001 and 2002.

The cuts, including streamlining of headquarters, sales and computer services, could result in one-time charges this year, said Marinus Potman, a KPN spokesman.

KPN, which had about 34,700 employees at the end of last year, reported its first loss in the first half and cut its full-year earnings outlook, blaming costs for mobile-phone licenses and recruiting customers.

The company has spent about $7.7 billion since April on mobile licenses in Germany, the Netherlands and the U.K.

LOCAL

Montrose company gets contract

Scaled Technology Works of Montrose has been awarded a contract from The Boeing Co. to design and produce nearly 200 composite wind tunnel blades over the next year.

STW will be responsible for providing all new fan blades for the upgraded Boeing Transonic Wind Tunnel in Seattle.

Boeing is upgrading the BTWT to incorporate several advances in the tunnel architecture. Installation of new fan blades is expected to improve aerodynamic efficiency and reduce blade maintenance costs.

ViaWest opens new facility

Denver-based ViaWest Internet Services Inc., a regional Internet communications and data center solutions provider, announced the launch of its new Denver colocation and operations facility.

The 20,000-square-foot center runs server hardware and houses mission critical Web applications for businesses requiring significant security, power, network and monitoring capabilities. The new colocation facility is located at 501 Wazee St. in Denver.

Knowledge Workers has deal

The management of Englewood-based Knowledge Workers Inc. has purchased Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc.'s controlling ownership interest in the company. Knowledge Workers did not release terms of the transaction, but placed the company's market value at between $15 million and $20 million.

The high-tech recruiting firm expects fiscal year 2000 revenues to exceed $10 million. Knowledge Workers also plans a national expansion next year.

Guest editorial.(Brief Article)(Editorial)

This is a special issue of IJMR covering media research and the papers span the main media.

Most reviews of media and media research have always suggested that they have reached a unique time of great change. Inevitably this seems to be the case today. Interestingly, research systems in nearly all the media are currently experiencing some common problems, not necessarily amenable to common solutions.

* Within each medium, the titles or programmes are rapidly increasing in number and diversity. This diversity includes both size and degree of specialisation of the target audiences. In particular, the electronic media digital transmissions can, at a stroke, multiply the number of channels and services available.

Whilst the mass media continue with their measurement requirements of maximum details of exposure and many demographics, the resulting research vehicles struggle to accommodate the huge range of the small media which are eroding the mass media, albeit relatively slowly.

* New delivery mechanisms are emerging, particularly for the electronic media, broadcasting by satellite, cable, via the internet and telephone lines. This is contributing to the trend across all media for the boundaries between the media to overlap and become blurred. Cable and satellite television packages include radio channels. Television channels will be available via the internet. Interactive television services will take the viewer out of the broadcast stream, perhaps on to the internet.

Television broadcasts will increasingly be available outside real time via high capacity disk recording. This will make television a little more like publishing. Newspapers and magazines have websites which become an extension of themselves. Some titles, e.g. in the medical press, exist both in print and on the net with parallel but not identical content. Outdoor displays are sometimes animated and electronically sophisticated.

These are the changes creating the pressures upon and challenges to traditional media research. Not all these topics are addressed in this issue: it would require many issues. The developments for print, radio and poster research are broadly reviewed. By contrast, the two television papers concern the control and management of peoplemeter panels, still likely to remain at the core of television audience measurement systems and increasingly difficult to get right. An important paper discusses the rising new medium, the internet.

Media research is still primarily funded to measure the traditional media, but it is also trying to expand these systems to include as many new developments as possible. This is putting those systems under strain. A next step is to create several research vehicles to measure different subcategories of a medium and then combine the results by data fusion. This still results in a database for a single medium, yet media planners increasingly want to plan across media. We include a paper from Germany which is concerned with creating a planning system using research from different data sources.

Some developments in media research reflect the tendency of media to overlap. Personal meters have been tested in the UK and Switzerland which could measure both radio and television. Extensions of these methods have also been hypothesised for posters and even the press. What is not clear so far is how the currency from this kind of technique, which is in fact measuring proximity to a source, will compare with currencies based on research using the direct recording of behaviour and recall. However, technological progress will increase the power of personal meter techniques.

The diversity of media forms makes advertisers more concerned about the nature and value of the exposure experience. We therefore have a paper about media research which goes beyond the 'opportunity-to-see'.

