FED:Abbott carbon campaign hits a snag

AAP General News (Australia)
08-17-2011
FED:Abbott carbon campaign hits a snag

CANBERRA, Aug 17 AAP - Opposition Leader Tony Abbott gave a planned media conference
the chop on Wednesday after the butcher shop he intended to use as the venue received
an "aggressive" phone call.

Mr Abbott was to go to an outlet in the Canberra suburb of Dickson to talk about the
adverse impact of the carbon tax, but called it off after the owner received what was
described as an "aggressive phone call".

The opposition leader would not elaborate at a hastily rescheduled media conference
at a meat wholesaler in Fyshwick.

Mr Abbott said he made the decision to switch the venue because the business owner
felt uncomfortable but one source said the upset phone caller may have been a relative
or "big" customer of the business owner.

When AAP contacted The Butcher Shop in Dickson, a staffer said that she had been instructed
to say the media conference would be reconvened at Parliament House and that was all she
could say.

"We've had a lot of calls from people like you this morning," she told AAP.

Reporters who turned up at the Dickson business were blocked from entering by an Abbott staffer.

AAP pjo/bwl/dep

KEYWORD: CLIMATE ABBOTT (PIX AND VIDEO AVAILABLE)

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

Qld: Beattie to travel to Africa for athletics bid

AAP General News (Australia)
02-20-2007
Qld: Beattie to travel to Africa for athletics bid

Queensland Premier PETER BEATTIE is heading to Africa to make a bid for Brisbane to
host the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in 2011.

Mr BEATTIE says an evaluation team from the International Association of Athletics
Federation is in Brisbane assessing the city's infrastructure and athletics centres as
part of the bid.

Brisbane Lord Mayor CAMPBELL NEWMAN and deputy mayor DAVID HINCHLIFFE will …

FED:China and Aust to disagree on human rights

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2011
FED:China and Aust to disagree on human rights

CANBERRA, April 20 AAP - China's ambassador to Australia, Chen Yuming, says Beijing
and Canberra will continue to disagree on issues such as human rights.

But as Julia Gillard jets off for her first visit to China as prime minister, Mr Chen
said the two countries would be able to work together on reducing global carbon emissions.

Ms Gillard has departed on a week-long visit to North Asia during which she'll talk
to leaders in Japan, Korea and China on a range of bilateral issues.

In China, the prime minister will raise human rights issues including the detention
of some Australian citizens.

Mr Chen told ABC Radio on Wednesday that Australia and China were different countries
in terms of culture and ideology.

"So it is only normal that we sometime have different views regarding particular issues,"

he said through a translator.

Mr Chen said Beijing believed Canberra would be able to achieve its emissions reductions
targets in accordance with its international obligations.

"China is ready to work together with Australia and wants to make joint efforts in
fulfilling our respective responsibilities and to make our contribution to the global
efforts to reduce carbon emissions."

The ambassador also said there had been some confusion over allegations that the Chinese
hacked some Australian government email systems.

"There are some misunderstandings regarding these matters and I believe that these
misunderstandings will soon be clarified," he said.

AAP mb/jnb

KEYWORD: CHINA AUST

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

Better Advertising Project Rebrands as Evidon

Wireless News
01-19-2011
Better Advertising Project Rebrands as Evidon
Type: News

The Better Advertising Project, Inc. announced that it has rebranded the company as Evidon.

Clearly evoking the term "evident," as it brings clarity to the online community amid the confusion of industry self-regulation, Evidon launched with a joint announcement alongside VivaKi that they have chosen Evidon as VivaKi's Preferred Provider of compliance services.
By collaborating with Evidon, the Company said VivaKi brings its agencies into the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA)'s Self- Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising. VivaKi was the first of the five major holding companies to pilot with Better Advertising.

According to a release, the agreement brings Better Advertising's Assurance Platform, which has been rebranded as Evidon InForm, to all VivaKi agencies, and allows VivaKi to promote participation in the Open Data Partnership -- a new cross-industry initiative to give consumers more transparency and control over advertising -- to all its eligible entities. VivaKi will also encourage participation in this new cross-industry initiative to the ad networks, data providers and DSPs that they work with.

Through the relationship, VivaKi -- a strategic entity within Publicis Groupe that includes Digitas, Razorfish, Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia- will offer its clients Evidon's industry standard method for demonstrating compliance with the DAA program. Evidon InForm enables simple and scalable implementation of the Advertising Option Icon into display ads and gives consumers access to and control over how their information is collected and used, with the option of opting out altogether.

"At VivaKi, our brands are committed to providing the best consumer experience on behalf of their clients," said Sean Kegelman, SVP Partnerships and Ventures, VivaKi. "Online data helps us determine what is relevant and meaningful for consumers. Self regulation of the industry is the only way we can ensure that we are honoring and respecting their privacy, while still delivering the content they love."

Better Advertising -- now Evidon -- noted that it is designated by the Digital Advertising Alliance as an Approved Provider of compliance services for the Self-Regulatory Principles for Online Behavioral Advertising (Principles). This includes the ability to deliver the Advertising Option (or Forward I) icon on behalf of companies who are participating in the self-regulatory program. The company's Assurance Platform is operating at scale, delivering the Advertising Option Icon and corresponding notice in billions of monthly advertising impressions across the internet for brands.

"This decision by VivaKi and its agencies demonstrates their commitment to transparency for consumers," said Scott Meyer, founder and CEO of Evidon. "Increasingly, we're seeing that the thought leadership exhibited by the commitment to transparency by the likes of such global companies as VivaKi is bringing other agencies and their clients around the world in line."

Evidon is a technology company enabling online advertising transparency, in no small part through its role in the Open Data Partnership.

VivaKi aggregates the marketplace influence of four autonomous brands, including two global media agency networks: ZenithOptimedia and Starcom MediaVest Group; and two digital marketing agencies: Digitas and Razorfish. On behalf of its agency brands and their clients, VivaKi faces the market to help identify and build technology, message distribution, audience aggregation and content solutions for the future.

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

Copyright 2011 Close-Up Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
n/a

FED:Informal voting hits record high

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2010
FED:Informal voting hits record high

It appears a new record has been set .. with almost 620 thousand people casting an informal vote.

That's 5.64 per cent of all votes cast .. a rise of 1.69 per cent on the 2007 election.

However with counting continuing .. the figure's not final.

Australian Electoral Commission's PHIL DIAK says the informal voting rate does appear
higher .. although there's no information as to why.

ABC electoral analyst ANTONY GREEN says it's the highest percentage of informal votes
since 1984 when the rate hit 6.3 per cent.

A possible reason is former Labor leader MARK LATHAM .. who urged voters to cast an
informal vote as a protest against the big parties.





An informal vote is an unmarked ballot paper .. one not initialled by a polling place
official .. one not filled out correctly .. or where the voter identifies him or herself.

With counting so far .. the exact number of people who voted informally is 618-thousand-435.

AAP RTV mb/sb/jen

KEYWORD: POLL10 INFORMAL (CANBERRA)

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

The main stories on today's 1300 ABC news

AAP General News (Australia)
04-15-2010
The main stories on today's 1300 ABC news

The main stories on ABC Radio 1300 Sydney news:

1. The political brawl over the federal Government's planned hospital reforms continues
with KEVIN RUDD saying the will seek a referendum if there's not agreement at the COAG
meeting next week.

