FED:Gillard must explain Thomson saga: Abbott

AAP General News (Australia)
08-20-2011
FED:Gillard must explain Thomson saga: Abbott

Eds: Reissues to clarify in last par the year the Liberals were calling for Mr Thomson
to be disendorsed.

ADELAIDE, Aug 20 AAP - Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has called on Prime Minister Julia
Gillard to explain the unsavoury Craig Thomson saga that he says is paralysing her government.

Besieged federal MP Craig Thomson is under fire over claims surrounding the use of
a union credit card to pay for prostitutes.

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell has called Mr Thomson a "disgrace" and says the sooner
he's out of federal parliament "the better for the country".

Mr Abbott stopped short of calling for Mr Thomson's resignation but said Ms Gillard
must face the public and deal with the matter quickly.

"Something untoward has gone on here and he has to explain it and the prime minister
has to explain it and then the prime minister has to deal with it, Mr Abbott told reporters
in Adelaide.

"Because every day there is more and more unsavoury information coming out and every
day it is more difficult for the prime minister and the government to function.

"We can't have a government which is paralysed because the prime minister doesn't want
to come out ... and face questions about a particular MP."

Hotel bills obtained by Fairfax show phone calls made to two Melbourne brothels in
2006 were from rooms hired in Mr Thomson's name.

The member for Dobell has repeatedly denied using his credit card to pay for escort
services, saying it was regularly used by other people within the Health Services Union
(HSU) when he was national secretary.

Mr Thomson is also under pressure for delaying a disclosure that the ALP's NSW branch
paid a "sum of money" - reportedly $90,000 - to his lawyers on his behalf to allegedly
avoid bankruptcy after ending a defamation case against Fairfax.

Bankruptcy or criminal charges could force Mr Thomson from his NSW seat, potentially
ending Labor's minority government.

NSW Labor Leader John Robertson said on Saturday he wasn't aware of payments made by
the ALP's NSW Labor branch to Mr Thomson's lawyers.

"The prime minister's responded to this on numerous occasions," Mr Robertson said.

"It's a matter for her to deal with and I think she's addressed it every day."

Ms Gillard has defended her backbencher, saying people can be investigated and have
no adverse conclusions drawn against them.

Treasurer Wayne Swan on Saturday also declined to be drawn on what action Labor would
take if the allegations allegations turned out to be true, saying only that Mr Thomson
had denied the allegations.

"It is too early for people to be jumping to conclusions, we have to let the processes
in place reach their conclusion," Mr Swan told reporters in Mackay.

It's not the first time the Liberals have questioned Mr Thomson - they called for him
to be disendorsed in 2007, citing an NSW Industrial Relations Commission ruling that found
he and the HSU had run a deliberately misleading campaign to poach members from a rival
union.

AAP lk/jjs

KEYWORD: THOMSON WRAP

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

Qld: Higher water restrictions for south-east Qld =2

AAP General News (Australia)
02-23-2007
Qld: Higher water restrictions for south-east Qld =2

A QWC spokeswoman would not say what level five restrictions would entail.

But it's expected there will be a total ban on the outdoor use of town water.

Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney called on the QWC to release details.

"If they've got the details, they should be releasing them now so people can begin
to make the adjustments which will inevitably be necessary," Mr Seeney said.

"They are just playing games by putting out this timetable by drip-feeding the information.

"It's just playing politics with the whole …

News Diary for Sunday, April 24

AAP General News (Australia)
04-24-2011
News Diary for Sunday, April 24
GOOD MORNING NEWS EDITORS AND CHIEFS OF STAFF

Here is AAP's preliminary newslist for Sunday April 24 (not for publication).

This is a guide only and stories, local times and locations are subject to change. In
some cases times and locations may not be available. Story coverage is subject to staffing.

ADELAIDE
- No items listed.

BRISBANE
- No items listed.

CANBERRA
- No items listed.


HOBART
- No items listed.

MELBOURNE
- No items listed.

PERTH
- Outwatching for any follow-up after gunman's standoff with Perth police in Northbridge.

SYDNEY
1030 - Easter Sunday Solemn High Mass, St Mary's Cathedral, College Street, Sydney.

1030 - Easter Sunday Anglican service St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney Square.

1800 - Easter Sunday youth mas and ANZAC Commemoration, St Mary's Cathedral, College Street, Sydney.

FINANCE
- No items listed. Markets closed for public hol.


SPORT

AFL - round 5

MELBOURNE - North Melbourne v Richmond 4.40PM

MELBOURNE - Preview Essendon v Collingwood - Roger Vaughan/Guy Hand

PERTH - Preview Fremantle v Western Bulldogs - Justin Chadwick

MELBOURNE - Follow up from Carlton v Adelaide - Sam Lienert

MELBOURNE - AFL Wrap + Snapshot

LEAGUE - NRL round 7

CANBERRA - Canberra v Newcastle, 2pm

SYDNEY - Parramatta v Gold Coast, 3pm

SYDNEY - Preview Sydney Roosters v St George Illawarra

MELBOURNE - Preview Melbourne v Warriors

SYDNEY - Follow up from Cronulla v North Queensland

SYDNEY - Follow up from Canterbury v South Sydney

SYDNEY - RL Wrap + Snapshot



RUGBY - Super Rugby round 10

BRISBANE - Follow up from Queensland Reds v NSW Waratahs

PERTH - Follow up from Western Force v Bulls

BRISBANE - Super Wrap - Jim Morton

BASKETBALL

CAIRNS - Game two of NBL grand final series: Cairns Taipans v New Zealand Breakers, 4pm



SURFING

BELLS BEACH, Vic - Rip Curl Pro - Guy Hand

ATHLETICS

STAWELL, Vic - Build-up to Tuesday's Stawell Gift foot race.

MONDAY, April 25

AFL - round 5

MELBOURNE - Essendon v Collingwood, 2.20pm

PERTH - Fremantle v Western Bulldogs, Subiaco, 8.40pm

MELBOURNE - Preview Hawthorn v Geelong

MELBOURNE - Follow up from North Melbourne v Richmond

LEAGUE

NRL round 7

SYDNEY - Sydney Roosters v St George Illawarra, 4pm

MELBOURNE - Melbourne v Warriors, 7pm

SYDNEY - RL Wrap

SURFING

BELLS BEACH, Vic - Rip Curl Pro

ATHLETICS

STAWELL, Vic - Build-up to Tuesday's Stawell Gift foot race



BOXING

LOS ANGELES - Australian boxer Vic Darchinyan in bantamweight bout with Colombian Yonnhy
Perez, about 2pm

AAP RTV cdh/tm/wz

KEYWORD: DIARY NEWS SUNDAY

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

FED:Australian terrorist threat to airports

AAP General News (Australia)
02-08-2011
FED:Australian terrorist threat to airports

SYDNEY, Feb 8 AAP - A group of Australians who are believed to be at terrorist training
camps in Yemen pose a threat to airport security, a security expert says.

ABC Television's Foreign Correspondent has reported that 22 Australians have gone missing
in Yemen and are believed to be at al-Qaeda training camps.

Heading up the al-Qaeda regime in Yemen is an American citizen Anwar al-Awlaki who
the ABC reported has been dubbed the Osama bin Laden of the internet.

Al-Awlaki has been allegedly involved in a number of terrorist attacks and in his internet
sermons - delivered in perfect English - he preaches contempt for non-believers.

The 22 Australians are believed to be receiving training at these camps where their
value is their Australian passports and the access they can gain with them.

"The authorities know who these people are," Homeland Security Asia Pacific director
Roger Hennings told AAP.

"The government of Australia is aware of the identity of 22 Australians who went missing
about four months ago, in other words they just got to Yemen and disappeared," he said.

"This constitutes a national security risk because all of these people left through
Australian airports and when they return they will return through Australian airports."

Mr Hennings said these Australians were believed to be in al-Qaeda training camps in
Yemen and there was nothing to stop them communicating with sympathisers in Australia.

According to Mr Hennings, 66 Australian citizens and residents have already been trained
by al-Qaeda or in Pakistan by other terrorist organisations.

Major airports are areas of mass gathering which Mr Hennings says are critical to the
security of the country.

Yet the majority of people working in airports don't understand how security threat
levels work and Mr Hennings says there is a daily threat level to Australia's airports.

"If you call any airport in Australia they'll tell you that they meet federal government
requirements and that's true because the federal government requirements are totally inadequate
for 2011."

