VIC:Holding a showman with a serious side

AAP General News (Australia)
08-16-2011
VIC:Holding a showman with a serious side

By Melissa Jenkins

MELBOURNE, Aug 16 AAP - Former Hawke government minister Clyde Holding has been remembered
as a champion of Aboriginal rights, the arts and a showman with a serious side.

Mr Holding, who was also Victorian state opposition leader between 1967 and 1977, died
aged 80 earlier this month at an aged-care home in central Victoria.

Former prime minister Paul Keating, who delivered the eulogy on Tuesday, recalled Mr
Holding's tears the night native title legislation passed the Senate.

"He was a blade, Clyde, he was a blade," Mr Keating told the hundreds gathered at the
state memorial service at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne.

"He was funny, he was a raconteur, he was a showy man about town but he was also a
very serious person."

Mr Keating described Mr Holding as the quintessential Labor man, who guided the party
through some of its darkest days after the 1955 split.

"Clyde had to steer his way through this madhouse," he said.

"He had what all leaders must have, he had imagination and he had courage."

Former prime minister Bob Hawke was among dignitaries attending the service, as well
as Prime Minister Julia Gillard, former Labor premiers John Cain, Steve Bracks and John
Brumby, and Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu.

Ms Gillard described Mr Holding's funding of Eddie Mabo's native title case in the
High Court, despite the commonwealth being the defendant, as cheeky and courageous.

She noted Mr Holding's disappointment when his attempt to introduce uniform national
land rights was not supported by the Hawke government after furious lobbying from the
mining industry and West Australian premier Brian Burke.

"He didn't get to be the father of national land rights legislation that he ought to
have been," Ms Gillard said.

"Or the great premier of this state he might easily have been.

"In the end, it was enough for Clyde Holding to be a faithful servant of his party
and his nation."

Mr Holding appointed the first indigenous head of the then Department of Aboriginal
Affairs, Charles Perkins, and was responsible for handing over Ayers Rock, now Uluru,
to the local Mutitjulu people.

Fellow Hawke government minister Gareth Evans remembered seeing Mr Holding taken in
by police at a demonstration the night before Ronald Ryan was executed in Melbourne 1967.

"He was an outspoken, rough and tumble larrikin," Mr Evans said.

Mr Holding was a champion of the arts, supporting institutions such as the National
Film and Sound Archive and Australian Children's Television Foundation.

Mr Holding is survived by his wife Judy and children Peter, Dan, Jenny and Isabella.

Isabella said among her fondest memories of her father were occasions when he showed
his playful side.

She remembered him dressing up as a monster for her childhood birthday parties dressed
in a terry towelling robe, ugg boots and a pair of old underpants on his head.

After she won a part in Macbeth at school, Mr Holding presented Isabella with every
Shakespeare production he could find on videotape.

"I feel so lucky to have had a father who honestly believed that I could achieve anything,"

she said.

AAP mj/pmu/jhp

KEYWORD: HOLDING (PIX AVAILABLE)

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

TAS: Man arrested after seven hour forest protest

AAP General News (Australia)
02-19-2007
TAS: Man arrested after seven hour forest protest

By Glenn Cordingley

HOBART, Feb 19 AAP - Logging in Tasmania's southwest stopped today when an environmentalist
chained himself to a tree-harvesting machine for seven hours.

The man was arrested in the Weld Valley after police and the State Emergency Service
used heavy metal cutting equipment to free him.

Fifty protesters ignored police and marched into the Forestry Tasmania exclusion zone,
stopping any work being done today.

The Huon Valley Environment Centre (HVEC) says the activity will continue and is calling
of the federal government to impose fines of $5 million for logging in an endangered species
habitat.

"The wilderness quality forest is being logged at an alarming rate in the lower Weld
Valley," HVEC spokesperson Jenny Webber said.

"In this day and age of increased awareness about climate change, the government needs
to be doing everything it can can to alleviate the impacts of climate change and protecting
old growth forests is an answer.

"The Huon Valley Environment Centre and unhappy community members will continue to
highlight the destruction of the Lower Weld Valley with non-violent protests."

Officer in charge of the Kingston Police Division, Inspector Mark Mewis, warned that
any illegal activity would be dealt with.

"At this stage we are taking the softly, softly approach and will send in resources
as and when needed," he said.

"Anyone acting illegally will be dealt with according to the law."

Forestry Tasmania on Friday lost a Supreme Court injunction to stop members of the
Huon Valley Environment Centre from texting, promoting or emailing any protest activity.