2. Two senior officer from the coal carrier Shen Neng 1 granted conditional bail over
the grounding of the coal carrier on the Great Barrier Reef on April 3.

3. A Sydney man due to face court this afternoon over the shooting of TERRY FALCONER
nine years ago.

4. JULIA GILLARD says it's now unlikely parents will be asked to supervise students
taking NAPLAM tests next month.

5. Auditor General says 3 NSW state MP's have not repaid Sydney sitting allowances

AAP RTV ar

KEYWORD: MONITOR 1300 NEWS

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

Fed: Turnbull says he will stay in parliament=4

AAP General News (Australia)
12-01-2009
Fed: Turnbull says he will stay in parliament=4

Mr Turnbull thanked party colleagues and voters who supported his stance on emissions trading.

"It's been difficult times and there's been a lot of drama going on, and I want to
thank all of them for their loyal support."

The Labor legislation, setting up the carbon pollution reduction scheme, was "worthy
of support".

"I think if the legislation is voted down this week, obviously that would be a double-dissolution
trigger."

MORE sld/rl/jlw

KEYWORD: LIBERALS TURNBULL UPDATE 4 CANBERRA

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

Fed: Price of vitamins, herbal medicines to rise under TGA fees

AAP General News (Australia)
04-23-2009
Fed: Price of vitamins, herbal medicines to rise under TGA fees

By Melissa Jenkins

CANBERRA, April 23 AAP - Consumers will be charged more for vitamins and other dietary
supplements if the complementary medicines government regulator has its way, a lobby group
warns.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), which relies on industry to recoup its
costs, is proposing to lift listing and evaluation fees charged to companies by 14.3 per
cent.

Last year, the TGA's fees only rose in line with inflation.

The Complementary Healthcare Council of Australia argues such an "enormous" increase
in fees will be passed on to consumers.

But a TGA spokeswoman argues the cost to consumers will be negligible.

The council's executive director, Wendy Morrow, said the fee increase will inevitably
lead to price rises, especially for products made by small manufacturing companies.

"The will have no choice but to pass it onto consumers," she told AAP on Thursday.

"We just believe that making such an enormous increase at such an economically unstable
time would be disastrous for industry and the flow-on would be to consumers.

"If it's a medicine that you are taking long-term, it can be quite significant for
consumers, particularly pensioners and people with children."

The only option manufacturers would have other than increasing prices would be to take
products off the market, Dr Morrow said.

The TGA is forecasting a $1 million deficit for 2009-10.

A spokeswoman said the fees are less than half of one per cent of turnover for the
complementary medicines sector.

"The proposed increase in fees will result in a negligible increase in costs to the
consumer," she told AAP.

The fees paid by the sector had fallen short of meeting costs by about $2.5 million,
the spokeswoman said.

"This shortfall has been met by cross-subsidisation from other industry sectors particularly
prescription medicines and medical devices," she said.

"It is not fair to expect other sectors to continue this cross-subsidisation and fees
paid by the complementary medicines sector need to increase."

Even with the increase there will be a cost recovery shortfall of about $500,000 in
2009-10, the spokeswoman said.

AAP mj/ht

KEYWORD: COMPLEMENTARY

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

NSW: Two women dead after plane crashes into house

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2008
NSW: Two women dead after plane crashes into house

SYDNEY, Dec 18 AAP - A trip to see Santa has saved a mother and baby who would otherwise
have been home when a light plane crashed into their Sydney house, killing two female
pilots.

Two small planes from separate training schools collided in mid-air, sending one into
a spin before it smashed into the back of the Flame Tree Street residence in Casula, in
Sydney's south-west, about 11.30am (AEST) on Thursday.

Police say two women, believed to aged their 20s, died in the Cessna, which is owned
by Basair Aviation College. One of them was an instructor and the other a student pilot.

The other plane, a single-engine Liberty, which was owned by Sydney Flight Training
Centre, made an emergency landing at Bankstown Airport, police said.

Its 89-year-old male instructor and 25-year-old male student pilot were not hurt and
the plane suffered minor damage.

Basair business development manager Darren Ward said families, friends and work colleagues
were "very upset and very, very distressed" about the deaths.

"There's nothing worse in aviation. Unfortunately it is a part of aviation," he told reporters.

"People suffer accidents on the roads regularly - it happens in aeroplanes too."

Bianca and Steven Condina, and their two-week old baby Aiden, were not home when the
plane struck their house.

Mrs Condina's father said his daughter and grandson would have been there if not for
the Christmas season.

"I feel blessed," Gino Velerio told reporters.

"She took the baby for a photo with Santa Claus ... some time this morning."

He said Bianca and the baby normally spent most of their time in the kitchen, which
is attached to the patio area demolished by the plane.

Witnesses have described seeing the stricken light plane with a damaged tail flying
low over Casula.

"I was going along the M5 and I've just seen this thing coming down ... the tail was
hanging off the back and it's crashed into the back of a house up near Box Road and it's
absolutely demolished the back of their house," one witness told Fairfax Radio Network.

Neighbour Lisa Barker said the Condinas were new to the street.

"They've only just finished their house, three quarters done their landscaping and
just moved in and had a baby last week."

Another neighbour, Rob, said debris from the plane crash had damaged neighbouring houses,
"so it must have been pretty high impact".

Another man said the woman who lived next door to the house was in her pool when the
planes collided.

"She was telling me that the planes collided with each other and one of the wings was
just hanging off, and that was the one that came down and crashed into the house," Kiran
Chokkanna said.

"She was in the pool swimming, and luckily nothing happened to her."

Air Services Australia spokesman Rob Walker said the collision happened outside controlled
airspace.

"The incident took place outside of controlled airspace so they weren't under the control
of any of our controllers," Mr Walker told AAP.

"Light aircraft generally fly at the lower altitudes ... they fly according to CASA
regulations which means they basically keep a lookout and avoid, so they basically self-separate."

AAP vpm/evt/tnf/nf

KEYWORD: PLANES 3RD UPDATE

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

NSW: Man acccused of producing terrorist book, targets like Bush

AAP General News (Australia)
08-13-2008
NSW: Man acccused of producing terrorist book, targets like Bush

A NSW jury's been told a Sydney man produced a book advocating terrorist acts including
shooting down planes .. sending letter bombs .. and the assassination of people like US
President GEORGE W BUSH.

In his opening address for the crown in the NSW Supreme Court today .. PETER NEIL SC
said the book put Australia fifth on a list of targets.

He says in addition to BUSH .. US officials like DONALD RUMSFELD and COLIN POWELL were
among people marked for assassination.

Mr NEIL's taken the jury through a book of more than 100 pages which he says was produced
by BELAL SAADALLAH KHAZAAL.

He says the Arabic book has been translated into English for the jury by an expert.

KHAZAAL has pleaded NOT guilty to knowingly making a document connected with assistance
in a terrorist act and to attempting to incite the commission of a terrorist act.

AAP RTV mss/hn/tm/bart

KEYWORD: KHAZAAL (SYDNEY)

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

NSW: Main stories in today's Sydney newspapers=3

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2008
NSW: Main stories in today's Sydney newspapers=3

THE AUSTRALIAN:

Page 1: The Productivity Commission has found that tariffs cost Australians $9.1 billion
a year while only providing industry a $1.4 billion net benefit.