All people who work in airports should be briefed on terrorist threats, according to
the director of Homeland Security.

"If an act is undertaken at Sydney Airport that puts the airport out of action the
hit on the economy is $1 billion a week.

"What you have now is a very public knowledge of what's going on in Yemen, and it's
time to address it in a much more formidable way than it has been in the past," he said.

Homeland Security has spent four years putting together a mitigation strategy that
makes it mandatory for every person who works at an airport to be issued with Aviation
Security Identification Cards (ASICs).

"It's our understanding that it's imminent that the government will make it mandatory
for every person who works in an airport to go through a vetting system and be issued
with photo ID.

"We have airports with thousands of people in them, that only a handful of people in
them know what to do in an emergency. They don't even know where to look for a threat
level - they should be posted throughout the airport for everybody who works there,"

Mr Hennings said.

"You've got evidence tonight on the ABC that these guys are capable of perpetrating
anything they like anywhere in Australia.

"We don't want to be alarmist, we want to be proactive and knock it on the head."

AAP dmg/apm/jfm

KEYWORD: YEMEN AUST

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

NSW:Bikie attacked while lying airport floor

AAP General News (Australia)
08-25-2010
NSW:Bikie attacked while lying airport floor

A Sydney court's been told Comanchero boss MICK HAWI and another man attacked ANTHONY
ZERVAS with bollards at Sydney Airport and a third man knelt down and punched him repeatedly
on the floor.

The 29-year-old was left bloodied and motionless .. and died a short time later.

Ten men linked to the Comanchero bikie gang are charged with murdering Mr ZERVAS on
March 22 last year.

Mr ZERVAS' brother PETER ZERVAS is also linked to the brawl at the airport and along
with two other members of the Hells Angels .. is charged with riot and affray over the
incident.

A committal hearing for the 13 men heard evidence today from a man known only as SP.

A former Comanchero nominee .. SP was at the airport on the day of the brawl and was
initially charged with Mr ZERVAS's murder.

But that charge has since been dropped and SP is now a prosecution witness.

He gave evidence today that he saw Mr ZERVAS grasping a pair of metal scissors as he
tried to attack Comanchero boss MICK HAWI at the airport on the day of his death.

A short time later SP told the court he saw HAWI and another man he knew to be a Comanchero
.. CHRISTIAN MENZIES .. both holding bollards and standing either side of Mr ZERVAS who
was on the floor.

SP said Mr ZERVAS was hit twice on the top of his head by HAWI and MENZIES.

As some of the Comanchero began to leave the airport .. SP told the court he saw another
Comanchero .. FARRES ABOUNADER .. kneel down on the floor beside Mr ZERVAS and punch him
in the stomach.

AAP RTV ad/tr/crh

KEYWORD: BIKIES (SYDNEY)

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

FED: Referendum certain if health plan not agreed - Roxon

AAP General News (Australia)
04-19-2010
FED: Referendum certain if health plan not agreed - Roxon

SYDNEY, April 19 AAP - A public referendum on health reform will definitely go ahead
if the federal government's proposed health reform package is not finalised on Monday.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is heading into a make-or-break meeting with premiers and
chief ministers on health reform in Canberra.

Mr Rudd wants the states to hand over 30 per cent of their GST revenue in return for
the commonwealth taking control of 60 per cent of hospital funding.

But NSW, Victoria and Western Australia don't see eye to eye with him on the issue.

In an attempt to ease the tension, the federal government has guaranteed that $15.6
billion it promised to meet the nation's future health costs will be paid - even if the
actual costs are less.

"We know that health expenditure is going up," federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon
told ABC Radio on Monday.

"We know that we need to be able to ensure that extra investment can come into the
system to deliver better services and support our doctors and nurses ..."

"We've said we will guarantee that money, including in NSW, (which has) been a bit
doubtful those figures are real.

"This guarantee makes absolutely clear that that money can be banked for our doctors
and nurses into the future."

Victorian Premier John Brumby in particular has expressed strong opposition to Mr Rudd's
health reform proposal, however Ms Roxon believes the guaranteed $15.6 billion will ease
his concerns.

"It's a pretty big call for a premier to make to walk away from extra money for more
doctors, extra money into aged care, extra money to ensure that people can be seen more
quickly in emergency departments or elective surgery more quickly," she said.

If an agreement on the reforms is not reached on Monday, however, a referendum is imminent,
Ms Roxon added.

"This meeting today is crunch time," she said.

"We want to be able to deliver on reform.

"If (reform) is not agreed today, the consequences are that we will be going to a referendum,
where the public will have a chance to say whether they would like to see these reforms
introduced," she said.

But if agreement seemed close, the meeting would continue overnight if necessary, Ms Roxon said.

AAP bc/wjf/maur

KEYWORD: HOSPITALS ROXON UPDATE

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

AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 4

AAP General News (Australia)
12-04-2009
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Midday, Dec 4
Midday Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1130


Labor NSW Keneally (SYDNEY)

New New South Wales Premier KRISTINA KENEALLY says her first priority will be to focus
on jobs and economic investment.

Ms KENEALLY will be sworn in as premier today after being elected by the state Labor
caucus as their new leader last night.

She's told the Nine Network second on her priority list is transport .. health and
education and wants to put at the heart of her government a care for the most vulnerable
in the community.

The former planning minister has also rejected an allegation the Labor party has been
a disgrace .. saying there's much the party can be proud of.

Meantime FRANK SARTOR says he'll support the new premier .. despite narrowly losing
a crucial vote in the Right faction to challenge for the leadership.

Ms KENEALLY beat Mr SARTOR by three votes.



Labor NSW OFarrell (SYDNEY)

Opposition leader BARRY O'FARELL says there will be no early election in New South
Wales because the state government isn't stupid enough to risk ruin.

Mr O'FARRELL has this morning wished newly elected premier KRISTINA KENEALLY success
because he says the state can't afford to wait 15 months for a change of government.



Park Charges (MELBOURNE)

Two boys have been charged over the alleged gang rape of two teenage girls in a Melbourne park.

The 15-year-old girls were targeted by a group of up to 10 males at Broadmeadows railway
station .. in Melbourne's north .. on October 24 .. before being separated and allegedly
raped at a park in nearby Roxburgh Park.

Five teenagers surrendered themselves to police yesterday .. after details of the alleged
pack rape were splashed across the media.

Early today .. a 16-year-old Meadow Heights boy was charged with two counts of rape
.. and a 15-year-old Broadmeadows boy was charged with one count of rape.



Boat (CANBERRA)

A boat believed to be carrying 15 suspected asylum seekers has been intercepted 150
nautical miles north west of Darwin.

It's the 51st boat to be intercepted in Australian waters this year.

Home Affairs Minister BRENDAN O'CONNOR has confirmed personnel on board HMAS Albany
boarded the vessel late last night.

He says those onboard the boat are safe and have indicated they want to come to Australia.

They're now being transferred to Christmas Island where they'll undergo security ..

identity and health checks.



Stephens (MELBOURNE)

Gangland figure ROBERTA WILLIAMS has gasped and moaned in court as her 22-year-old
son was sentenced to four-and-a-half years jail in a Victorian court today .. over a three-day
theft spree.

In January this year TYE STEPHENS stole a 2008 Subaru Impreza worth 30 thousand dollars
.. and almost 60 thousand dollars in cash from a couple of Coles supermarkets .. a Bakers
Delight and a gaming venue.

He'll be eligible for parole in two years.



Snorkeller (BRISBANE)

An American tourist has died while snorkelling in North Queensland.

Investigations are now underway into the woman's sudden death near Agincourt Reef off
Port Douglas.

The woman .. believed to be aged in her 60s .. is the seventh person to die while snorkelling
in northern or central Queensland in the past 15 months.



Asia Rudd (SYDNEY)

Prime Minister KEVIN RUDD says Asia-Pacific countries need a wider and more inclusive
organisation to address economic .. trade and security issues facing the region .. but
not a structure like the European Union.

Foreign delegates and former leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific countries have today gathered
in Sydney for two days to attend the Asia-Pacific Community Conference.

The event is the culmination of 18 months of regional discussions about developing
a new forum for Asia-Pacific countries including China .. Japan .. the US and Australia.

Mr RUDD was the first to propose the idea and has today detailed what challenges the
region faces in the 21st century.