Industry groups say the delays are hurting the pockets of Tasmanian workers and the
state's economy.

"When protesters illegally lock themselves onto machinery they impact on the supply
of resource to mills and the livelihoods of the families that depend on this resource
for their lawful business," Forest Industries Association of Tasmania spokesperson Katy
Hobbs said.

"Tasmanians should find it unacceptable that the illegal activities of a small extreme
group can be allowed to impact on the livelihoods of Tasmanians who are carrying out a
business within the law.

"Forestry is an integral part of the Tasmanian economy and these continuing attempts
to undermine forestry activity in fact undermine the Tasmanian economy."

She said the current protests were what the failed injunction had tried to prevent.

AAP grc/wjf/cjh/de

KEYWORD: PROTESTS NIGHTLEAD

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

NSW:NSW govt promises improved transport

AAP General News (Australia)
04-19-2011
NSW:NSW govt promises improved transport

By Eoin Blackwell

SYDNEY, April 19 AAP - The NSW coalition government says public transport and road
users can expect improved services as it breaks apart the "dysfunctional" structure of
the state's transport agencies under a new body.

The government on Tuesday announced it would set up a single integrated transport authority
to coordinate services and ensure transport projects are built on time and on budget.

The decision, which fulfils an election pledge by Premier Barry O'Farrell to untangle
the state's transport issues, will see policy and planning experts from all transport
agencies working as one rather than in individual "silos".

Major policy and procurement decisions will be taken away from agencies such as RailCorp,
Sydney Buses and the much criticised Roads and Traffic Authority, leaving them to focus
on service delivery.

NSW Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian could not rule out job losses across the
agencies in the wake of the new authority.

Roads Minister Duncan Gray promised the RTA, which has been blamed for bad management
of major traffic issues on the F3 last year and the M2 a few weeks ago, won't look the
same after the changes take place following a 12-week development process.

"You will not see the RTA the same after this process," Mr Gay told reporters in Sydney.

"You will not see roads the same, you will not see transport the same.

"This is a major integration of what we're doing."

Ms Berejiklian said the new body marks the start of reform of the state's transport sector.

"This means fewer people in the back office and more on the front line as our state
grows and our transport services grow with it," she said.

"It's about getting rid of a dysfunctional structure with duplication and poor communication
and replacing it with a streamlined agency which plans and delivers for all transport
modes."

The new authority will coordinate the state's transport services with the aim of ensuring
projects are built on time and on budget, Ms Berejiklian told reporters.

The new authority will have six new divisions - Customer Experience, Planning and Programs,
Transport Services, Transport Projects, Freight and Regional Development and Policy and
Regulation.

The authority will be overseen by Ms Berejiklian and Mr Gay and led by a deputy director
general, who is yet to be named.

The government will also seek within Australia or abroad six people to run the new divisions.

Sydney Business Chamber executive director Patricia Forsythe said Sydney's transport
network suffered under 15 dispirit transport agencies all looking out for their own patch.

"An integrated transport authority will break up the old transport empires and force
them to work together to solve the challenges of Sydney's transport network for the first
time," she said in a statement.

The national Tourism & Transport Forum said it was a positive development that would
streamline services.

"It will ensure an end to the blame game, with different agencies blaming each other
for failures in the network," chief executive John Lee said in a statement.

The NSW Greens also welcomed news of the authority, saying its success would be a miracle
for the state.

"If it can ensure projects are built on time and on budget as the government suggests,
it'll be a special kind of miracle for NSW," Greens MP and transport spokeswoman Cate
Faehrmann said in a statement.

The Labor opposition did not return calls for comment.

AAP eb/klm/nb

KEYWORD: TRANSPORT NSW WRAP

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

CHINA'S E-COMMERCE FIRMS GOT USD1BN IN VC IN 2010

AsiaInfo Services
01-21-2011
China's E-commerce Firms Got USD1bn in VC in 2010

SHANGHAI, Jan 21, 2011 (SinoCast Daily Business Beat via COMTEX) -- E-commerce firms in China raised more than USD 1 billion in venture capital (VC) in their fundraising in the entire 2010, according to a report from Analysys International.

That, said the Beijing-based company, includes USD 614 million that e-commerce firms seured in the fundraising by December 13, 2010 as well as a USD 500 million 360buy.com, an online 3C (communication, computer and consumer electronics) products retailer, released on December 23, 2010.

Of all the capital raised by the e-commerce players by December 13, 2010, 16% went to group purchase discount platforms and the remainder 84% went to business-to-consumer (B2C) platforms.