Page 2: The coalition has guaranteed it will go to the 2010 federal election proposing
to reinstate individual workplace contracts, previously known as Australian Workplace
Agreements.

Page 3: The sale of prestige cars, yachts and multi-million dollar homes is beginning to falter.

World: NATO'S European members are ready to make a long-term commitment to Afghanistan
and "share the burden" by sending extra troops.

Finance: The failed Opes Prime built up its business by aggressively courting stockbrokers
with high commissions to encourage their clients to give them business.

Sport: It's been billed as the NRL grudge match of the year, but Sydney Roosters forward
Willie Mason doesn't know what the fuss is all about.

MORE krc/wf

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS NSW 3 SYDNEY

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

AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 2

AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2007
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Breakfast, Dec 2
Breakfast Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 0430


IRAQ TURKEY (ANKARA)

Turkey has reportedly inflicted heavy losses on a group of up to 60 members of the
armed Kurdish separatist movement .. the PKK .. in northern Iraq today.

The Turkish army website says it spotted the PKK terrorist group inside Iraq's borders
and has made an intense intervention.

Local news in Turkey has also reported the Turkish army used helicopters and artillery
to hit the Kurdish rebels.

But the US military in Baghdad says it's had no reports of Turkish military operations in Iraq.



SUDAN TEACHER (KHARTOUM)

Two Muslim members of Britain's House of Lords have met with jailed British teacher
GILLIAN GIBBONS at a secret location in Khartoum and say she's in good spirits.

Lord AHMED and Baroness WARSI .. from the upper house of Britain's parliament have
visited Ms GIBBONS .. who was jailed for 15 days on Thursday for allowing students to
name a teddy bear Mohammed.

WARSI .. a conservative .. has told Britain's Sky News that GILLIAN is in good spirits
and was telling jokes.

WARSI also says Sudan's Islamist-led government wants to resolve the matter .. and
clearly they're under pressure from many quarters in Sudan.

The pair also met with State Minister for Foreign Affairs SUMANI AL-WASSILA and told
him they were seeking amnesty for Ms GIBBONS.

Meantime .. British Foreign Secretary DAVID MILLIBAND says Ms GIBBONS has been transferred
to a more comfortable and secure environment.



DAVID (MELBOURNE)

A missing eight-year-old Sudanese boy has now been found after disappearing for almost
15 hours in Melbourne's south-west.

LUKUDU DAVID was last seen by his mother yesterday morning at his Tarniet home .. and
after many anxious hours has been found at Flinders Street station late last night.

Transit police spotted the boy and say he spent the entire day riding on trams and
trains .. and has now spent a quite night at home with his family.



RACING QLD (BRISBANE)

Thousands of spectators are returning to the race tracks of south-east Queensland this
weekend .. with racing starting back after the outbreak of horse flu.

Events are planned for the Sunshine Coast today .. after meetings resumed at Doomben
in Brisbane .. on the Gold Coast .. and at Toowoomba yesterday.

Non-TAB meetings are also being held in rural Queensland .. including at Warwick ..

Longreach .. Gympie and Emerald.



NZ KAYAKERS (SYDNEY)

Two Australians bound to complete a trans-Tasman paddle .. may not reach New Zealand
by their planned Christmas deadline.

Their originally two-thousand-200 kilometre journey is likely to take much longer than
anticipated .. because of strong ocean currents and persistent headwinds.

24-year-old JUSTIN JONES and 25-year-old JAMES CASTRISSION departed Forster .. on the
New South Wales north coast on November 13 .. and had hoped to reach Auckland by December
25.

Last night .. they had paddled more than one-thousand kilometres in their special double kayak.

However .. their progress has been hampered by equipment failures.



Briefly in other news ..




A woman has been arrested on drink driving charges in Brisbane after recording a blood
alcohol level more than eight times the legal limit yesterday.




Turkeys at two poultry farms in central Poland have tested positive for the H5N1 strain
of bird flu .. prompting plans to cull more than four thousand birds.




Miss China has won Miss World 2007 .. Miss Angola has come in second .. and Miss Mexico
third .. at the beauty pageant held in China.




Cameroon has welcomed home four endangered western lowland gorillas known as the Taiping
Four .. after an international campaign that won their return from Malaysia after five
years.



in Sport ..



MOTOR V8 (MELBOURNE)

The V8 Supercar championship will go down to the wire at Phillip Island today after
Holden's GARTH TANDER won the opening race of the final round to move to equal points
with Ford's JAMIE WHINCUP.

TANDER claimed victory in yesterday's opening 27-lap race in the season finale .. with
WHINCUP third .. allowing the Holden driver to bridge the seven-point gap which separated
the pair in the championship chase.

The last two races of the season will get underway today .. with TANDER to start from
pole and WHINCUP from third place.



SHIELD WRAP (QLD)

Queensland will resume its second innings at 4-24 .. 34 runs behind South Australia's
first innings .. on day three of the Pura Cup clash at the Gabba.

The Bulls were rattled late yesterday as Test aspirant SHAUN TAIT claimed 3-15 to spark
Queensland's top order collapse.

Meanwhile .. New South Wales and Victoria are evenly poised entering the third day
of their Pura Cup match at the MCG.

The Blues are none for 20 in their second innings for an overall lead of 17 .. after
the Bushrangers declared eight for 256 in its first innings .. in reply to the Blues'
nine for 253.



CUP TAS (HOBART)

Tasmania skipped 10 points clear at the top of the Ford Ranger Cup table following
a three-wicket victory over Western Australia yesterday.

MICHAEL DIGHTON scored his second one-day century in less than a week as the home side
successfully chased down the Warriors' six for 227 with 13 balls to spare.



NBL WRAP (MELBOURNE)

The Sydney Kings have again trumped the Tigers in Melbourne .. winning their NBL top-of-the-table
clash 100-92 overnight.

The Kings enjoy a 13-2 record with the Tigers 9-4 after four straight defeats.

Townsville returned to the top eight and ended Perth's three-game winning streak with
a 97-93 victory at Townsville .. Cairns Taipans thumped South Dragons 125-96 .. and the
Adelaide 36ers have held off West Sydney Razorbacks 125-118.



ENDS BREAKFAST ROUND-UP

Broadcast Desk inquiries 24 hours: 02 9322 8714

AAP RTV jec/

KEYWORD: BREAKFAST ROUND-UP

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

Vic: Flasher confronts sightseers on rural tourist trails

AAP General News (Australia)
04-19-2007
Vic: Flasher confronts sightseers on rural tourist trails

MELBOURNE, April 19 AAP - A flasher has exposed himself to tourists along a walking
trail in south-east Victoria.

One couple walking along the Great Alpine track in Mt Erica, Gippsland, on Sunday,
March 25 told detectives a man wearing only boots was standing in the middle of the path.

The naked rambler indicated he would put some clothes on but only donned a T-shirt
before walking past the couple and continuing along the track, police spokeswoman Marika
Fengler said.

Sightseers have also reported a man exposing himself in other nearby tourist spots,
including Lake Narracan and the rail trail.

Detectives believe other people may have been confronted by the flasher in the Moe
and Newborough areas and are appealing for them to come forward.

A 67-year-old Moe man was likely to be charged for wilful and obscene exposure on summons,
Ms Fengler said.

AAP sjm/evt

KEYWORD: FLASHER

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

WA: Robber's getaway car would not start

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2006
WA: Robber's getaway car would not start

Police are searching for a man who robbed a Perth motel .. but had to run off when
his stolen getaway car wouldn't start.