The focus of the papers is still upon the developments within the established research systems together with users wishing to extend current practice. What we do not have, and what would make another issue, are reviews of the special problems of newer and smaller media and possible solutions. Such solutions would probably involve combining different data sources. We do not have a paper on fusion. There are plenty of methodological papers elsewhere showing that it can be done. What is needed are some ideas for a strategy for using fusion to create broader databases across the diverse media. The paper from Germany is the nearest to that.

Media research remains the area of market research where there is probably the greatest effort and expenditure devoted to methodological development. This is because the data produced translate directly into a currency which needs to be protected. There should therefore be plenty of new work to report in a future media research issue of the IJMR.

Tony Twyman is an independent consultant on media research. He is Technical Director of BARB, Technical Consultant to JICMARS (Medical Readership) and Technical Adviser to the Commercial Radio Companies Associaion on the RAJAR contract. He has consulted on media research projects across the world.

SONERA GROUP: Sonera's board of Directors approved subscriptions of the bond loan with warrants.

M2 PRESSWIRE-27 May 1999-SONERA GROUP: Sonera's board of Directors approved subscriptions of the bond loan with warrants (C)1994-99 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:260599

The Board of Directors of Sonera Group plc has today approved the subscriptions of the bond loan with warrants directed at the personnel. The amount of the loan was FIM 15,000,000, and the loan was subscribed in full. The loan was subscribed for by 5,326 persons, which is about 60 per cent of Sonera's personnel. The subscription share of Telibra Oy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sonera Ltd, was FIM 5,518,500. Telibra Oy may later offer the warrants it owns to the personnel of the Sonera Group or to persons to be recruited to the Group.

The share subscription period for warrant certificates A is from 1 June 2001 to 30 June 2005, and for warrant certificates B from 1 June 2003 to 30 June 2005. The maximum number of shares that can be subscribed for with the warrant certificates is 15,000,000. The subscription price for warrant certificates A is EUR 15.32, and for warrant certificates B the average price of the Sonera share in October 1999 with an addition of eight per cent. On the basis of the subscribed bond loan with warrants, the share capital of Sonera Group plc can be increased by a maximum of EUR 6,450,000.

The bond loan with warrants was offered for subscription to the entire personnel of Sonera as part of the incentive scheme. The subscription was carried out on the Internet from 10 to 21 May 1999. The bond loan with warrants was decided on by the Annual General Meeting held on 23 April 1999, at which date the terms and conditions of the loan were also published in a stock exchange release.

CONTACT: Jari Jaakkola, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications & IR Tel: +358 2040 65170 e-mail: jari.jaakkola@sonera.fi

*M2 COMMUNICATIONS DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY FOR INFORMATION PROVIDED WITHIN M2 PRESSWIRE. DATA SUPPLIED BY NAMED PARTY/PARTIES.*

TCL & Paramount Pictures Global Team Up in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon".

CORONA, Calif. -- TCL has recently been named as the international promotion cooperative partner of Paramount Pictures Global for the upcoming film, "Transformers: Dark of the Moon." This partnership includes exclusive marketing efforts with TCL brand television to promote the film in countries outside of the United States such as China, Australia, France, Spain, Russia, Brazil, Japan, Korea, etc.

"We are extremely excited about this TCL partnership with Paramount. It will create great exposure for TCL television around the globe," said Michelle Mao, President of TTE Technology, Inc., the US subsidiary of TCL Multimedia, Inc. "When Paramount selected TCL as the exclusive television brand to support this film in countries outside of the US, they were looking for a company who shared their vision for technology, innovation and creativity. We were pleased that our global consumer product portfolio, brand strength and marketing capabilities supported this vision," she added.

To connect TCL television to the upcoming theatrical release of "Transformers: Dark of the Moon," TCL is executing an extensive international consumer and dealer marketing plan. Key executional elements of this plan include:

* A DVD set of the first two Transformer films packaged inside select TCL TV models in Europe

* The 3D version of the film's trailer has been shown on TCL 3D TVs in Asia, Australia & Latin America TCL retail locations to rave reviews

* Movie passes for the film's 3D version are being bundled with the purchase of a TCL TV in Australia

* A drawing for a free limited edition 55" TCL Transformers 3D LED TV will be held in Australia

* Dealer tie-ins using television & print advertising, in-store signage, sales floor posters, internet banner advertising and other collateral material will occur in many countries

About TTE Technology

With its US headquarters in Corona, California, TTE Technology, Inc. designs and markets televisions in the United States under the TCL brand name, www.tclusa.com. TTE Technology and TCL Corporation are subsidiaries of TCL Multimedia Technology Holdings Limited (SEHK:1070), one of world's largest consumer electronics manufacturers specializing in the development of high-quality televisions and other leading technology products. Headquartered in China, TCL Multimedia operates a global network of research centers, manufacturing facilities, and sales offices.