Such a VC frenzy indicates that e-commerce firms are confronted with smaller capital pressure at the moment, pointed out market observers. China's B2C platforms lured a total of USD 604 million from 2006 to 2009.

China is expected to see a 30% annual compound growth rate in the e-commerce market in the next five years, predicted Goldman Sachs Gao Hua, a Goldman Sachs joint venture, noting that the country's e-commerce market is likely to touch USD 300 billion in 2015.

The debut of E-commerce China Dangdang Inc. (NYSE: DANG) and Mecox Lane Ltd. (Nasdaq: MCOX) on the Nasdaq spurred VC firms' appetite for a 457 million-shopper market, said a market observer.

Mecox Lane, based in Shanghai, is one of the an online clothing and accessories retailers in the country.

China Dangdang, operator of the renowned online product retail platform Dangdang.com, opened 53% higher at USD 24.5 apiece and expanded by 86.94% in its debut trading on December 8, chasing Youku.com Inc. (NYSE: YOKU), an online video-sharing site listed in New York with China Dangdang on the same day.

Competition in the e-commerce market will intensify in 2011, giving force to cash-abundant players while squeezing smaller players, said the China e-Business Research Center in a report.

Letao.com, one of the fast-growing online footwear retailers in China, is about to kick off a new round of fundraising, disclosed people familiar with the matter at the end of 2010.

Letao.com is in talks with venture capital firms for fundraising in which more than CNY 200 million will be secured, said an executive for the company. Included in the potential investor list are some renowned venture capital firms in the country, according to people from venture capital firms, noting that the talks are confidential.

Source: www.nf.nfdaily.cn (January 21, 2011)

KEYWORD: SHANGHAI INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Internet & Online Services & Media SUBJECT CODE: Internet & Online Services
E-commerce
SinoCast China Business Daily news
SinoCast China IT Watch
B2C
e-commerce
fundraising
VC
JV
platform

Copyright 2011 AsiaInfo Services (via Comtex). All rights reserved

FED:Lib boss says coalition could win

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2010
FED:Lib boss says coalition could win

CANBERRA, Aug 22 AAP - The Liberal Party's national director Brian Loughnane still
believes the coalition can form majority government by winning 76 seats in the new parliament.

At the close of counting at 2.00am (AEST) on Sunday, the Australian Electoral Commission
had Labor and coalition each winning 71 seats with three independents and an Australia
Green.

Four other seats are too close to call.

"It is still possible that the coalition will form government," Mr Loughnane told the
Nine Network on Sunday.

He acknowledged that achieving government by winning a net 17 seats from Labor was a huge task.

A minority Labor government would be "divided and dysfunctional", Mr Loughnane said.

He predicted the coalition could work with the Australian Greens who are certain to
hold the balance of power in the Senate from July 2011, and possibly in the lower house.

"I don't think at the end of the day it will be impossible for us to do business with
the Senate at all."

Mr Loughnane nominated Labor's planned citizens' assembly to consider climate change
action as a "defining moment" of the campaign when voters turned against the government.

As well Labor had "nothing positive to say".

"Their scare campaign was undercut from the very beginning, it didn't work."

By contrast, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's campaign was disciplined and voters knew
exactly what he stood for.

"What you see is what you get," Mr Loughnane said, adding that he did not need to keep
Mr Abbott "under control" at any point.

AAP sld/rl/jm

KEYWORD: POLL10 LOUGHNANE

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

Qld: Legal reform attacks right to a jury trial

AAP General News (Australia)
04-14-2010
Qld: Legal reform attacks right to a jury trial

BRISBANE, April 14 AAP - The Queensland government is abolishing the right of many
Queenslanders to a jury trial - a right first established by Magna Carta in 1215 - the
Council for Civil Liberties says.

On Wednesday the Bligh government introduced the Civil and Criminal Jurisdiction Reform
and Modernisation Amendment Bill, legislation it says will introduce significant reforms
to the criminal and civil justice system.

However, civil libertarians say the alleged reforms will remove half to three quarters
of the matters presently dealt with by juries in the Supreme and District Courts to the
Magistrates Courts, which function without a jury.

Civil liberties council president Michael Cope said the government is claiming to implement
the recommendations of the Moynihan report into the workings of the Queensland courts.

"That report indicated the effect of the reform would be to remove half to three quarters
of the matters presently dealt with in the Supreme and District Courts to the Magistrates
Court," Mr Cope said.

"The government says this is a recommendation designed to improve efficiency but Mr
Moynihan provided no evidence to support the proposition that Queensland citizens are
currently abusing their right to have a trial by jury."