The man entered the Perth City Motel on Main Street at Osborne Park late last night
.. dressed in white overalls with a blue dishcloth over his mouth .. and robbed the manager
at knifepoint.

When his stolen white Ford Falcon wouldn't start .. he rolled it down the motel driveway
.. set it alight .. and ran off.

AAP RTV ag/jmt

KEYWORD: GETAWAY (PERTH)

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

Qld: Beattie talks up jobs figures

AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2006
Qld: Beattie talks up jobs figures

Queensland Premier PETER BEATTIE has welcomed the fall in the state's jobless rate.

The Bureau of Stats reports Queensland's unemployment rate has fallen to 4.5 per cent
.. the second lowest after WA.

Mr BEATTIE .. who'll be campaigning in Sydney tomorrow to attract skilled workers to
Queensland .. says the figures show his state has over 36 thousand job vacancies .. accounting
for 24 per cent of all vacancies in Australia.

Meanwhile .. NSW Premier MORRIS IEMMA is in Brisbane today .. trying to attract finance
professionals to Sydney.

AAP RTV pjo/sc/srp/cp

KEYWORD: JOBS QLD (BRISBANE)

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

Fed: No plans to change benefits for families: Costello

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2006
Fed: No plans to change benefits for families: Costello

CANBERRA, April 4 AAP - The family tax benefit and the healthcare card will not be
tightened in this year's federal budget, Treasurer Peter Costello says.

The healthcare card - which offers concessions on medicines and other health-related
costs - is available to those receiving government payments, including families who receive
the maximum amount of family tax benefit.

Recent speculation had suggested the government may move to tighten eligibility for
the card because of spiralling costs.

But Mr Costello said he had no plans to do so.

"I'm not proposing any changes to healthcare cards," Mr Costello said.

"I don't think it's a fruitful area of speculation."

The treasurer said the family tax benefit was another area of assistance that would
be spared any changes in the budget.

"The family tax benefit is of enormous assistance for Australian families," Mr Costello said.

"What it means is that Australian families with children - even on average wages -
pay no tax, no net tax.

"It puts Australian families in a much better position than comparable families in
other developed economies.

"We've done that as a deliberate matter of policy because we think it's hard raising
kids these days, so we're not proposing to take away any benefits from them, I can assure
you of that."

Mr Costello also defended the 30 per cent child care rebate, amid suggestions it favoured
high-income earners.

He said the capping of the rebate at $4,000 per year meant it could not be used to
cover expensive child care bills for the rich.

"It is of more financial value for people who are in that 30 per cent tax range ...

which covers all of the middle income earners."

AAP jcol/so/jas/nf

KEYWORD: BUDGET COSTELLO

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

Pulitzer Rules to Allow More Online Entries

NAHAL TOOSI, Associated Press Writer
AP Online
12-07-2005
Dateline: NEW YORK
Newspapers vying for a Pulitzer Prize, the top honor in American print journalism, can now include material published online to bolster their entries, the Pulitzer Prize Board announced Wednesday.

The new rules come as newspapers increasingly rely on their Web sites to disseminate, support and enhance their work as print circulation declines. The new guidelines will apply to the 2006 awards, which cover work in 2005.

"I think the Pulitzer competition now reflects a blend of print and online, which is what most newspapers are seeking to achieve these days," said Sig Gissler, administrator of the Pulitzers.

The competition's "Public Service" category, considered the most prestigious, has since 1999 allowed an online presentation to be part of entries. That category will continue to accept various forms of online work, including streaming video, databases and timelines.

But the other 13 journalism categories will allow online content for the first time.

Only the categories of breaking news reporting and breaking news photography will allow entries that consist solely of online content. Entries of online material in other categories will be limited to written pieces, such as news stories or columns, and still images. Those entries still must include printed material.

Gissler declined to say whether the Pulitzers would ever include a category specifically for online journalism. But he said a Pulitzer committee will continue to monitor how news outlets use the Internet.

In a separate change, the Pulitzer competition guidelines for the feature writing category were altered. The category now will give "prime consideration to quality of writing, originality and concision." The previous feature writing guidelines gave "prime consideration to high literary quality and originality."

Asked if the board wants to see shorter feature stories, Gissler said: "We've tended to have longer submissions, and I think this is an attempt to make it clear that we're interested in a range of possibilities, in case anyone had the notion that the only case the Pulitzer Prizes were interested in were lengthy packages."

The Pulitzer Prizes in journalism cover a range of categories, from cartooning to international reporting.

The 2006 Pulitzer Prizes will be announced April 17.

___

On the Net: http://www.pulitzer.org

Copyright 2005, AP News All Rights Reserved

Vic: Govt says it's not ignoring environment in Hazelwood deal

AAP General News (Australia)
02-14-2005
Vic: Govt says it's not ignoring environment in Hazelwood deal

The Victorian government has rejected claims that it's ignored an independent environmental
inquiry to approve the expansion of Australia's most polluting power station.

Environmental groups say the government has subverted a proper environmental assessment
of Hazelwood power station's application to mine more brown coal.

The panel considering the application has yet to make its decision.

But Energy Minister THEO THEOPHANOUS has said the government will provide the coal
if the Latrobe Valley power station agrees to reduce its greenhouse emissions.

Environment Victoria's executive director MARCUS GODINHO says he's horrified by Mr
THEOPHANOUS' comment that the Hazelwood expansion is a done deal.

And the Australian Conservation Foundation says the government should have waited until
the panel handed down its findings.

But a government spokeswoman says Mr THEOPHANOUS will only approve the extension if
Hazelwood agrees to a reduction in its emissions.

The power station supplies almost one quarter of Victoria's electricity.

AAP RTV nl/mp/wjf/rt

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10-25-2004

Clinton Campaigns With Kerry Today

Workers prepare the stage at Love Park in Philadelphia, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2004, where former president Bill Clinton will appear with Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., for a campaign rally on Monday. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)

PHILADELPHIA (AP) _ Former President Clinton plans to attend a rally with John Kerry today in Philadelphia, then travel to Florida for a rally tonight. Kerry and President Bush continue their campaigns through swing states today with the election a week from tomorrow. Bush is charging Kerry with having a limited vision of the war on terror that won't keep America safe, in a campaign speech revamped to call attention to the central argument of his re-election bid.

IAEA Says Tons of Iraq Explosives Missing

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei is shown in Vienna Sept. 13, 2004. Several hundred tons of conventional explosives are missing from a former Iraqi military facility that once played a key role in Saddam Hussein's efforts to build a nuclear bomb, the U.N. nuclear agency confirmed Monday, Oct. 25, 2004. ElBaradei will report the materials' disappearance to the U.N. Security Council later Monday, according to a spokeswoman. (AP Photo/Rudi Blaha, File)

VIENNA, Austria (AP) _ Several hundred tons of conventional explosives are missing from a former Iraqi military facility that once played a key role in Saddam Hussein's efforts to build a nuclear bomb, the U.N. nuclear agency confirmed Monday. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei will report the materials' disappearance to the U.N. Security Council later Monday, spokeswoman Melissa Fleming told The Associated Press.