UK Iraq Aust (LONDON)

Britain's former defence chief has played down the influence Australia exerted over
former US president GEORGE W BUSH's plans to invade Iraq in 2003.

The Iraq Inquiry in London has heard suggestions that despite Australia's relatively
small military contribution to the US-led invasion .. it still had a significant say in
the campaign's planning process.

However the then defence chief .. Admiral Lord MICHAEL BOYCE has told the inquiry it
was Britain who had the ear of the US rather than the Australian government.



US Groom (NEW YORK)

A groom in America has interrupted his own wedding ceremony to update his Facebook
page and to `tweet' about it.

Youtube footage shows DANA HANNA .. from Maryland .. take out a telephone from his
suit .. interrupting the minister .. then hand a second phone to the bride.



Briefly in other news ..



Polanski (GENEVA)

Authorities acting to protect ROMAN POLANSKI from public attention .. have moved him
from a Zurich area jail to an undisclosed location .. before his transfer to house arrest
in the Swiss Alps.



Guinea President (CONAKRY)

Guinea's junta chief has been shot and injured by an aide .. but his spokesman says
he's doing well after the murder attempt at a military base.



US Crashers (WASHINGTON)

The US Secret Service agents .. who let a gatecrashing couple enter a White House dinner
without an invitation .. have been suspended from their duties.



in Finance ..



Finance Markers Morn RADIO MORNING

At 1115 AEDT, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was DOWN 46 points at 4,728.6, while the
broader All Ordinaries Index was DOWN 44 points at 4,745.3.

The Australian dollar was at 92.23 US cents, DOWN from Thursday's local close of 92.82 US cents.

It was at 61.32 euro cents, DOWN from 61.55 euro cents on Thursday.

The spot price of gold in Sydney was $US1,204.82, DOWN $US8.78 from $US1,213.60 per
fine ounce on Thursday.



in Sport ..



Cricket Aust (ADELAIDE)

West Indies captain CHRIS GAYLE has won the toss and chosen to bat first against Australia
in the second Test at Adelaide Oval.

In ideal conditions for batting it was an important toss to win .. offering the visitors
a chance to get established in Adelaide after a hefty innings defeat in the first Test
at the Gabba.

The visitors made two changes to the team from Brisbane .. with TRAVIS DOWLIN unlucky
to be dropped for the fit-again RAMNARESH SARWAN while fast-medium bowler DARREN SAMMY
has replaced the injured JEROME TAYLOR.



Golf Aust (SYDNEY)

Strong winds of up to 65km/h are continuing to keep golfers off the course during the
second round of the Australian Open at NSW Golf Club.

Play was suspended just after 8.30am and officials are going to check conditions shortly
to see if play can resume.

Only a handful of players made it onto the course before the suspension .. with co-overnight
leader STUART APPLEBY parring his opening two holes to remain at six-under par.



Boxing Mundine (SYDNEY)

ANTHONY MUNDINE says he is happy for a rematch with DANNY GREEN if the money is right.

MUNDINE has announced he'll fight fellow Australian boxer ROBERT MEDLEY next month
in Sydney for the IBO junior middleweight title .. but hasn't ruled out taking on GREEN
further down the track.



ENDS MIDDAY ROUND-UP

Broadcast Desk inquiries 24 hours: 02 9322 8714

AAP RTV af/sw

KEYWORD: MIDDAY ROUND-UP

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

FED: It's safe to eat pork, Australian vets say

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2009
FED: It's safe to eat pork, Australian vets say

CANBERRA, April 27 AAP - People shouldn't have any qualms about eating pork because
swine flu is not spread through food, according to Australia's vets.

The Australian Veterinary Association also confirmed on Monday that domestic pigs were
safe from the swine influenza because Australia did not import live pigs.

"People should have no qualms about going ahead and eating pork, swine flu is not spread
through food," association president Mark Lawrie said in a statement.

"(And) Australia doesn't import any pigs, so we're not not worried about animals getting
sick or spreading this disease."

Dr Lawrie said the real concern was human to human contact with someone who had visited
a country dealing with an outbreak of swine flu.

The World Health Organisation says properly handled and prepared pork doesn't pose any danger.

"The swine influenza virus is killed by cooking temperatures of 70 degrees Celsius,
corresponding to the general guidance for the preparation of pork and other meat."

AAP jcd/kms/ss

KEYWORD: FLU AUST VETS

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

Fed: Telstra tips 46 million texts on Christmas Day

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2008
Fed: Telstra tips 46 million texts on Christmas Day

SYDNEY, Dec 22 AAP - Australians will spread festive cheer in record numbers this year,
with Telstra tipping its customers will send more than 46 million text messages on Christmas
Day.

The giant telco says its network will also handle more than 41 million phone calls,
plus 700,000 picture messages - up 40 per cent on last year.

"We're expecting more than 46 million text messages to be sent, a 35 per cent increase
over last Christmas and double the number sent on a normal day," Telstra consumer executive
director Jenny Young said on Monday.

Thousands of video calls to loved ones as they open presents and eat Christmas lunch
are also expected - but Ms Young warns people to remember they're being watched.

"While it's easier to share the spirit with video calling, remember it's harder to
hide your surprise when receiving the obligatory socks and handkerchiefs from loved ones,"

she said.

Telstra says more than 31 million mobile calls will be carried on its network on Christmas
Day, along with about 500,000 international calls to family and friends abroad.

Recommended international calling times (AEDT):

UK and Europe - before 8am or between 4pm and 6pm; avoid the busiest time of 6pm to midnight.

New Zealand - before 7am or between 1pm and 7pm; avoid 7am to 1pm.

Asia - before 7pm, avoid 7pm to midnight.

USA and Canada - before 8am or between 2pm and 6pm, avoid 8am to noon.

AAP evt/hn/jl

KEYWORD: XMAS PHONES

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

Swm: Zimambwe's Coventry wins 200m back gold in world record

AAP General News (Australia)
08-16-2008
Swm: Zimambwe's Coventry wins 200m back gold in world record

BEIJING, Aug 16 AFP - Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe set a new world record in the women's
200m backstroke with a time of two minutes 05.24 seconds in the final at the Beijing Olympics
today.

American Margaret Hoelzer held the previous world record at 2:06.09 set at the US Olympic
trials in Omaha on July 5 this year.

Hoezler took the silver in 2:06.23. Reiko Nakamura of Japan won the bronze in 2:07.13.

AFP jmt

KEYWORD: OLY08 SWM W200BA LEAD

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

HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 19:30, April 7=2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2008
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 19:30, April 7=2

JAKARTA - East Timor's President Jose Ramos Horta has taken aim at Indonesian military
officers involved in the violence surrounding East Timor's historic 1999 vote for independence.

(Timor Horta)

JAKARTA - An Australian fisherman facing up to a decade in a Bali jail for heroin possession
feels "great pain" when not using the drug, a court has been told. (Indon Maxwell Nightlead)

SYDNEY - Generation Y is the focus of an Australian news website launched today. (Vine)

SYDNEY - The reincarnation of Gladiators is continuing to win over audiences with viewers
making it the most watched program in the nation last night. (Ratings)

CANBERRA - Youth homelessness has doubled in the past 20 years and it will take at
least $300 million to fix the problem, a national inquiry has revealed. (Homeless - embargoed
until 0600 AEST Tuesday)

CANBERRA - The federal and Tasmanian governments will join major car companies in rescuing
a parts manufacturer whose financial troubles have threatened to shut down the industry.

(ACL)

CANBERRA - A major review of the banking code of practice has been kept so quiet few
Australians have had a chance to complain about "outrageous" mortgage exit fees and bank
penalty fees, Family First says. (Banks)

CANBERRA - A team of Australian researchers has discovered that the Milky Way galaxy
has been eating its neighbours. (Milky Way (pix available))

SYDNEY - A cold case study of old evidence has raised new doubts about the conviction
of former councillor Phuong Ngo for the political assassination of NSW MP John Newman
14 years ago. (Ngo Nightlead)

SYDNEY - Figures showing Australia has strayed from its recycling targets have infuriated
environment groups and caused headaches for the federal government, which is planning
a national recycling strategy. (Recycling)

SYDNEY - NSW Education Minister John Della Bosca says he can "absolutely guarantee"

he will not launch a leadership challenge against Premier Morris Iemma. (DellaBosca)

SYDNEY - A $30,000 reward has been posted for information leading to the conviction
of truck drivers accused of sexually abusing Aboriginal children in remote NSW towns.