Yahoo sees more ME investment, says CEO.

Summary: DUBAI - Yahoo, the world's premier digital media company, will continue its focus with more investment in the Middle East as the region has massive opportunity in the growth of the Web, Chief Executive Officer 
Carol Bartz said.

DUBAI - Yahoo, the world's premier digital media company, will continue its focus with more investment in the Middle East as the region has massive opportunity in the growth of the Web, Chief Executive Officer 
Carol Bartz said.

The company is planning to announce more new products in the region and the latest one is mobile product, which is coming next week. Another new product will be announced at the beginning of Ramadan that will focus activities of the Holy month, starting from August 1.

"When we look around the world, the Middle East and North Africa is one of the most exciting markets for us at Yahoo, with a combination of rapid user growth and a very attractive advertising market with incredible potential," Bartz told reporters during a news conference in Dubai on Tuesday.

"Arabic is also one of the fastest growing languages on the Internet, yet only 1 per cent of online content is in Arabic today," Bartz added. "Part of Yahoo's investment in MENA is to facilitate the growth of the Arabic language online."

Bartz, during here address to the media, discussed Yahoo's local teams and commitment to the region; the company's commitment to growing Arabic content online; new products the company has planned for the region; and the growing online advertising opportunity.

Yahoo acquired Maktoob in November 2009, and since this point the company has invested in fully staffed offices across Dubai, Amman, Cairo, Riyadh and Casablanca. "Because our teams are local, we understand what people need and in turn develop our products accordingly to serve up the right content. This is a big differentiator for us. We are not just a technology company, we create deeply personal digital experiences," 
said Bartz.

Arabic content online

Bartz cited that the thirst for high quality and relevant content in Arabic can be seen in the company's engagement on its properties.

In the past year and a half since Yahoo acquired Maktoob, the combined reach of the company has grown from 30 million unique users to 50 million. The Arabic Yahoo Maktoob homepage launched last November and it is already the fifth most popular Yahoo homepage in the world today. Only the US, Taiwan, India and Indonesia have more readers.

"We are making our content mobile, since mobile penetration for this region is growing at an incredible rate," said Bartz.

"This month we will introduce our Yahoo Maktoob homepage for mobile in both Arabic and English. Also look for mobile versions of our media properties, like news 
and sports."

Video is also an important area for Yahoo as broadband penetration continues to rise in the Middle East.

Bartz said that Yahoo has plans to invest more in Video On Demand service to deliver content from popular Arabic TV series, movies
and music videos.

New products

Bartz also shared details of Yahoo's new Ramadan product. Under the theme "Ramadan Around the World, Ramadan Where You Are", Yahoo's Middle East editorial team will personally select lifestyle and religious content from its News, Women, Video and omg properties, and popular forums.

"No one else has the ability to draw from such a rich selection of content, and make it so personally relevant to users," Bartz said about the Ramadan site.

Online advertising

Bartz emphasised the opportunity these new Yahoo experiences -- along with the growth of the Internet in the region -- create to extend the company's lead in online advertising. 
--abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com

Already, Yahoo Maktoob is the number one in the Middle East and North Africa for display advertising, with 40 per cent market share.

Online ad spend for the region is currently only two per cent of total advertising spend for the entire region. By way of comparison, online spend in France is around 15 per cent and in the UK it's 25 per cent.

However, Bartz noted that the region is host to the fastest growing advertising market in the world, with average year-on-year growth in digital spending around 25-30 per cent.

"We envision the online ad market in MENA to reach at least 5-7 per cent of the total ad market by 2015," said Bartz. "And with our strong agency and client relationships -- along with our leadership in Science, Art, and Scale -- I am confident we'll be there to deliver the benefits."


abdulbasit@khaleejtimes.com

Copyright 2011 Khaleej Times. All Rights Reserved.

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

Research and Markets: Guyana - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband.

DUBLIN -- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/d3a468/guyana_telecoms) has announced the addition of the "Guyana - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband" report to their offering.