Schilling Pitches Red Sox to Game 2 Win

Boston Red Sox' Orlando Cabrera, center, hits a two-run single in the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals in game two of the World Series in Boston, Sunday Oct. 24, 2004. At left is Cards catcher Mike Matheny. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

BOSTON (AP) _ Pitching again through so much pain it put his start in doubt, Curt Schilling helped Boston move halfway to snaring its most elusive prize: a first World Series championship since 1918. Backed by another big hit from surprising Mark Bellhorn and unfazed by a defense that still had trouble getting a grip, the Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-2 Sunday night to take a commanding 2-0 lead.

Security for Internet Users Deemed Weak

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Internet users at home are not nearly as safe online as they believe, according to a nationwide inspection by researchers. They found most consumers have no firewall protection, outdated antivirus software and dozens of spyware programs secretly running on their computers. One beleaguered home user in the government-backed study had more than 1,000 spyware programs running on his sluggish computer when researchers examined it.

Iraq Suspects Infiltrators for Massacre

Abdul-Razzak Yousif arrives to a Baghdad hospital for treatment after a bomb exploded Monday, Oct. 25, 2004 near a U.S. military convoy in central Baghdad, Iraq, killing at least three people and injuring several, the Iraqi Interior Ministry said. The bomb was targeting the U.S. convoy when it detonated in the Karrada neighborhood of Baghdad. (AP Photo/Mohammed Uraibi)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) _ Iraqi officials suspect that about 50 U.S.-trained Iraqi soldiers slain by insurgents _ many of them execution-style _ may have been set up by rebel infiltrators in their ranks. Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group claimed responsibility for the weekend attack, the deadliest ambush of the 18-month insurgency. The claim was posted Sunday on an Islamist Web site but its authenticity could not be confirmed.

Egypt Arrests Alleged Sinai Bombers

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon walks through the halls of his Jerusalem office to attend the weekly cabinet meeting, Sunday Oct. 24, 2004. Sharon asked his Cabinet Sunday to approve legislation authorizing him to carry out his Gaza withdrawal plan and was expected to win approval, setting the stage for a parliamentary vote later this week. Sharon hopes to carry out the withdrawals next summer. (AP Photo/Jim Hollander, pool)

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) _ Eight Egyptians have been arrested and accused of plotting the nearly simultaneous car bombings of a hotel and tourist camp in the Sinai that killed at least 34 people earlier this month. In a statement Monday, the Interior Ministry also said the mastermind of the attacks, identified as Palestinian Ayad Said Salah, died in the Oct. 7 explosion at the hotel along with a fellow plotter, Egyptian Suleiman Ahmed Saleh Flayfil. The statement said the two had been trying to leave the scene but their timed explosives went off prematurely.

Did 'SNL' Gaffe Expose Simpson Vocal Aid?

Ashlee Simpson arrives at the MTV Video Music Awards in Miami, on Aug. 29, 2004. Simpson's "extra help" may have been exposed when a "Saturday Night Live" audience heard her voice _ singing the wrong song _ while she held a microphone at her waist. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz, File)

NEW YORK (AP) _ Singer Ashlee Simpson's "extra help" may have been exposed when a "Saturday Night Live" audience heard her voice _ singing the wrong song _ while she held a microphone at her waist. Her record company blamed a computer glitch and she blamed her band for Sunday morning's incident, which cut off her planned performance of the song "Autobiography" on the network comedy show.

Stocks to Open Lower on Falling Dollar

NEW YORK (AP) _ U.S. stocks appear headed for a lower opening as investors continue to mull the falling dollar and the rampant price of oil. The budget deficit, marginally disappointing outlooks for fourth-quarter earnings and questions over the outcome of the Presidential election makes for a fairly heady cocktail which could give investors an excuse to give equities a wide berth for a while. Dow Jones futures fell 50 points recently, while Nasdaq futures were down 9.50 points and Standar & Poor's futures decreased 5.90 points.

Hendrick Motorsports Plane Crash Kills 10

Jimmie Johnson, center, winner of the NASCAR Subway 500 race, is escorted to a NEXTEL Cup trailer after the race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., Sunday Oct. 24, 2004. Johnson's series-high sixth victory of the season was tempered by word that a plane carrying members of the Hendrick Motorsports organization was missing. NASCAR officials informed Johnson and three other Hendrick drivers that a plane carrying members of the organization had disappeared en route to the race. Johnson was excused from Victory Lane. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) _ One of auto racing's most successful dynasties was in mourning after a plane owned by Hendrick Motorsports crashed in thick fog en route to a NASCAR race, killing all 10 people aboard, including the son, brother and two nieces of owner Rick Hendrick. The Beech 200 King Air took off from Concord, N.C., and crashed Sunday in the Bull Mountain area seven miles from the Blue Ridge Regional Airport in Spencer, near the Martinsville Speedway, said Arlene Murray, spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Copyright 2004, AP News All Rights Reserved

objects clause

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Natural Gas Prices for April Rise 5.7% Nationwide, as Spring Arrives With a Chill, According to Platts.

Business Editors

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 6, 2001

Average monthly natural-gas spot prices for April rose 5.7% nationwide, as a late-season blast of chilly weather forced buyers in many markets back into the spot market to satisfy heating loads, according to data released by Platts, the energy market information division of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP).

The uptick follows a 21% drop last month for March contracts. April's $5.23/MMBtu average spot price for supply areas nationwide was up from $4.95 in March and 86% above the April 2000 average of $2.81.

In an exclusive survey by Inside FERC's Gas Market Report, whose spot price surveys set the benchmark prices for most monthly spot contracts in North America, the average price of natural gas delivered to the high-cost New York and New Jersey markets for April 2001 rose 4.1%, to $5.86/MMBtu from $5.63 in March 2001. This month's average is 87% higher than the April 2000 average of $3.13/MMBtu.

In Southern California, where demand for gas from the troubled electric generation sector continues to keep spot prices well above other market areas, the average monthly spot price for April declined slightly to $12.51/MMBtu from $12.53 in March. Spot prices there are 314% higher than in April 2000 when the average was $3.02.

"The brief spate of cold across much of the U.S. last week put upward pressure on prices at the tail-end of the heating season," said Kelley Doolan, natural gas market specialist for Platts and chief editor of Inside FERC's Gas Market Report. "Prices rose because the supply/demand balance is still so tight. And there is a feeling in the marketplace that spot-gas prices will remain relatively strong going into the summer, as gas utilities and others buy gas to inject into storage caverns in preparation for next winter."

"There is also considerable speculation that spot-gas prices could rise this summer to levels that rival or even surpass the peaks seen this winter," Doolan said. "As the summer heats up, many expect the electric generators to come into the gas market in force and compete for the limited supplies. How high prices go then will depend in large part on how hot it gets and for how long," Doolan said.

Platts is the world's largest and most authoritative provider of energy market information, with more than 325 professionals worldwide and products ranging from real-time and Internet-based news services, to market reports, databases, magazines and conferences. Platts services cover the oil, petrochemical, natural gas, electricity, nuclear power, coal and metals markets. Every day more than $10 billion of trading activity and term contract sales are based on Platts' price assessments. Additional information is available at www.platts.com and www.plattsmetals.com.

Founded in 1888, The McGraw-Hill Companies is a global information services provider meeting worldwide needs in financial services, education and business-to-business information through leading brands such as Standard & Poor's, BusinessWeek and McGraw-Hill Education. The Corporation has more than 300 offices in 32 countries. Sales in 2000 were $4.3 billion. Additional information is available at http://www.mcgraw-hill.com.