(Reward)

SYDNEY - Plans to force parents to attend counselling if their children are caught
drinking are about education, not punishment, NSW Police Minister David Campbell says.

(Drunk Nightlead)

SYDNEY - A fisherman has been swept off rocks to his death near a Sydney beach, police
say. (Fisherman)

MELBOURNE - A top Victorian hospital and the state government are examining allegations
of improper surgical and billing practices by a leading surgeon. (Surgeon Nightlead)

MELBOURNE - A drug trafficker who was "under the spell" of crime lord Tony Mokbel has
been sentenced to 10 years' jail. (Mansour Nightlead)

MELBOURNE - An Australian Muslim leader has joined Aboriginal figures and other male
leaders to tell men there is no cultural excuse for domestic violence. (Violence Nightlead)

MELBOURNE - Teachers who work at "demoralised" Victorian schools will earn more money,
and principals will have more scope to get rid of bored teachers, under changes being
considered by the state government. (Schools Vic)

MELBOURNE - Lawyers defending three protesters involved in the violent G20 riots in
Melbourne in 2006 have asked a magistrate not to convict them. (G20)

BRISBANE - Sex offender Trevor Toms has been arrested for breaching the conditions
of a supervision order, Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) says. (Toms)

BRISBANE - Queensland police have launched an investigation after an officer lost his
Taser stun gun in the line of duty. (Taser Nightlead)

BRISBANE - Australia has had more than its fair share of natural disasters of late
- and researchers want to find out how people cope. (Disasters)

BRISBANE - The use of an RAAF aircraft to fly a morbidly obese and critically ill woman
to hospital highlights the pressures the obesity epidemic puts on medical services, the
Australian Medical Association (AMA) says. (Obese)

GOLD COAST - A teenage girl accused of leading "a pack of animals" in an attack on
an off-duty police officer and his girlfriend has pleaded guilty in a Gold Coast court.

(Trindall Nightlead)

BRISBANE - The Queensland opposition has asked the state ombudsman to investigate the
government's handling of the Torres Strait nursing scandal. (Nurses)

ADELAIDE - Australian governments are being overwhelmed by the scourge of child sex
abuse, but Australians tend to see petrol prices as a bigger concern, a conference has
been told. (Mullighan)

ADELAIDE - A coroner has identified 49 errors by police in the case of an Adelaide
man who was murdered two days after being shot at by the same attacker. (Findings)

PERTH - The pace of development in the Pilbara region, where Aboriginal tools at least
35,000 years old were found at a proposed mine site, could lead to further significant
archaeological finds. (Tools Nightlead (pix available))

PERTH - A judge has released a teenager convicted over a fatal assault, despite declaring
him a danger to the community. (Barr)

EDS: Story keyword FAMILY skedded earlier will not be sent.

DARWIN - The number of children and drunks roaming the streets of Alice Springs at
night is concerning police, who took 190 intoxicated people into custody over three days
last week. (Alice)

AAP nf

KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL UPDATED 2 SYDNEY

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

FED: Swan most appropriate minister on climate change: Rudd

AAP General News (Australia)
12-05-2007
FED: Swan most appropriate minister on climate change: Rudd

SYDNEY, Dec 5 AAP - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says it is appropriate for the treasurer
rather than the environment minister to answer questions on climate change in parliament's
lower house.

The federal opposition has questioned Mr Rudd's confidence in Environment Minister
Peter Garrett after it was revealed Treasurer Wayne Swan will field questions on the issue
in the House of Representatives, rather than Mr Garrett.

As a senator, Climate Change and Water Minister Penny Wong is not available to answer
questions in the lower house.

Mr Rudd said today climate change was a huge economic challenge.

He said a lot of the work on an analysis of the impact of carbon targets on Australia
would be done by treasury.

"So it's entirely appropriate that the treasurer be the minister accountable in the
House of Representatives," he told Southern Cross Broadcasting.

Mr Rudd said Mr Garrett had a lot of work on his plate, particularly rolling out household
climate change mitigation measures, including solar and water efficiency programs.

"This is a massive area of responsibility where we made a whole lot of commitments
for the future," he said.

"Peter's going to have his hands full doing that together with the rest of the environment
and the arts portfolios."

Mr Rudd said Australia was capable of becoming a leader in bringing the world together
on climate change.

"We've had a bad record on climate change when it comes to the Kyoto ratification process,"

he said.

"We've now put that behind us.

"I believe we now need to do whatever we can to bridge the gap between the developed
and the developing world because right now that gap is huge."

Mr Rudd said he could not guarantee success.

India, China and developed nations including the US were fundamental to the agreement.

"It's tough, but the task we will be giving to our diplomats and our negotiators is
to make sure everything possible is done to secure an agreement," he said.

"Everyone has a stake in the future of the planet.

"If we fail in this task the people who will pay the price will be not our grandkids
but our kids."

AAP kd/was/sp

KEYWORD: CLIMATE RUDD

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

Fed: Murdoch's support not assured for Rudd: MPs

AAP General News (Australia)
04-22-2007
Fed: Murdoch's support not assured for Rudd: MPs

The Prime Minister and Opposition leader are both playing down reports media mogul
RUPERT MURDOCH has endorsed the Labor leader.

Mr MURDOCH and KEVIN RUDD had a one-hour private meeting at dinner in New yesterday
.. and when asked if Mr RUDD would make a good prime minister .. Mr MURDOCH said he was
sure he would.

The comment's been widely interpreted as Mr MURDOCH giving his endorsement to the Labor
leader .. but JOHN HOWARD .. Mr RUDD and Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER .. have said
today the News Corporation founder was just being polite.

Mr DOWNER's also criticised Mr RUDD's behaviour on his US trip .. saying his failure
to meet with any political leaders shows misplaced priorities.

Mr RUDD returns to Australia tomorrow from his first overseas visit as Opposition leader.

AAP RTV jb/rh

KEYWORD: RUDD (CANBERRA)

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

Qld: Motorcyclist killed, another caught 100kph over

AAP General News (Australia)
12-21-2006
Qld: Motorcyclist killed, another caught 100kph over

A motorcyclist has died and another has been caught speeding almost 100 kilometres
an hour over the speed limit within an hour of each other .. on Queensland roads.

Police say a 34-year-old Palm Beach man died on the Gold Coast yesterday when he lost
control of his motorcycle on a corner .. crashed into a gutter and was thrown from his
bike about 5 pm (AEST).

Ambulance officers attempted to revive him at the scene at the corner of West Burleigh
Road and Stanley Street in Palm Beach .. but he died from his injuries.

Meanwhile .. a 31-year-old motorcyclist has been caught travelling at 168 kilometres
an hour in a 70 K-zone at Carindale .. south of Brisbane .. about 4pm (AEST) yesterday.

Police say he'd been racing a Holden Commodore through traffic along Old Cleveland Road.

He's been fined and will lose his license.

AAP RTV jmm/cp/tm

KEYWORD: TOLL QLD (BRISBANE)

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

Fed: Muslim catchcry evidence retracted, Kovco inquiry told

AAP General News (Australia)
08-14-2006
Fed: Muslim catchcry evidence retracted, Kovco inquiry told

A senior soldier who claimed he heard the Muslim expression "Allah Akbar" .. God is
Great .. moments before Private JAKE KOVCO was shot .. has retracted the statement.

An inquiry into the death of the soldier has heard .. a section commander .. codenamed
soldier 21 .. made the claim to an assessment officer but later took it back when interviewed
by military police.

Via video link from Baghdad .. soldier 21 has told the inquiry .. it'd become unclear
whether he'd in fact heard the comment.

Other soldiers giving evidence have declared they didn't hear the expression in the
moments before the death.

Soldier 21 says he'd gone to the barracks to tell Private KOVCO and his two roommates
to turn down their loud music.

He says he was about to open the door when he heard a gunshot from their room.

When he opened the door he saw Private KOVCO lying on the floor with one of his roommates
kneeling down .. trying to stop blood gushing out of his mate's head.

Soldier 21 says for a split second he thought the soldiers were playing a joke .. but
he quickly realised the soldier had been shot.

The inquiry continues.