Mr Cope said efficiencies could be achieved by giving the defendant the right to choose
to have the offences dealt with in the Magistrates Court.

"No doubt many defendants for reasons of speed and to reduce legal costs would choose
to have the matters dealt with in the Magistrates Court," he said.

"The bill before parliament proposes that a number of very serious offences such as
sedition, affray, disclosure of official secrets, bribery, supplying drugs or instruments
to procure an abortion and criminal defamation must be heard before a magistrate unless
the magistrate finds there are exceptional circumstances to justify a trial by jury."

Mr Cope said trial by jury has long been recognised as ensuring that common sense and
democracy are at the heart of our criminal justice system by allowing ordinary citizens
to participate.

Where there are allegations such as sedition or disclosure of official secrets, the
state is pitted squarely against the individual citizen.

"It is precisely in those situations that the right to trial by jury is most critical,"

Mr Cope said.

"In addition, this legislation will severely restrict the right of a defendant to have
a committal hearing - a preliminary process which allows a magistrate to assess the strength
of the case brought by the police.

"The council considers this reform to be a retrograde step."

Mr Cope said the government was dishonest when it said that it was implementing the
Moynihan report.

"Whilst Mr Moynihan recommended restricting the right to a committal, he did so in
the context where he recommended improved obligations of disclosure on the prosecution,"

Mr Cope said.

"The government is not implementing those recommendations.

"In fact, the amendments to the disclosure obligation contained in the bill will reduce
the obligations on the prosecution to make disclosure.

"This legislation strikes at the heart of the right of an accused person to a fair
trial and should be rejected."

Mr Moynihan completed the report before his appointment to Queensland's Crime and Misconduct
Commission, which he now heads.

AAP stg/it

KEYWORD: JURIES

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

Research and Markets Adds Report: Wireless Broadband Internet Market in Ukraine 2008

Wireless News
03-25-2009
Research and Markets Adds Report: Wireless Broadband Internet Market in Ukraine 2008
Type: News

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Wireless Broadband Internet Market in Ukraine 2008" report to its offerings.

In a release, Research and Markets noted that report highlights include:
The Ukrainian broadband Internet market is one of the most dynamical segments both in whole branch of telecommunication and a broadband Internet market. Compared to an income growth of a broadband access segment to 54 percent, the segment of broadband wireless access has shown dynamics in 70 percent.

At the same time the market volume in 2008 was not high and counted no slightly above than $25 million. The wireless broadband Internet access share in total amount of the broadband market is also quite minor - 8,6 percent. However the broadband wireless access market possesses a great potential which will allow it to keep high rates of increase and essentially to increase incomes.

According to the forecasts, the general economic crisis can negatively affect wireless broadband Internet market development, that's why its growth will be slowed down a little. At the same time there is a number of favourable factors that stimulate wireless broadband Internet development. In particular, regulating institutes within 2007-2008 have given out a number of licenses that permit to use a radio-frequency resource in the ranges provided under frequencies for different standards of a wireless communication. The new players who have obtained the licences, build or intend to build wireless networks, including WiMAX. Despite economic recession, foreign investors illustrate readiness to invest money in the companies which have already obtained licences and have begun to build networks.

Companies Mentioned:

- IDC

- Goskomstat (NSO - National Statistics Office)

Report information:

http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/e04d5e/ wireless_broadband

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

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

Fed: IMF figures show "recession inevitable", Swan says

AAP General News (Australia)
04-23-2009
Fed: IMF figures show "recession inevitable", Swan says

Federal Treasurer WAYNE SWAN says an Australian recession is inevitable.

It comes after the International Monetary Fund slashed its forecast for Australian
economic growth .. predicting it will contract by 1.4 per cent this year.

The IMF also predicts world growth to decline by 1.3 per cent this year .. more than
the one per cent fall it projected in March.

Mr SWAN says it's the worst set of global forecasts the IMF has bought down.

He says the world recession will be deeper and longer than previously forecast .. making
an Australian recession inevitable.

AAP RTV srj/ka

KEYWORD: CRISIS IMF SWAN (CANBERRA)

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

NSW: The main stories in today's Sydney newspapers=3

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2008
NSW: The main stories in today's Sydney newspapers=3

THE AUSTRALIAN:

Page 1: Treasurer Wayne Swan says he is prepared to go beyond the Rudd government's
$22 billion of economic stimulus measures after the US central bank slashed interest rates
to near zero; National security concerns about Chinese espionage could threaten Singtel
Optus, the new frontrunner for Australia's $15 billion publicly-backed national broadband
network.