Research Study Reports: Collaboration Consumes Marketing People.

Business Editors

CUPERTINO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 19, 2000

A new research report sponsored by Magnifi, Inc. finds that marketers spend 69% of their workday collaborating with others - communicating and networking, creating strategic plans, and developing marketing/advertising materials.

"While collaboration has always been critical to brand-management, in the Internet age, it is absolutely essential," comments Hunter Hastings, ceo of Magnifi, Inc. (Cupertino, Calif.), the marketing services and consulting firm which sponsored the research. "To be competitive, brand-owners clearly need to allow more time for collaboration by applying technology to streamline and accelerate the creative process."

According to Magnifi's research, 38% of respondents say that tracking down paperwork, materials and approvals is the most inefficient activity when collaborating, followed by communicating and networking (21%) and strategic planning (16%).

At the same time, when working independently, 22% of respondents feel that monitoring the progress of collaborative projects is inefficient. Working on documents such as memos, budgets, and evaluations also comes in at 22% and developing new product efforts runs a close second (17%).

Magnifi's report is based on the first of a series of surveys designed to determine how high-level marketers visiting the Magnifi website spend their time, and what elements and activities of their workday prove most inefficient and/or frustrating.

BHC Consulting (http://www.bhcconsulting.com), a marketing strategy company that provides solutions for global companies and entrepreneurs, conducted the survey for Magnifi, Inc. Magnifi, Inc. provides business to business marketing applications and services for Global 2000 companies, advertising agencies and marketing partners. Magnifi's hosted service, Magnifi.net, available for a monthly fee, provides a secure and private single point of access for content, projects, people, news and resources, all through a web interface.

Magnifi, Inc. (http://www.magnifi.com) specializes in helping global brand-owners and agencies manage their marketing information and improve their marketing processes. Subscribers include TBWA/Chiat/Day, McKessonHBOC, Americast, E*TRADE, Sun Microsystems and BBDO.

NORTHROP GRUMMAN: Northrop Grumman names Philipp F. Schweizer to head Science and Technology Center.

M2 PRESSWIRE-16 February 1999-NORTHROP GRUMMAN: Northrop Grumman names Philipp F. Schweizer to head Science and Technology Center (C)1994-99 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:150299

PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE: NOC) Electronic Sensors and Systems Sector (ES3) has named Philipp F. Schweizer director of Science and Technology, with responsibility for the sector's Science and Technology Center (STC) here.

Dr. Schweizer, 59, joined the company in 1968 as a senior engineer and has held a number of engineering and management posts in the research and development of automation systems and artificial intelligence for sonar, radar, and visible spectrum image and signal recognition systems. Most recently, he was manager of Imaging and Information Technology at the STC.

Dr. Schweizer received a B.S. in electrical engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, an M.S. in electrical engineering from Marquette University and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Purdue University. He holds five patents and is the author of more than 100 published technical reports.

Northrop Grumman's Science and Technology Center provides front-end technology for all of the sector's business areas. Its core technology focus is on imaging and information technology, microelectronics, cyroelectronics, low power RF miniature filters, advanced microwave devices, special electronic and optical materials, and precision timing applications. The center employs 105 engineers, scientists, technicians and administrative personnel.

Northrop Grumman ES3, headquartered in Baltimore, Md., is a leading designer, systems integrator, and manufacturer of defense electronic and systems, airspace management systems, marine systems, precision weapons, space systems and automation and information systems.

LEARN MORE ABOUT US. Northrop Grumman news releases, product information, photos and video clips are available on the Internet at: http://www.northrop-grumman.com

CONTACT: Jack Martin Jr. Tel: +1 410 765 4441

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

FriendFinder Networks Inc. Names Brian M. Prenoveau, CFA Director of Investor Relations.

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CAPITAL IQ AND THE WHARTON SCHOOL TO PROVIDE EXTENSIVE COMPANY DATASETS THROUGH WRDS RESEARCH PLATFORM.

NEW YORK -- The following information was released by The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania:

Capital IQ, a Standard and Poor's business and a leading provider of financial market data, analytics and solutions, and The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania today announced that Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) will now include three Capital IQ datasets to complement the Compustat datasets currently available through the platform. With the addition of these datasets, researchers in both the academic and financial communities will have the tools to conduct analysis within new areas of research.

The select datasets consist of Key Developments, Capital Structure, and People Intelligence. Key Developments provides structured summaries of material news and events to predict the impact of discrete qualitative or quantitative events on future company performance. The Capital Structure dataset provides extensive debt capital structure for over 60,000 global public and private companies and equity capital structure data on over 80,000 active and inactive companies worldwide. Additionally, People Intelligence offers coverage of over 4.5 million professionals including private and public company executives, board members, and investment professionals, globally.

"We are very excited for this newest expansion of our partnership with WRDS," said Andy Halula, Vice President of Government and University Division at Capital IQ Compustat. "The addition of these select Capital IQ datasets to the vast array of Compustat and other Standard and Poor's datasets already available on WRDS will provide new opportunities for the thousands of researchers around the world who rely on the WRDS platform for their historical analysis and research."

"We are so pleased to have the opportunity to add Capital IQ data to WRDS, further solidifying the relationship between our two organizations," said Robert Zarazowski, Director of WRDS. "With these new data additions, the WRDS service continues as the locus for quantitative data research recognized by the academic and financial research community around the world as the leading business intelligence tool."

Wharton Research Data Services (WRDS) is the leading, comprehensive, internet-based data research service used by academic, government, non-profit institutions, and corporate firms. WRDS provides the user with one location to access over 200 terabytes of data across multiple disciplines including Finance, Marketing, and Economics. WRDS provides flexible data delivery options including a simple but powerful web query method that reduces research time and executes research and strategy development on the WRDS Cloud. Developed in 1993 to support faculty research at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, WRDS has since evolved to become the leading business intelligence tool for a global research community of over 20,000 users at nearly 300 institutions in 27 countries. http://wrds.wharton.upenn.edu

About Capital IQ and Standard and Poor's

Capital IQ, a Standard and Poor's business, delivers comprehensive fundamental and quantitative research and analysis solutions to over 4,200 investment management firms, investment banks, private equity funds, advisory firms, corporations, and universities worldwide. Its solutions are based on the Capital IQ Platform, Compustat, ClariFI, and Alphaworks products, and offer an array of powerful applications for desktop research, screening, real-time market data, backtesting, portfolio management, financial modeling, and quantitative analysis. For more information, please visit Capital IQ's web site at www.capitaliq.com.

Standard and Poor's, a subsidiary of The McGraw-Hill Companies (NYSE: MHP), is the world's foremost provider of independent credit ratings, indices, risk evaluation, investment research and data. With offices in 23 countries and markets, Standard and Poor's is an essential part of the world's financial infrastructure and has played a leading role for 150 years in providing investors with the independent benchmarks they need to feel more confident about their investment and financial decisions. For more information, visit www.standardandpoors.com.

About the Wharton School

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania- founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school - is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. The most comprehensive source of business knowledge in the world, Wharton bridges research and practice through its broad engagement with the global business community. The School has more than 4,800 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students; more than 9,000 annual participants in executive education programs; and an alumni network of 88,000 graduates.