AAP RTV bt/was/es/cp

KEYWORD: KOVCO CATCHCRY (SYDNEY)

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

WA: Hubert could break six year record

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2006
WA: Hubert could break six year record

Western Australia's Pilbara region is preparing to face their seventh cyclone for the
season .. with Cyclone Hubert threatening to hit the area by tomorrow morning.

The category two storm's expected to cross the WA coast .. west of Onslow .. one thousand
390 kilometres north of Perth .. overnight.

AAP RTV den/goc/rt

KEYWORD: HUBERT (PERTH)

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

refugee capital

refugee capital Hot money belonging to a foreign government, company, or individual that is invested in the country offering the highest interest rate, usually on a short-term basis.

Museum wants artists for holiday fund-raiser.(News)

Byline: Russell Lissau Daily Herald Staff Writer

As summer draws to a close, it's far too early for most of us to be thinking about Christmas and the other winter holidays.

That's not the case at the Lake County Discovery Museum, though, where employees already are getting into the holiday spirit in preparation for a unique wintertime fund-raiser.

The Wauconda-area museum is searching for local artists to create and donate holiday decorations for its first Artist Ornament Sale, set to run from Nov. 15 through Jan. 5.

Only original, artist-designed ornaments will be accepted and available for purchase.

The ornaments do not need to follow any particular theme, said Katherine Hamilton-Smith, the museum's historical resources manager. They don't even necessarily have to be Christmas decorations.

"Artists can create whatever they want," Hamilton-Smith said. "They need to follow their own muse and come up with something based on their aesthetic."

Proceeds from the event will be used to digitally reproduce more of the postcards in the museum's Curt Teich Postcard Archives, the world's largest collection of postcards and related materials. The images will be made available on the museum's Web site, www. lakecountydiscoverymuseum.org.

Right now, about 10,000 cards can be viewed on the site.

"Accessibility is the name of the game these days, especially with the advent of the Internet," Hamilton-Smith said. "Museums and archives all around the world are trying to find better ways to allow the public better access to their collections."

Artists who want to contribute their work should contact the museum - in the Lakewood Forest Preserve off Route 176 near Wauconda - by Sept. 15. Finished ornaments need to be delivered to the museum by Nov. 7.

Interested artists must sign up with the museum to participate in the program. A registration form is available on the museum's Web site.

Artists also can call project coordinator Debra Gust at (847) 968-3381 for more details.

AUSTRALIA'S HCN TAKES CONTROLLING STAKE IN AMOKKAJAVA.

SYDNEY July 10 Asia Pulse - Australian e-health company Health Communication Network Ltd (ASX:HCN) has taken a controlling interest in radiology and ASP software specialist AmokkaJava.

The move is HCN's first entry into the lucrative radiology market after acquiring several companies in the practice management, clinical software and health publishing domains of the e-health market over the past few months.

Under this latest deal, the two companies will rollout AmokkaJava's iRIS software (Internet Radiology Information System) - the first integrated software suite for radiologists.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"We are very confident (that this latest move) is going to make inroads into the radiology market," HCN's Director of Strategic Development and Technology Mark Leaning told AAP.

"... HCN's position in the e-health market and financial stability is going to help the product get going.

"It also represents yet another step for us in terms of entering into the radiology market but it is also synergistic with our other acquisitions."

HCN has made a swag of acquisitions since listing on December last year, including local practice management firm, Practice Innovators Australia Ltd, clinical software company Mediboss Ltd and UK e-health publishing firm, Optology Ltd.

Mr Leaning said that the company would roll-out the iRIS product to radiologists and then medical practitioners nationally before looking to the Asia-Pacific region in the medium term.

The iRIS product offers radiologists a fully integrated software solutions package including the facility to electronically transfer reports, more accurate and timely patient information, reporting billing and imaging, he said.

"HCN is already starting to explore regional opportunities for its products and (the market) is looking pretty good at the moment," he said.

"We see the Asian market as really just starting to move into the e-health arena."

HCN added that AmokkaJava is already in advanced negotiations with several leading radiology groups and is forecasting revenue of up to $A4 million ($US2.36 million) in the first 12 months.

Mr Leaning said HCN also hoped the deal would add to its bottom line in the first financial year.

"But our first goal is bringing on customers and a successful first implementation of the product, he said.

HCN posted a net loss of $2.495 million for the six months to December 31 1999, on sales of $5.64 million.

HCN shares closed up two cents to $1.42 Monday.

ASIA PULSE t

Classic Wins Buford Sale.(Classic Communications Inc. to purchase Buford Television)

Classic Communications Inc., a rural operator based in Austin, Texas, emerged last week as the winning bidder for Buford Television, another Texas-based rural MSO.

Terms of the acquisition, slated to close in July, were not disclosed. Several sources familiar with both companies pegged the purchase price at about $300 million, or $1,765 per subscriber -- well below the recent industry norm for system deals.

One MSO source who declined to be named said the price was kept down because more than one-half of the Buford systems' capacity is at or below 330 megahertz, and only 51 of Buford's 261 head-ends serve more than 1,000 customers. "The rebuild cost will be significant," the source added.

The source estimated that the cost of rebuilding the Buford systems would be in the $1,000- to $1,200-per-subscriber range, or between $170 million and $200 million.

Buford had hoped the deal would set a standard for future small cable acquisitions, determining whether small and midsized operators could garner the high prices that some of the larger operators command.

Those high expectations, some sources said, might have led Buford's negotiations with St. Louis-based MSO Millennium Digital Media Holdings LLC to break down.

According to sources, Millennium initially intended to buy Buford systems totaling about 72,000 subscribers. But during negotiations, Buford changed gears, requesting that Millennium purchase the company outright.

That back-and-forth negotiating stance -- some added that Buford was also holding out for more money -- may have forced Millennium to decide that the systems weren't worth the aggravation.

"I think that they got a little buyer fatigue," one source said.

Buford CEO Ben Hooks declined to comment on other bidders.

Buford has about 170,000 subscribers in Texas, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana. The deal would nearly double Classic's size, currently about 190,000 subscribers in eight states: Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Nebraska, New Mexico and Colorado.

Brothers Robert and Jeff Buford put their company on the block last year, hiring investment bankers at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette Inc.

CIBC Oppenheimer Corp. high-yield cable-television and telecommunications analyst Aryeh Bourkoff said he figures that the Buford deal is not Classic's last. "Given that Classic is effectively doubling its subscriber base, it will continue to look for consolidation opportunities," he added.

Classic CEO J. Merritt Belisle said the Buford systems provided "a tremendous geographic fit" with Classic's. "Buford has a bunch of good people and a great call center that will give us redundancy. We're hoping to grow and leverage off those assets," Belisle said.

"We're hoping to keep the good people who are there," Belisle added. "Ben [Hooks], [chief operating officer] Ron [Martini and [chief administrative officer] Kay [Monigold] are strong people."

Although he would not give details; Belisle said Classic intends to upgrade the Buford systems. Classic is in the middle of a $79 million upgrade of its own, expanding to 550-MHz capacity and adding digital programming from AT&T Broadband & Internet Services' Headend in the Sky service.

Buford has some attractive qualities in addition to raw scale. The systems are well run, generating about $189 in cash flow per subscriber in 1998 and expected to rise to $201 in 1999, despite an average of only 33 channels of basic and expanded-basic programming.

Monthly revenue per subscriber was about $34 last year, rising to $35 in 1999, versus the industry average of about $40, according to materials DLJ prepared for bidders.

Although Buford's systems are located primarily in rural areas, about two-thirds are within a large or midsized market such as Dallas or Houston.

The company also has a 24-hour call center capable of serving 2 million subscribers.

MORE 'KEEPER' WALLEYES TO BE ALLOWED ON MILLE LACS; HUNTING APPLICATION DEADLINES APPROACHING FAST.

ST. PAUL, MN -- The following information was released by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR):

Minnesota's state government shutdown will not affect upcoming hunting seasons or prevent a mid-season walleye regulation change at Lake Mille Lacs.

"Some application deadlines are approaching fast but that's the only significant impact to hunters," said Ed Boggess, director of the Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Fish and Wildlife Division. "On the angling side, we moved quickly to implement a more liberal walleye length limit regulation on Lake Mille Lacs." The upcoming regulation change is based on an evaluation of the 2011 walleye harvest through June 30 that deemed a change was warranted.

Effective 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, the walleye length limit regulation on Lake Mille Lacs will change to a 20- to 28-inch protected slot. Currently the walleye regulation is an 18- to 28-inch protected slot.