Guyana, a small land with about 770,000 inhabitants, is the only English-speaking nation in South America and has close affinities to the Caribbean region. It is one of Latin America's poorer countries, with the third lowest GDP per capita in the region after Haiti and Nicaragua.

Guyana's fixed-line teledensity is about average for Latin America, while mobile penetration is slightly higher than the regional average. In fact, both are much higher than would be expected given the country's poor economic indicators. Guyana has also a surprisingly large number of Internet users, thanks to cheap Internet cafes that also offer VoIP services.

Broadband uptake, however, has been negligible. Bandwidth is scarce, and access is slow and costly. Both DSL and wireless technologies are available, but the number of broadband subscribers is small. Most Internet access is still via dial-up. Internet connection is frequently disrupted by damage to the Americas II submarine cable.

A new Suriname-Guyana Submarine Cable System, scheduled for completion in mid-2010, will vastly increase bandwidth capacity in Guyana, boosting Internet speed by some 3,000 times. As a result, DSL access should become cheaper and faster, and we are likely to see subscriber figures soar. Nevertheless, although prices will decrease, they are likely to remain comparatively high. Broadband growth is bound to remain limited until the country has some competition in the market.

Guyana Telephone and Telegraph (GT&T), controlled by Atlantic Tele-Network Ltd (ATN), holds an exclusive licence for fixed-line services, but has a non-exclusive licence for mobile telephony; ISP services are open to competition.

In the mobile sector, Digicel is the mobile market leader, having overtaken GT&T only two years after entering the Guyanese market.

Guyana has a large number of ISPs, but GT&T is the only Internet access provider. It sells Internet access to ISPs, which resell it to individuals.

Market Highlights:

* Negotiations are under way to liberalise the Guyanese fixed-line voice and data markets

* The Guyanese government is looking to sell its 20% stake in GT&T, but ATN has refused the government's offer.

* The government is keen to develop the country's Information Communication Technology (ICT); for this purpose, it has indicated its intention to subsidise the cost of Internet bandwidth.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Executive summary

2. Key statistics

3. Telecommunications market

4. Regulatory environment

5. Fixed network operator in Guyana

6. Telecommunications infrastructure

7. Internet market

8. Broadband market

9. Mobile communications

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/d3a468/guyana_telecoms

Research and Markets Offers Report: 2009 Japan Medium Business Market Snapshot.

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "2009 Japan Medium Business Market Snapshot - Economic Impact, Buyer Profiling and Targeting " report to its offerings.

In a release, Research and Markets noted that report highlights include:

This report provides marketers a systematic analysis of ICT market drivers, profiling established and emerging products and services including:

-Infrastructure: hardware platforms (PCs, Notebooks, Servers)

-Software applications

-Storage

-Security

-Networking

-IT Services, managed services

-Telecommunications services

-Mobility

-Internet/IP-enabled services

The AMI ICT Market Snapshot Profile details other key buying influencers among technology buyers/ users such as:

-Economic factors

-Budgets

-Buying behaviors

-Decision makers

-Channel preferences

-Outsourcing

-Service/support

-Attitudes

-Strategic planning priorities

Based on AMI's annual survey of medium businesses across Japan, this study tracks a broad spectrum of issues pertaining to the adoption and usage of information technology and communications (ICT) solutions. AMI-Partners defines medium businesses (MBs) as companies that have 100 to 999 employees, are non-residential and non-government organizations, and are not a franchise of a larger corporation.

Report information:

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/93cb89/2009_japan_medium

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

New iPhone software has copy-paste, no Flash.

Byline: AFP(AFP)

CUPERTINO: Apple on Tuesday unveiled next-generation iPhone software with copy-paste and multimedia messaging features but no sign of much-coveted Flash for digital video.

Apple gave analysts and reporters a demonstration of the coming iPhone 3.0 operating system during an invitation-only event at the firm s headquarters in Cupertino, California.

The software is available for outside developers interested in crafting mini-programs for popular iPhones and iPod Touch MP3 players but the operating system will not be publically released until mid-year.

"It s a significant update," said Gartner analyst Van Baker. "When it ships, cut, copy and paste as well as multimedia-media messages will resonate most with consumers."

IPhone 3.0 software will be a free upgrade for owners of the multi-function, Internet-linked mobile telephones. The new software will cost iPod Touch users about 10 dollars each.