Motorola Mobility and Orange Announce UK Availability for Motorola ATRIXa"[cent sign], the Future of Mobile Computing; The worlda[euro](tm)s most powerful smartphone packs the power and capabilities of a PC in your pocket; on sale today the ...

M2 PRESSWIRE-June 6, 2011-: Motorola Mobility and Orange Announce UK Availability for Motorola ATRIXa"[cent sign], the Future of Mobile Computing; The worlda[euro](tm)s most powerful smartphone packs the power and capabilities of a PC in your pocket; on sale today the UK, exclusively with Orange(C)1994-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

RDATE:03062011

BASINGSTOKE, UK -- Motorola Mobility, Inc . and Orange UK announced that the award-winning Motorola ATRIX is on sale from today in Orange stores nationwide and online .

Motorola ATRIX is the future of mobile computing and the only smartphone which allows you to carry the power of mobile computing in your pocket. The handset features a dual core processor for unprecedented computing capabilities; as well as Motorola's webtop application which runs a full Mozilla Firefox 3.6 browser and supports Adobe(r) Flash(r) Player to open up all the rich graphics, animations and video on the web. Motorola ATRIX is capable of opening web pages twice as fast as most other smartphones, and it has been designed to become a user's primary digital hub to create and edit media content on the go. It also features a biometric fingerprint reader for easy unlocking.

"ATRIX empowers people by giving them new ways to stay connected, informed and entertained at home, at work and anywhere in between," said Andrew Morley, vice president of marketing, international markets, Motorola Mobility. "Motorola ATRIX is leading the way in a new era in mobile computing as it comes loaded with the Motorola webtop application, which enables consumers to enhance the capabilities of their smartphones and simultaneously reduce their need for additional mobile computing screens."

"We are proud to be the UK launch partner for Motorola ATRIX, a ground-breaking product that delivers on our ongoing commitment to offer customers the latest multimedia devices," said Phil Roberson, director of Devices, Everything Everywhere, the company that runs Orange UK. "Motorola ATRIX offers our customers a new and exciting way to stay in touch with the people who matter the most to them."

Motorola has developed two companion accessory docks for Motorola ATRIX: The Motorola HD Multimedia Dock, which has three USB ports and an HDMI port enabling connections to a keyboard, mouse, speakers and HDMI-compatible monitor for working at your desk, or connecting to an HDMI-compatible television and home theatre audio system for enjoying video, music, games and more The Motorola Lapdock(TM), which has an incredibly thin design with an 11.6-inch screen, 36Wh three-cell battery that delivers up to eight hours of battery life, full keyboard, stereo speakers, and weighs just 1.1 kilograms. Users simply dock their Motorola ATRIX into the back for true mobility at work, at home and playing on the go in a form factor that's lighter and smaller than most laptops on the market

As the exclusive launch partner, Orange is offering Motorola ATRIX free to customers on a [pound sign]35 per month, 24 month contract, which includes 600 minutes, 750 MB data allowance, unlimited texts, 50 MMS and unlimited wi-fi (subject to fair usage) per month.

Those who purchase Motorola ATRIX from Orange will be able to take the Work and Play Kit which includes a remote control, mouse, HD multimedia dock and keyboard for only [pound sign]49.99 (standard retail price [pound sign]129.99), and to celebrate the launch, existing Orange pay monthly customers who upgrade to Motorola ATRIX during the month of May this year will receive the Work and Play Kit for free.

Customers will be able to purchase the Motorola Lapdock from Orange, normally priced at [pound sign]299.99, at reduced price points on select tariffs. A unique price plan is also being introduced which includes free tethering** allowing customers to connect to the internet on the move using Motorola ATRIX -- the new Panther Extra 60 plan*** also includes 3,000 minutes, 1GB data allowance, unlimited texts and unlimited wi-fi (subject to fair usage) per month.

Orange business customers can get Motorola ATRIX and the Motorola Lapdock bundle free of charge on Solo 55 and existing customers will get a great deal when re-signing with Motorola ATRIX.

Availability

Motorola ATRIX is available from May 4 from Orange stores and online in the UK. For more information on how to buy Motorola ATRIX, click here About Motorola Mobility

Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE:MMI) fuses innovative technology with human insights to create experiences that simplify, connect and enrich people's lives. Our portfolio includes converged mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets; wireless accessories; end-to-end video and data delivery; and management solutions, including set-tops and data-access devices. For more information, visit motorola.com/mobility .

Media Contacts (for media and analysts only): Gemma Priscott

Office: +44 1256 790384

Mobile: +44 7970 882 994

gemma.priscott@motorola.com

Motorola Mobility, Inc.

Certain features, services and applications are network dependent and may not be available in all areas; additional terms, conditions and/or charges may apply. Contact your service provider for details. All features, functionality and other product specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation.

MOTOROLA and the Stylized M Logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Motorola Trademark Holdings, LLC. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. (c) 2011 Motorola Mobility, Inc. All rights reserved.

The world's most powerful smartphone packs the power and capabilities of a PC in your pocket; on sale today the UK, exclusively with Orange

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

NETGEAR to Present at Upcoming Investor Conferences.

SAN JOSE, Calif., May 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NETGEAR, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers, is scheduled to present at the following upcoming investor conferences in May and June 2011.

JMP Tenth Annual Securities Research Conference
Date:	Monday, May 9, 2011
Time:	8:30 am PDT
Place:	The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, San Francisco
Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2011 Smid Cap Conference
Date:	Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Time:	10:30 am EDT
Place:	The Boston Harbor Hotel, Boston
Barclays Capital 2011 Global Communications, Media and Technology Conference
Date:	Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Time:	10:00 am EDT
Place:	TheCrowne Plaza Times Square, New York City
Bank of America Merrill Lynch 2011 Technology Conference
Date:	Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Time:	2:35 pm EDT
Place:	TheCrowne Plaza Times Square, New York City

About NETGEAR, Inc.

NETGEAR (NASDAQGM: NTGR) is a global networking company that delivers innovative products to consumers, businesses and service providers. For consumers, the company makes high performance, dependable and easy home networking, storage and digital media products to connect people with the Internet and their content and devices. For businesses, NETGEAR provides networking, storage and security solutions without the cost and complexity of Big IT. The company also supplies top service providers with retail proven, whole home solutions for their customers. NETGEAR products are built on a variety of proven technologies such as wireless, Ethernet and powerline, with a focus on reliability and ease-of-use. NETGEAR products are sold in over 28,000 retail locations around the globe, and through more than 37,000 value-added resellers. The company's headquarters are in San Jose, Calif., with additional offices in 25 countries. NETGEAR is an ENERGY STAR partner. More information is available at http://www.NETGEAR.com or by calling (408) 907-8000. Connect with NETGEAR at http://twitter.com/NETGEAR and http://www.facebook.com/NETGEAR.

(c)2011 NETGEAR, Inc. NETGEAR and the NETGEAR logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.

Contacts: Joseph Villalta The Ruth Group (646) 536-7003 jvillalta@theruthgroup.com

SOURCE NETGEAR, Inc.

Dodo rescues Eftel from extinction.

Byline: Paul Smith

Apr 10, 2011 (The Australian Financial Review - ABIX via COMTEX) -- The ClubTelco vehicle of Larry Kestelman and others will acquire struggling listed ISP Eftel, and allocate new capital worth $A2.1m to it. While Kestelman is also CEO of third rival ISP Dodo, he says there are no plans for a backdoor listing on the stock exchange for that group via Eftel. Dodo will hold 75.6% of Eftel, with the latter's existing stockholders having their stake diluted to 24.4%.