As DNR services resume operation, the following items relate to hunters and anglers:

Fishing and hunting licenses: They are again available at any of the state's 1,500 license agents, as well as over the Internet or by phone.

Bear license purchase deadline: Hunters who successfully applied in the 2011 bear license lottery must purchase their license by Aug. 1. Licenses that are not purchased will go on sale on a first-come, first-served basis beginning Thursday, Aug. 4. Bear baiting can legally begin Friday, Aug. 12.

Fall turkey/prairie chicken: The application deadline for fall turkey and prairie chicken licenses is Friday, July 29. Applications may be made online, by calling toll-free 888-665-4236, or through the electronic licensing system wherever hunting and fishing licenses are sold.

Deer hunting: Licenses will go on sale Aug. 1. The deadline for lottery either-sex permit applications and special deer hunts is Thursday, Sept. 8. The firearms deer season opens Nov. 5. The Camp Ripley archery hunt will be held as scheduled, as will special youth and state park deer hunts. One potential exception is the St. Croix State Park youth deer hunt. The feasibility of going forward with that hunt is under evaluation because of widespread damage to the park from high winds on July 1. Additional information will be announced later.

Hunting regulations booklet: Printed copies of this year's regulation booklet won't be available until mid-August but an online version should be available Aug. 1.

Waterfowl hunting: Hunting season decisions will be made in mid-August.

Pilot says accuser is envious.

Provided by 7DAYS.ae

A UAE Air Force captain yesterday dismissed charges of theft against him, claiming the case was due to jealousy from a work colleague.The 31-year-old is alleged to have taken a mobile phone worth dhs1,000 back in 2004 from a fellow member of the air force."It's fabricated, I didn't steal the phone. The victim was jealous because I got promoted at the air base and he didn't," the suspect said.

However, the accuser said: "We went up in a plane and when we got back I couldn't find my phone, so I told my brother who is in the police."The trial continues.

2007 Al Sidra Media LLC

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

Freddie Mac Prices $1 Billion Reopening of 2.5% Five-Year Reference Notes[R] Security.

Freddie Mac (OTC: FMCC) announced that it auctioned a $1 billion reopening of its 2.5% five-year USD Reference Notes[R] security that matures on May 27, 2016. The stop yield for the issue, CUSIP 3137EACT4, was 2.07%, priced at 102.036654, or approximately 22 basis points more than five-year U.S. Treasury Notes. The bid-to-cover ratio was 3.02 to 1.

After the reopening, which was conducted via an Internet-based auction, the outstanding size of the 2.5% five-year Reference Notes security will be $4 billion. The issue will settle on Friday, May 20, 2011, and is listed on the Euro MTF market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. All auction details can be found on Freddie Mac's Debt Securities Web page, www.FreddieMac.com/debt/auctionrepurch/auctions.html.

This announcement is not an offer to sell any Freddie Mac securities. Offers for any given security are made only through applicable offering circulars and related supplements, which incorporate Freddie Mac's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on February 24, 2011, and all documents that Freddie Mac files with the SEC pursuant to Section 13(a), 13[c] or 14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, excluding any information "furnished" to the SEC on Form 8-K.

Keywords: Debt Securities, Finance, Financial Companies, Freddie Mac, Industry, Investing, Mortgage Investment Companies, Real Estate.

This article was prepared by Real Estate Weekly News editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Real Estate Weekly News via VerticalNews.com.

Market Maker Surveillance Report. EEM, SPY, PFE, VRSN, SLV, XOP, Highest Net Sell Volume and Negative Price Friction For Tuesday, May 3rd 2011.

M2 PRESSWIRE-May 4, 2011-BUYINS.NET: Market Maker Surveillance Report. EEM, SPY, PFE, VRSN, SLV, XOP, Highest Net Sell Volume and Negative Price Friction For Tuesday, May 3rd 2011(C)1994-2011 M2 COMMUNICATIONS

RDATE:04052011

BUYINS.NET / www.buyins.net, announced today its proprietary Market Maker Friction Factor Report for Tuesday. Since October 2008 market makers are now required to be on the bid as much as they are on the offer and for like amounts of stock. This Fair Market Making Requirement is designed to prevent market makers from manipulating stock prices. On Tuesday there were 2523 companies with "abnormal" market making, 1504 companies with positive Friction Factors and 3642 companies with negative Friction Factors. Here is a list of the top companies with the highest net sell volume on Tuesday and lowest negative price Friction (bearish). This means that there was more selling than buying in the stocks and their stock prices dropped faster with less Friction. ISHARES MSCI EMERGING MKT IN (NYSE:EEM), SPDR S&P 500 ETF TRUST (NYSE:SPY), PFIZER INC (NYSE:PFE), VERISIGN INC (NASDAQ:VRSN), ISHARES SILVER TRUST (NYSE:SLV), SPDR S&P OIL & GAS EXP & PR (NYSE:XOP). To access Friction Factor, Naked Short Data and SqueezeTrigger Prices on all stocks please visit http://www.buyins.net .

Market Maker Friction Factor is shown in the chart below:

Symbol Change Percent Buy Volume Buy %% Sell Volume Sell %% Net Volume Friction

EEM $-1.180 -2.36% 22,552,272 27.14% 26,038,474 31.34% -3,486,202 -29,544

SPY $-0.600 -0.44% 31,646,467 23.17% 35,534,418 26.02% -3,887,951 -64,799

PFE $-0.530 -2.52% 29,913,646 27.56% 33,010,728 30.41% -3,097,082 -58,436

VRSN $-0.750 -2.02% 1,981,463 30.01% 4,580,722 69.38% -2,599,259 -34,657

SLV $-2.120 -4.95% 50,093,513 23.07% 59,163,869 27.24% -9,070,356 -42,785

XOP $-2.290 -3.66% 1,185,034 12.56% 3,830,322 40.61% -2,645,288 -11,551

Analysis of the Friction Factor chart above shows that each of the six stocks mentioned above have low price friction combined with more selling than buying (negative Net Volume) in their stocks. The Friction Factor displays how many more shares of buying than selling are required to move a stock higher by one cent or how many more shares of selling than buying moves a stock lower by 1 cent.

For example, the chart above shows EEM down $-1.18000 with a Friction Factor of -29,544 and a Net Volume of -3,486,202. That means that it takes 29,544 more shares of selling than buying to drop EEM by one penny. On Monday the Market Makers allowed the stock to move down on heavier selling than buying (low negative friction).

ISHARES MSCI EMERGING MKT IN (NYSE:EEM) - ISHARES MSCI E.M.

SPDR S&P 500 ETF TRUST (NYSE:SPY) - S&P DEP RECEIPTS

PFIZER INC (NYSE:PFE) - Pfizer Inc., a biopharmaceutical company, engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and marketing of prescription medicines for humans and animals worldwide. The companys Biopharmaceutical segment offers products in the areas of primary care, specialty care, established products, emerging markets, and oncology customer-focused units. Its principal products include Lipitor for elevated cholesterol levels in the blood; Norvasc for hypertension; Caduet for cardiovascular events; Chantix/Champix for smoking cessation; Lyrica for neuropathic pain; Revatio for pulmonary arterial hypertension; Geodon/Zeldox, a psychotropic agent; and Aricept for Alzheimers disease. This segments products also comprise Celebrex for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and acute pain; Zyvox for Gram-positive pathogens; Viagra for erectile dysfunction; Detrol/ Detrol LA for overactive bladder; Sutent for advanced renal cell carcinoma; Xalatan for open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension; Genotropin for growth disorders; Vfend, an antifungal agent; Effexor for depressive disorders; Prevnar/Prevnar7 for invasive pneumococcal disease; Enbrel for rheumatoid arthritis; Protonix, proton pump inhibitor for erosive esophagitis; and Spiriva for breathing problems. The companys Diversified segment offers animal health products, which include antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, antiemetics, parasiticides, and vaccines; consumer healthcare products comprising dietary supplements, pain management, respiratory, and topicals/gastro-intestinal products; Nutrition products; and Capsugel products that include gelatin, liquid, softgel, non-animal, and fish gelatin capsules. Pfizer Inc. serves doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, hospitals, pharmacy benefit managers, managed care organizations, and government agencies. It has a strategic alliance with Acacia Living Inc. The company was founded in 1849 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

VERISIGN INC (NASDAQ:VRSN) - VeriSign, Inc. provides Internet infrastructure services to various networks worldwide. It operates in two segments, Internet Infrastructure and Identity Services, and Other Services. The Internet Infrastructure and Identity Services segment consists of naming services and authentication services. The naming services include the provision of authoritative directory of various .com, .net, .cc, .tv, .name, .jobs, and .edu domain names. The authentication services comprise business authentication services, which enable enterprises and Internet merchants to implement and operate secure networks and Websites that utilize Secure Socket Layer protocol, as well as provide customers the means to authenticate themselves to their end users and Website visitors, and to encrypt transactions and communications between client browsers and Web servers; and user authentication services that include identity protection services, fraud detection services, and managed public key infrastructure services, as well as provide authentication credentials. The Other Services segment comprises pre-pay billing and payment services. VeriSign, Inc. has collaboration agreements with Conformity, Ping Identity, TriCipher, and Qualys Industry Leaders. The company was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Mountain View, California.