The improvements in iPhone 3.0 addressed some of the complaints that iPhones lacked functions basic in competitors such as the Blackberry Storm, the Google Android G1, and the as-yet-unreleased Palm Pre.

Upgrades did not include being able to record video with iPhones or play video made using Adobe s ubiquitous Flash software; an omission deeply irking many iPhone owners.

During a question-and-answer session, Apple executives responded with "No comment" to clamors for video recording and compatibility with Flash.

"They did not address the camera, which is a fairly low quality for a smartphone these days, and they also did not mention video support, which would be nice to see," said Creative Strategies analyst Tim Bajarin.

"But, you can only do so much with the existing hardware. This is still a significant update," he said.

Apple senior vice president of iPhone software Scot Forstall demonstrated how text and photographs can be copied from webpages on iPhone browsers and then pasted into an email or any other application.

Muscat Press and Publishing House SAOC 2009

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

TE WANANGA O AOTEAROA - WHO AND WHAT IT IS.

In 2007 TWOA delivered 64 qualifications to 36,941 full-time and part-time students (or 18,578 equivalent fulltime students).

71 per cent of students completed their courses, and 75 per cent attempted all the assessments and stayed until the end of the programme. Student satisfaction rates were 96 per cent.

The programmes covered areas such as business and computer studies, teaching, environmental management, social sciences, Maori language, employment and life skills, and traditional Maori arts including carving and weaving.

The programmes with the most students were Te Ara Reo Maori language (24 per cent) Mauri ora (Maori culture and New Zealand history) (16 per cent), business management (19 per cent), computing (11 per cent).

The wananga has 853 fulltime equivalent employees (FTEs), down from a high of 1432 in 2004.

Programmes are delivered in classrooms, marae and at home.

New programmes for 2008 include business and the internet, clinical supervision, environment, prison service, indigenous research and Maori governance.

The wananga has 11 main campuses, and operates from 141 sites throughout New Zealand.

Student Profile: In 2007 the typical TWOA student was a Maori woman, 40, with no secondary school qualifications, who was working before enrolling and who may continue to work while studying.

Last year, 49 per cent of TWOA students were Maori, 24 per cent Pakeha, 18 per cent Asian, 5 per cent Pacific Island, 4 per cent other.

38 per cent of TWOA students left secondary school with no qualifications.

29 per cent of TWOA students were "non-workforce" before enrolling.

Firms puts golden seal on Wi-Fi plan: Wireless Silicon Valley project underway.

Byline: Will Oremus

Nov. 18--In a nod to Leland Stanford's "golden spike," which completed the first transcontinental railroad in 1869, leaders of a Silicon Valley consortium signed a gold-colored wireless Internet transmitter Friday.

It's far from transcontinental, but leaders of the Wireless Silicon Valley project believe they are creating one of the largest continuous wireless Internet zones in the world, a "hotspot" that will stretch from parts of Santa Cruz County to parts of Alameda County, covering most of Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

If all goes as planned in the next two years, every city within that area will have free Wi-Fi access.

The golden transmitter marks the start of the network. Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, an association of cities and business leaders throughout the region, is putting the finishing touches on a model agreement that up to 40 cities can sign with Silicon Valley Metro Connect, an ad hoc consortium led by IBM and Cisco Systems.

Metro Connect won a competitive bidding process to offer the regional wireless service, which it hopes to fund through a combination of advertising on its free service and a paid subscription service for governmental agencies and others who want a premium connection.

Once the network is in place, the possibilities are endless, said Cisco spokesman Kevin Dickson.

"The world is your oyster. We really haven't thought of all the things this could be used for," he said.

Some possibilities include the ability for hospitals to access patients' records across jurisdictions; wireless meter-maid devices that would automatically enforce parking limits; and communication systems that would link city employees out in the field to city hall.

Before the network can begin, individual cities have to approve the agreement with Metro Connect, a process that will begin in January.

As an incentive for cities to move quickly, the network will be built first in the cities that approve the agreement first, said Russell Hancock, CEO of Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network.

The first city to do so will get temporary ownership of the signed golden transmitter, which will later move to the Computer History Museum in Mountain View.

Meanwhile, Metro Connect will soon start a pilot project in four cities yet to be determined. San Carlos Assistant City Manager Brian Moura, who is also co-chairman of Joint Venture's board, said his city stands a decent chance of being among the first.