Publication Date: 11 April 2011

 EFTEL LIMITED - ASX EFT DODO INTERNET PTY LTD CLUBTELCO AUSTRALIAPTY LTD QUOIN (INTERNATIONAL) LIMITED - ASX QIL ASX LIMITED - ASX ASXIINET LIMITED - ASX IIN TPG TELECOM LIMITED - ASX TPM INTERNODE SYSTEMSPTY LTD TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED - ASX TLS NBN CO LIMITED 

Copyright 2011 LexisNexis Australia. All Rights Reserved.

Where China falters.(Local)

PRESIDENT Barack Obama's visit to China last week inevitably invites comparisons between the world's two leading powers. You know what they say: Britain owned the 19th century, America owned the 20th century, and it's all but certain that China will own the 21st century.

Maybe, but I'm not ready to cede the 21st century to China just yet.

It has to do with the fact that we are moving into a hyperintegrated world in which all aspects of production -- raw materials, design, manufacturing, distribution, fulfillment, financing and branding -- have become commodities that can be accessed from anywhere by anyone. But there are still two really important things that can't be commoditized. Fortunately, America still has one of them: imagination.

What your citizens imagine now matters more than ever because they can act on their own imaginations farther, faster, deeper and cheaper than ever before -- as individuals. In such a world, societies that can nurture people with the ability to imagine and spin off new ideas will thrive.

The Apple iPod may be made in China, but it was dreamed up in America, and that's where most of the profits go. America -- with its open, free, no-limits, immigrant-friendly society -- is still the world's greatest dream machine.

Who would cede a century in which imagination will have such a high value to an authoritarian society that controls its Internet and jails political prisoners?

But while our culture of imagination is still vibrant, the other critical factor that still differentiates countries today -- and is not a commodity -- is good governance, which can harness creativity. And that we may be losing.

I am talking about the ability of a society's leaders to think long term, address their problems with the optimal legislation and attract capable people into government. What I increasingly fear today is that America is only able to produce "suboptimal" responses to its biggest problems -- education, debt, financial regulation, health care, energy and environment.

At least six things have come together to fracture our public space and paralyze our ability to forge optimal solutions:

1) Money in politics has become so pervasive that lawmakers have to spend most of their time raising it, selling their souls to those who have it or defending themselves from the smallest interest groups with deep pockets that can trump the national interest.

2) The gerrymandering of political districts means politicians of each party can now choose their own voters and never have to appeal to the center.

3) Cable TV culture encourages shouting and segregating people into their own political echo chambers.

4) A permanent presidential campaign leaves little time for governing.

5) The Internet, at its best, provides a check on elites and establishments and opens the way for new voices but, at its worst, provides a home for every extreme view and spawns digital lynch mobs from across the political spectrum .

6) A U.S. business community has become so globalized that it comes to Washington only to lobby for its own narrow interests; it rarely speaks out anymore in defense of national issues like health care, education and open markets.

These six factors are pushing our system, which was designed to have divided powers and to force compromises, into the realm of paralysis. To get anything big done now, we have to generate so many compromises -- couched in 1,000-plus-page bills -- with so many different interest groups that the solutions are totally suboptimal. We just get the sum of all interest groups.

China's leaders, using authoritarian means, still can overcome paralysis. They don't have to always settle for suboptimal. So what do we do?

The standard answer is that we need better leaders. The real answer is that we need better citizens.

We need citizens who will convey to their leaders that they are ready to sacrifice, even pay higher taxes, and will not punish politicians who ask them to do the hard things. Otherwise, folks, we're in trouble.

Thomas Friedman is a columnist with The New York Times.

HORNETS 'JAM SESSION' TO FEATURE HOME-BUYING HELP SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21; FANNIE MAE AND THE HORNETS JOIN EFFORTS TO STEER FANS TOWARD ROAD TO HOMEOWNERSHIP

CHARLOTTE, N.C., Oct. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Fannie Mae (NYSE: FNM) and the Charlotte Hornets today announced the Fannie Mae Home-Buying Fair at the Hornets 4th Annual Nabisco Jam Session from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, October 21 at the Charlotte Coliseum. This is where fans will have the chance to ask the experts everything they need to know about buying a home -- as well as to see the 1995-96 Hornets team, the cheerleading squad the HoneyBees, and their mascot Hugo.

Fair exhibitors, including lenders, community groups, and real estate professionals, will be on hand to talk one-on-one with fans about qualifying for a mortgage, repairing credit problems, and finding affordable loans and homes. Fans also may register for door prizes, including a television and Hornets merchandise. Admission to the Jam Session and the Home-Buying Fair is free, although there is a coliseum parking fee of $4.

"Fannie Mae's goal is to get people started on the path to homeownership," Glenn Austin, senior vice president of Fannie Mae's Southeastern Regional Office, said. "The Hornets Jam Session provides a fun and exciting place for fans to learn how to make their dream of homeownership come true."

Fannie Mae's research shows that a lack of information is a major barrier to homeownership for minorities and families of modest means. A result of the information gap is that the homeownership rate for minorities in Charlotte is significantly lower than the national average. According to the most recent Census Bureau figures, the homeownership rate in the city of Charlotte is 55.0 percent, lower than the national average of 64.2 percent. For African-American residents, the homeownership rate is only 37.7 percent.

The Hornets look forward to the Jam Session each season as a way to show appreciation to our fans," Spencer Stolpen, president of the Hornets, said. "We expect to have at least 10,000 fans at the Jam Session and Home-Buying Fair, which adds up to thousands of area residents a lot closer to homeownership -- a key to creating strong and prosperous neighborhoods here."

The Jam Session is brought to the public by select Nabisco products.

Exhibitors include BB&T, Central Carolina Bank and Trust, Centura Bank, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Partnership, Inc., Chase Manhattan Mortgage, Coldwell-Banker Flouhouse, Countrywide Funding, Crossland Mortgage, Dover Mortgage Company, Family Housing Services, Inc., First Union National Bank, Home Federal Savings and Loan Association, Habitat for Humanity, Mechanics & Farmers Bank, NationsBank, Northwest Corridor Community Development Corporation, PNC Mortgage, Prestige Realty, Principal Residential Mortgage, Reid Park CDC, Spectrum Home Mortgage Division/Marine Midland Bank, and Wachovia Mortgage.

Fannie Mae is a congressionally chartered, shareholder-owned company and the nation's largest source of home mortgage funds. It has committed to provide $1 trillion in targeted lending for 10 million homes by the end of the decade. The targeted lending serves low- and moderate-income families, minorities, new immigrants, residents of central cities and other underserved areas, and people who have special housing needs. Fannie Mae is the nation's largest source of home mortgage funds.

For a menu of Fannie Mae news releases available by fax 24 hours (no charge) or to retrieve a specific release, please call 1-800-758-5804, ext. 305450, or access the address http://www.prnewswire.com on the Internet.

    -0-                        10/12/95 

/CONTACT: Tim Carlsgaard of Fannie Mae, 404-398-6259/

(FNM)

CO: Fannie Mae; Charlotte Hornets ST: District of Columbia, North Carolina IN: FIN SU:

JA-AM -- DC004 -- 5567 10/12/95 10:02 EDT