ISHARES SILVER TRUST (NYSE:SLV) - ISHARES SILVER TRUST

SPDR S&P OIL & GAS EXP & PR (NYSE:XOP) - SPDR OIL/GAS EXPLOR.

About BUYINS.NET

BUYINS.NET, www.buyins.net , monitors trading in all US stocks in real time and maintains massive databases of short sale and naked short sale time and sales data, short squeeze SqueezeTrigger prices, market maker price movements, shareholder data, statistical data on earnings, sector correlation, seasonality, hedge fund trading strategies, comparable valuations. Reports include:

REGULATORY & COMPLIANCE NEWS

Friction Factor -- market maker surveillance system tracking Level II market makers in all stocks to determine Price Friction and compliance with new "Fair Market Making Requirements"

RegSHO Naked Shorts -- tracks EVERY failure to deliver in all US stocks and tracks all Threshold Security Lists daily for which stocks have naked shorts that are not in compliance with Regulation SHO

INVESTMENTS & TRADING

SqueezeTrigger -- 29 billion cell database tracks EVERY short sale (not just total short interest) in all US stocks and calculates volume weighted price that a short squeeze will begin in each stock.

Earnings Edge -- predicts probability, price move and length of move before and after all US stock earnings reports.

Seasonality -- predicts probability, price move and length of move based on exact time of year for all US stocks.

Group Trader -- tracks sector rotation and stock correlation to its sector and predicts future moves in ALL sectors and industry groups.

Pattern Scan -- automates tracking of every technical pattern and predicts time and size of move in all stocks.

GATS (Global Automated Trading System) -- tracks all known trading strategies and qualifies and quantifies which are working best in real time.

DISCLAIMER:

BUYINS.NET is not a registered investment advisor and nothing contained in any materials should be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell any securities. BUYINS.NET has not been compensated by any of the above mentioned companies. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Please visit our web site, www.buyins.net , for complete risks and disclosures.

Contact:

BUYINS.NET

Thomas Ronk

800-715-9999

tom@buyins.net

www.buyins.net

((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)).

CBIZ To Webcast First-Quarter 2011 Conference Call.

CLEVELAND, April 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CBIZ, Inc. (NYSE: CBZ) has scheduled a conference call for Tuesday, April 26, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. (EDT) to discuss the Company's financial results for the first-quarter ended March 31, 2011. CBIZ will release its financial results before the market opens the morning of April 26, 2011. At that time, a copy of the release will be available on the Company's web site at www.cbiz.com.

The call will be webcast in a listen-only mode over the Internet for the media and the public. The link to the webcast can be obtained at www.cbiz.com the morning of the call.

During the call, which will be hosted by Chairman and CEO Steven L. Gerard and CFO Ware H. Grove, management will review the Company's financial results for the first-quarter 2011, comment on the Company's outlook for the remainder of the year, and respond to questions.

Investors and analysts can participate in the conference call by dialing 1-800-559-9370 several minutes before 11:00 a.m. (EDT). If you are dialing from outside the United States, dial 1-847-619-6819. A replay of the call will be available starting at 1:00 p.m. (EDT) April 26, through midnight (EDT), April 29, 2011. The dial-in number for the replay is 1-877-213-9653. If you are listening from outside the United States, dial 1-630-652-3041. The access code for the replay is 29553534. A replay of the webcast will also be available on the Company's web site at www.cbiz.com.

CBIZ, Inc. provides professional business services that help clients better manage their finances and employees. CBIZ provides its clients with financial services including accounting and tax, internal audit, merger and acquisition advisory, risk advisory and valuation services. Employee services include group health benefits, property and casualty insurance, retirement planning services, payroll, and HR consulting. CBIZ also provides outsourced technology staffing support services, healthcare consulting and medical practice management. As one of the largest benefits specialists and one of the largest accounting, valuation and medical practice management companies in the United States, the Company's services are provided through more than 150 Company offices in 36 states.

For further information regarding CBIZ, call our Investor Relations Office at (216) 447-9000 or visit our web site at www.cbiz.com.

SOURCE CBIZ, Inc.

ClassicWines.com 2.0: Website Re-launches Featuring Expanded Wine Search Tools.

Chester, PA, Feb 25, 2009 (PRWeb.com via COMTEX) -- ClassicWines.com unveiled a significant upgrade to its popular wine search web site. Dubbed ClassicWines 2.0 the new site brings social networking and community tools to ClassicWines, the leading online wine search engine and Internet guide for wine, and brings new meaning to company's slogan of "Drink. Learn. Share."

"People with a desire to learn and experiment with wine now have a new place to gather, interact and meet with people who are passionate about wine and wine lifestyles," explained Mark Shay, Founder of ClassicWines.com. "The goal of this upgrade was to help our audience learn from each other, not just the experts."

One of the major new enhancements Shay is referring to is the 'personal virtual cellar', a free service to registered users that allows the storage of wine tasting notes, reviews and social networking tools. Through social networking users share their opinions with others and in return see the comments of fellow wine enthusiasts. As with other Internet social network sites like Facebook and MySpace, ClassicWines.com now allows its members to publish updates as to their experiences and pursuits, but here they focus strictly on wine and their wine related experiences.

"We are hoping to take some of the elitism out of wine by empowering a community voice to wine reviews and ratings," explained Shay. "The wine industry has become too dependent on super reviewers which has kept some really great wines from getting the notoriety they deserve. We see the new features of ClassicWines.com as a democratization of wine rating and reviews."

The new user-focused tools are a new layer atop the already popular wine search engine, columns, videos and how to guides that ClassicWines.com has become known for. Launched in 2006, the site boasts that it is home to the largest search engine devoted to wines available online. Nearly 600 merchants and producers provide ClassicWines.com with data feeds of bottles available for direct shipment to consumers. In addition to tying to personal recommendations, the ClassicWines.com Search Engine allows people to directly search for wine using a wide variety of search options. "When browsing for a particular wine bottle, online consumers see a list of retailers who carry that bottle, and its price. Shoppers can then click through to the desired retailer, and purchase it from their online store. It's free market at its best!"

While not all states allow the online purchases of wine, most do and 75% of the nations population can legally purchase wine online. More than 350,000 different bottles are now listed on ClassicWines.com with many listing prices from multiple merchants. According to Scott Kastin of LiquidDiscount.com, an online merchant in New York, "connecting my inventory to the personal virtual cellars is one of the reasons we provide our data feeds to ClassicWines.com."

ClassicWines.com offers its wine lifestyle tools free of charge to people 21 years and older and is committed to providing a community open to all with an interest in wine. The company is based in suburban Philadelphia and draws revenue from advertising and sponsorships. According to Alexa.com, ClassicWines.com is one of the top 100,000 web sites on the Internet and one of the highest trafficked wine guide websites. Interested parties are encouraged to visit http://www.ClassicWines.com and begin to Drink, Learn and Share.

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Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/Wine/Community/prweb2180304.htm.

PRWeb.com

PRWEB.COM Newswire

CFI Awarded 2006 SmartWay Excellence Award.

JOPLIN, Mo. -- CFI, a privately held international truckload carrier based in Joplin, Missouri, is proud to announce they are a recipient of the 2006 SmartWay Excellence Award.

"CFI became a SmartWay Transport Partner to become part of a long-term solution toward reducing emissions and fuel consumption," said Bruce Stockton, Vice President of Maintenance.