Once the model agreement is negotiated, cities will have to decide whether they feel it sufficiently addresses privacy concerns, customer service needs and issues of Internet neutrality.

E-mail Will Oremus at woremus@dailynewsgroup.com.

Copyright (c) 2006, Palo Alto Daily News, Calif.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business

News.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

TICKER SYMBOL(S): NYSE:IBM, NASDAQ-NMS:CSCO

Dixons set to start battle with 'Son of Freeserve'.

Byline: BILL CONDIE

DIXONS is set to enter the world of internet telephony in a venture dubbed "son of Freeserve" that will send a shiver down the spine of BT.

The move by the retailer's parent, DSG International, is directly aimed at BT's dominant domestic phone business.

But DSG, which will draw on its Internet experience through its lucrative Freeserve operation, is also facing a highly-competitive market.

It is up against big players such as Microsoft, Google and eBay, - which recently paid [pounds sterling]2.3 billion for Skype - all of which are offering established VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services.

The voice service will be launched next week, routeing voice calls over the internet at no extra cost using a customer's existing broadband connection.

Under existing VoIP services, customers are charged nothing to call other users of the service and get dramatically reduced bills for ordinary fixed-line and mobile phones.

The DSG service is understood to be following the payment system of existing players by offering 500 or more minutes of voice calls for an up-front payment of a few pounds a month.

It will also offer services such as call forwarding and voicemail for an additional cost.

DSG will use its network of 1400 Dixons, PC World, The Link and Currys stores in order to market the service.

A chef's chef: Roland Liccioni is someone many cook up to.

Byline: William Rice

CHICAGO _ If one can be an actor's actor or a teacher's teacher, why not a chef's chef?

I have a nominee, or, more correctly, I can report that several chefs have told me that for restrained creativity and pure cooking skill they admire no local Chicago chef more than Roland Liccioni.

Now chef and co-owner, with his wife, Mary Beth, of Les Nomades on East Ontario Street in Chicago, the reticent Liccioni comes to the style of cooking called "fusion" or "east-west" naturally. He was born in Vietnam and lived in France from age 2. At home, exposure to Vietnamese culture and cooking continued, while three years as a student at the Ecole Hotelier in Biarritz provided a solid grounding in French culinary technique.

After a stint in a Paris brasserie, he moved to the kitchen of the Michelin Guide three-star Waterside Inn near London. In 1980, he jumped at an opportunity to come to this country and to Chicago. His reputation soared during 7-{ years as chef at Carlos in Highland Park, which earned a four-star rating from the Chicago Tribune. In 1989, he and Mary Beth, who had been the pastry chef at Carlos, took over Le Francais in Wheeling. There they earned another four-star rating.

A year and a half ago, Roland joined his wife at Les Nomades, the charming restaurant Jovan Trboyevic had created as a private club. In addition, the chef supervises the kitchen at Rhapsody in the Loop, is an avid gardener who grows a wide variety of herbs and vegetables, and is a fiercely competitive tennis player.

His impressive mastery of French cuisine was proven recently at a dinner to showcase the fine Bordeaux wine Chateau Palmer. His terrine of foie gras and leeks would have stolen the show if it weren't for the foie gras flan with cassis-Armagnac sauce that followed it and the truffle ravioli that followed the flan.

Chef Liccioni is equally happy crafting intricate and remarkably light dishes with favorite Asian ingredients including lemongrass, Thai or Vietnamese basil, ginger and kaffir lime. Sometimes he prepares desserts as well.

The man likes to cook.

Seared Scallops and Sauteed Shrimps With Vietnamese Broth

Four servings

For the broth*

1 quart chicken stock or reduced broth

1 kaffir lime leaf

1 small piece fresh ginger, about 1 inch, peeled and sliced

3 stalks lemongrass, sliced

1 star anise

1 small bunch Thai basil, washed, patted dry and coarsely chopped

Shells from shrimp or lobster, if available

For the garnish

1 red pepper, diced

1 yellow pepper, diced

7 or 8 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, diced

For the cucumber salad

2 teaspoons Vietnamese fish sauce

2 drops Sriracha (Thai chili pepper sauce)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon chopped roasted peanuts

1 seedless cucumber, finely sliced and squeezed

For the center of the plate

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 or 8 large sea scallops, patted dry with paper towels

8 large shrimps, peeled, deveined and patted dry

1 stalk lemongrass, tender inner part only, chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1. Combine chicken stock, lime leaf, ginger, sliced lemongrass, star anise, basil and optional shells in a saucepan. (Reserve a tablespoon of basil for garnish.) Bring to a boil, lower heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour. Strain and set aside.