As part of their effort, CFI is:

* The first major truckload carrier to convert its entire fleet of tractors to wide-base tires, which has improved fuel mileage by a solid 2/10ths of a mile per gallon and an additional 2/10ths when coupled with a similarly equipped trailer.

* Converting more than 1,000 trailers per year to the wide base tire.

* Participating in field-testing of 2007 EPA compliant engines.

* Specifying their aeroprofile tractors with integrated cab and roof fairings.

* Equipping trucks with an auxiliary system to provide bunk heat to eliminate idling in cold conditions.

* Designating specific areas as no-idling zones at its Corporate Headquarters terminal.

* Reducing emissions output by 366 metric tons of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), 118 metric tons of Nitrogen Oxide (NOX) and 3 metric tons of particulate matter.

The EPA created SmartWay Transport Partnership in January 2003 to demonstrate that participants can save money on fuel and operating costs, while, at the same time, help the environment. The 450 participating companies are on pace to save over $1.2 billion in fuel costs and remove more than 4 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions from the air by 2007. By 2012, the partnership will cut carbon dioxide emissions by 33 to 66 million metric tons per year, and nitrogen oxide emissions by up to 200,000 tons per year. This is equivalent to removing up to 12 million cars off the road each year or the equivalent of saving up to 150 million barrels of oil per year.

CFI, founded in 1951, operates approximately 2,500 tractors and over 7,000 trailers and transports a variety of goods throughout the contiguous United States and Canada. CFI interlines with Mexican carriers at various border crossings to provide through-trailer service to Mexico. In addition to its Joplin headquarters, CFI operates four terminals and numerous drop lots along the border and throughout the United States. CFI and its subsidiaries1 have 37 sales offices throughout North America and a work force of over 3,000 people. The driver fleet is comprised of both company drivers and independent contractors. CFI's website can be found on the Internet at www.cfi-us.com. CFI's site is also available in Spanish, located at www.cfi-mx.com.

1CFI Mex, CFI de Mexico and CFI LogE stica

Absorbent article comprising chitosan material.(Hygiene)

Breathable absorbent articles that include chitosan material have been developed by Procter & Gamble. Disclosed in US Patent 6 867 287, items such as sanitary napkins, panty liners, nursing pads and baby diapers have been designed to effectively control odour as well as providing effective breathability and high protection levels.

According to the company of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, the use of chitosan material unexpectedly maintains breathability during prolonged usage conditions. Chitosan is believed to reduce fluid diffusion once it is contacted with bodily fluids, thereby concentrating the storage of acquired fluid in close proximity. This, says Procter & Gamble, results in a larger area of dry article that is not soiled by bodily fluids, such as menses.

The positively charged cationic groups of the chitosan material interacts with negatively charged anionic groups present in bodily fluids, such as the carboxylic groups of proteins or hydroxylic groups of short chain acids (e.g. butyric acid). This results in the formation of a tri-dimensional net, which traps most molecules, such as lipids and acids, thereby retaining fluid and odour.

It is further believed that the chitosan material acts as an antimicrobial agent. The chitosan with its positively charged cationic groups is thought to interfere with negatively charged surfaces of microorganism walls, thereby inhibiting their growth or even killing them. The chitosan also interferes with negatively charged surfaces of enzymes, thereby inactivating enzymatic activity, which is largely responsible for the formation of malodorous components.

The chitosan material is located either in the absorbent core of the absorbent article but closer to the backsheet than the topsheet, or in the secondary backsheet itself, Procter & Gamble points out.

Preferred chitosan materials are water-soluble chitosan salts, which have the ability to chelate most of the metals, such as calcium and zinc, necessary for bacterial growth. They should also have a pH of 5, which corresponds to the skin pH. Alternatives include cross-linked chitosans and modified chitosans.

Optionally, the absorbent article can contain an anionic absorbent gelling material (a so-called "super-sorber"), such as polyacrylate, and/or additional odour control agents.

The chitosan material may be incorporated in particle form as a powder or granulate. It can also be applied by spraying a solution containing the chitosan onto the desired layer and leaving it to dry.

Procter & Gamble notes that the use of highly breathable backsheets in absorbent articles not only increases the propensity for leakage onto the wearer's garments, but malodorous compounds may also be more readily exchanged with, and escape into, the environment, thereby causing embarrassment to the wearer.

Further, the breathable properties, particularly air-transmission abilities, of breathable absorbent articles, which may function well upon initial use, are often drastically reduced upon initial loading with bodily fluids.

The breathable absorbent article described in the Patent is said to overcome these problems, offering:

* maintained breathability above a critical level, even after loading;

* high performance without impairing the basic absorption and liquid retention functions;

* high initial comfort and effective comfort upon prolonged wearing time;

* effective odour control to a broad range of malodorous components.

For further information, see US Patent 6 867 287, or contact: The Procter & Gamble Company, One Procter & Gamble Plaza, Cincinnati, OH 45202, USA; tel: +1-513-983-1100; fax: +1-513-983-9369; Internet:www.pg.com

PENN ARCHAEOLOGY FACULTY TO SPEAK AT TEACHING AND LEARNING WITH INTERNET2 IN HIGHER EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM.

PHILADELPHIA, Penn. -- The following information was released by the University of Pennsylvania:

MAGPI, the University of Pennsylvania's Internet2 hub, along with its partner NJEDge.Net, will host an innovative Teaching and Learning With Internet2 in Higher Education Symposium on Friday April 1, 2011. Penn faculty, David Romano and Nicholas Stapp, will speak about Digital Augustan Rome: An Ancient City for the Modern Classroom as part of the morning breakout sessions during the symposium.

The Teaching and Learning with Internet2 in Higher Education symposium will be held in two physical locations - Bucks County Community College in Pennsylvania and Mercer County Community College in New Jersey. Participants in both venues will be able to interact with presenters and each other through high definition videoconferencing throughout the duration of the symposium.

Advanced research and education networks, such as Internet2, offer higher education faculty and their students opportunities to connect to a diverse array of resources and to collaborate with partners around the world to enhance teaching and learning. Through a series of exciting keynotes and breakout sessions, this one-day symposium is designed to give faculty a sampling of the many projects and resources that exist on using Internet2 in Higher Education and how they can be applied in their own teaching practice.

The Teaching and Learning with Internet2 Symposium runs from 8:45 am - 3:30 pm on Friday April 1s,, 2011. Advance registration is required. Cost is $35 per person to include access to keynote presentations, roundtable discussions and lunch.

Additional information about the Teaching and Learning with Internet2 in Higher Education Symposium, including a full list of speakers and breakout sessions, can be found on the symposium website at http://teach-learn-internet2.blogspot.com/.

About MAGPI:

MAGPI, a part of Penn's Division of Information Systems and Computing, provides regional and Internet2 connectivity and educational services to its member institutions in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Florida. MAGPI is committed to promoting advanced applications, collaborations, and services for the K20 research and education community through high performance networking technology. For more information about MAGPI, visit http://www.magpi.net

About NJEDge.Net:

NJEDge.Net is a non-profit technology consortium of academic and research institutions in New Jersey. Through its deployment of advanced Internet technologies and digital communication, NJEDge.Net supports its members in their institutional teaching and learning; scholarship; research and development; outreach programs; public service, and economic development. In providing broadband statewide network, NJEDge.Net creates an environment for interoperability to facilitate productive use of technology across the academic enterprise. Additional information is available at http://www.njedge.net.

SENS. FRANKEN, WYDEN TO SEC: YOU'RE WRONG TO TELL TELECOM SHAREHOLDERS THAT NET NEUTRALITY NOT A "SIGNIFICANT POLICY ISSUE".

WASHINGTON -- The following information was released by Oregon Senator Ron Wyden:

Last night, U.S. Sens. Al Franken (D-Minn.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) reached out to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Mary L. Shapiro to object to a recent SEC staff ruling that ATandT, Comcast, and Verizon could exclude a shareholder proposal from its annual proxy materials. Staff at the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance based their decision on a finding that net neutrality is not a significant policy issue. The senators disagreed with the SEC's conclusion and urged the SEC Commissioners to overturn their staff's decision so that shareholders will be allowed to vote on this issue.

"No other telecommunications issue has generated the same amount of public debate, legislative and regulatory action, and media attention as net neutrality, especially if you look at the last six months," the senators wrote in the letter. "Whether the government will preserve and protect today's free and open Internet is the telecommunications and free speech issue of our time."

To read the full text of the letter, click here.