2. Prepare the peppers and mushrooms. Divide among four soup plates.

3. Combine the fish sauce, Sriracha, sugar and peanuts. Add the cucumber and marinate until serving.

4. Reheat broth. Heat olive oil in a saute pan. Add the scallops and sear until golden, about 1 minute on each side. Add the shrimps. Cook until pink on both sides. Add lemongrass, shallots and garlic and toss for 30 seconds.

5. Arrange one or two scallops and two shrimps on each plate. Place cucumber salad on top of shrimps. Pour \ cup of boiling broth into bowls. Sprinkle with basil; serve.

*There will be extra broth. Save it for a soup or create an Asian risotto.

X X X

PHOTO (from KRT Photo Service, 202-383-6099):

RICE-CHEF

X X X

(c) 2001, Chicago Tribune.

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

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.

SurfControl warns -- Festive screensaver - friend or foe?

M2 PRESSWIRE-8 December 2003-SurfControl: SurfControl warns -- Festive screensaver - friend or foe?(C)1994-2003 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:12082003

Manchester, UK. -- SurfControl (London: SRF), the world's number one Web and e-mail filtering company, sends a word of warning to all UK workers to be extra vigilant at this time of year when opening e-mails. The run up to Christmas always sees a rise in the number of virus attacks which is already cause for concern but now these damaging e-mails are increasingly using spam techniques to get workers to open attachments that can often have devastating results.

According to a recent survey conducted by SurfControl, over 40% of UK businesses do not have filtering technologies in place, therefore, highlighting the complex problem posed by spam and other dangerous Internet content for IT Managers. Getting the balance right takes a great deal of effort. Martino Corbelli, Director of Marketing at SurfControl comments, "Businesses need to be able to stop unwanted Internet content, like spam and viruses, but its also imperative to appreciate the diversity of departmental and individual needs and then tailor filtering procedures and technologies to meet those needs."

"As a simple first line of security, from a worker's point of view, any e-mail's that look remotely questionable should NOT be opened and whenever such suspicion arises contact your IT department, who should advise on your next course of action," Says Martino Corbelli. He adds, "We must all be mindful that we do not forget how important the 'unwanted content in the workplace' message is and if an e-mail looks suspicious, then it probably is, so get it checked out before opening it or any attachments included."

The problem is further exacerbated because festive joke screensavers are often sent around as e-mail attachments. While these attachments can add cheer to the workplace at this time of year, inadvertently opening a festive e-mail, or something that looks like one, can bring down the company's entire network and your IT Manager will not thank you when they have to work over the Christmas break to ensure the network is up and running.

Lets have a safe Christmas this year both in the workplace and at home.

About SurfControl plc:

SurfControl plc, the world's number one Web and e-mail filtering company, delivers on its promise to help companies 'Stop Unwanted Content' in the workplace by continuous innovation, invention and expansion of its filtering products to address new content risks as they emerge. The company is the leader in the Content Security market, which analysts expect to reach nearly $2 billion by 2007.

SurfControl is the only company in the security market offering a total content security solution that combines Web, E-mail (including Anti-Spam and Anti-Virus) and Instant Message Filters with the industry's largest, most accurate and relevant content database and adaptive reasoning tools to automate content recognition.

SurfControl's world-class partners include Sun Microsystems, Check Point, Cisco, IBM, Research In Motion and Nokia. The company has more than 20,000 customers worldwide, including many of the world's largest corporations, and employs nearly 450 people in nine separate locations across the United States, Europe, and Asia/Pacific.

www.surfcontrol.com

CONTACT: James Russell/Pauline Beattie/Denis Davies, eclat MarketingTel: +44 (0)118 989 5600e-mail: surfcontrol@eclat.co.uk

((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)).

OPINION EDITORIAL: IN LIBYA, REGIME CHANGE SHOULD BE THE GOAL.(Editorial)

WASHINGTON -- The following information was released by Arizona Senator John McCain:

Forget debates over what the president could have done differently. We need a forward-looking plan that recognizes the rebels' legitimacy and helps them win their freedom.

Wall Street Journal

By Joseph I. Lieberman and John McCain

President Obama made a compelling case for our intervention in Libya on Monday evening, and U.S. actions there deserve bipartisan support in Congress. As the president rightly noted, failure to intervene militarily would have resulted in a humanitarian and strategic disaster. Because of our actions, the Gadhafi regime has been prevented from brutally crushing its opposition.

The president was also correct in framing what is happening in Libya within the broader context of the democratic awakening that is sweeping across the broader Middle East--the most consequential geopolitical realignment since the fall of the Berlin Wall.

If Gadhafi is allowed to hang onto power through the use of indiscriminate violence, it will send a message to dictators throughout the region and beyond that the way to respond, when people rise up peacefully and demand their rights, is through repression and slaughter--and that the rest of the world, including the U.S., won't stand in the way.

What is needed now is not a backward-looking debate about what the administration could or should have done differently, but a forward-looking strategy that identifies America's national interests in Libya and works to achieve them.

As President Obama has rightly and repeatedly insisted, a successful outcome in Libya requires the departure of Gadhafi as quickly as possible. It is not in our interest for Libya to become the scene of a protracted stalemate that will destabilize and inflame the region.

While both Arab leaders and public opinion are hostile towards Gadhafi personally--a fact that helps explain the Arab League's unprecedented decision to support intervention in Libya--we are concerned that regional support will waver if Western forces are perceived as presiding over a military deadlock. We cannot allow Gadhafi to consolidate his grip over part of the country and settle in for the long haul.

There are several steps urgently needed to prevent this outcome. First, while we understand the diplomatic reasons behind the Obama administration's reluctance to make Gadhafi's removal an explicit goal of the coalition military mission, the reality on the ground is that our coalition's air strikes against his forces must work toward this objective.

In the days ahead, it is imperative that we maintain and if necessary expand our air strikes against Gadhafi's ground forces, which pose a threat to civilians wherever they are. In doing so, we can pave the way for the Libyan opposition to reverse Gadhafi's offensive and to resume their quest to end his rule.

The battlefield reversals suffered by the opposition this week, when weather conditions hampered coalition air strikes, underscore the need for a more robust and coherent package of aid to the rebel ground forces.

The U.S. should also expand engagement with the Libyan opposition, led by the interim Transitional National Council currently based in Benghazi. We have been encouraged by the Obama administration's growing rhetorical support for the opposition, but we hope to see more tangible manifestations of it in the days ahead.

In particular, we and our allies should be providing the council with the communications equipment, logistical support, training, tactical intelligence and weapons necessary to consolidate rule over the territory they have liberated and to continue tilting the balance of power against Gadhafi. We do not need to put U.S. forces on the ground precisely because the Libyans themselves are fighting for their freedom. But they need our help, and quickly, to succeed.

Another immediate priority should be getting humanitarian assistance into eastern Libya and restoring telecommunications access there, where Gadhafi has cut off land lines, mobile networks and the Internet. While top opposition leaders have satellite phones, we have both humanitarian and strategic interests in restoring the ability of people in liberated parts of Libya to communicate with each other and the rest of the world. We should also take steps to get Gadhafi's satellite, television, and radio broadcasts off the air, while helping the opposition air its broadcasting.

Finally, we should follow France and Qatar in recognizing the Transitional National Council as the legitimate government of Libya, and we should encourage other allies and partners to do the same.

Some critics still argue that we should be cautious about helping the Libyan opposition, warning that we do not know enough about them or that their victory could pave the way for an al Qaeda takeover. Both arguments are hollow. By all accounts, the Transitional National Council is led by moderates who have declared their vision for (as their website puts it) Libya becoming "a constitutional democratic civil state based on the rule of law, respect for human rights and the guarantee of equal rights and opportunities for all its citizens."

If there is any hope for a decent government to emerge from the ashes of the Gadhafi dictatorship, this is it. Throwing our weight behind the transitional government is our best chance to prevent Libya's unraveling into postwar anarchy--precisely the circumstance under which Islamist extremists are most likely to gain a foothold.

We cannot guarantee the success of the Libyan revolution, but we have prevented what was, barely a week ago, its imminent destruction. That is why the president was right to intervene. He now deserves our support as we and our coalition partners do all that is necessary to help the Libyan people secure a future of freedom.

Mr. Lieberman is an Independent Democratic senator from Connecticut. Mr. McCain is a Republican senator from Arizona.