Page 2: Permanent migrants with the promise of a job or who possess critically needed
skills will given priority entry into Australia in an overhaul of the program.

Page 3: Political correctness in the playground is the theme of the nation's first
curriculum for childcare centres, which makes no mention of practical targets such as
learning colours and numbers or building with blocks.

World: The White House has prepared more than a dozen contingency plans to guide president-elect
Barack Obama through an international crisis in the opening days of his administration.

Finance: The Commonwealth Bank's $2 billion capital raising has become a fiasco, with
UBS raising most of the funds on Wednesday while CBA and Merrill Lynch traded blows over
responsibility for a catastrophic failure to disclose a profit downgrade.

Sport: Andrew Symonds began to restore his own credibility and Australia's flagging
fortunes before holing out on a wildly frustrating opening day of the first Test against
South Africa in Perth.

AAP cjb/it

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS NSW 3 SYDNEY

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

Soc: Brazil, US and China through to women's quarter-finals

AAP General News (Australia)
08-13-2008
Soc: Brazil, US and China through to women's quarter-finals

BEIJING, Aug 12 DPA - Favourites Brazil, reigning Olympic champions the United States
and hosts China all reached the women's soccer quarter-finals as group winners today.

Success in the last round of matches means the big guns will avoid each other in Friday's
last eight group matches.

Brazil beat Nigeria 3-1 courtesy of a Cristiane hat-trick to top Group F and will now
meet Norway who qualified second in group G despite being thrashed 5-1 by Japan.

China beat Argentina 2-0 in their final Group E game. Argentina's Maria Quinones put
through her own net to open the scoring and Gu Yasha settled it with the second on 90
minutes.

The hosts now face Japan who qualified as one of the best third-placed teams courtesy
of their high-scoring win over Norway.

Current Olympic champions USA will face Canada after beating New Zealand 4-0 thanks
to goals from Heather O'Reilly, Amy Rodriguez, Lindsay Tarple and Angela Hucles.

Germany also gained their place in the quarter-finals with a nervous 1-0 victory over
North Korea.

Anja Mittag scored the vital 86th minute goal and they will now face Sweden who beat
Canada 2-1 thanks to a Lotta Schelen double.

A relieved German coach Silvia Neid said: "North Korea were unbelievably well organised
so we are delighted to come through the group."

DPA jds

KEYWORD: OLY08 SOCW NIGHTLEAD

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

Qld: Mother of 10 named Barnardos mum of year

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2008
Qld: Mother of 10 named Barnardos mum of year

KACEY LEACH .. who has 10 children and has still found time to study law .. has been
named Barnardos Queensland Mother of the Year for 2008.

LEACH .. from Hervey Bay .. became a single mother at 22 with two young children ..

until six years ago when she met her partner.

Her partner had five sons from a previous marriage .. and the couple have had another
three children together.

Their kids nominated their mum for the award.

AAP RTV rad/pjo/wz/bart

KEYWORD: MOTHER QLD (BRISBANE)

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

Verizon Wireless Expands in Massachusetts

Wireless News
11-17-2007
Verizon Wireless Expands in Massachusetts

WIRELESS NEWS-November 17, 2007-Verizon Wireless Expands in Massachusetts (C)2007 10Meters - http://www.10meters.com

Verizon Wireless has expanded its network in Essex County, Massachusetts with a new cell site.
The new site provides new coverage and capacity along Route 127 in eastern Beverly and the surrounding area.

Verizon Wireless invested $145 million during the first six months of the year to enhance wireless capacity and coverage throughout the six states of New England, elevating the cumulative network investment in the region to more than $2 billion since 2000. Nationally the company invests more than $1 billion every 90 days to stay ahead of the growing demand for Verizon Wireless voice and data services, including picture messaging, text messaging, BroadbandAccess high-speed internet and the company's exclusive V CAST service. The company's ongoing network investment now totals more than $40 billion nationally over the past seven years.

BroadbandAccess Revision A offers computer users the nation's most reliable high-speed wireless mobile broadband network, operating at average upload speeds between 500 and 800 kbps, and download speeds between 600 kbps and 1.4 mbps. V CAST brings video clips of TV shows, music on demand and other multimedia services to wireless phones over Verizon Wireless' high-speed EV-DO network.

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

((Distributed via M2 Communications Ltd - http://www.m2.com))

(Copyright M2 Communications Ltd. 17, 2007)

Fed: Mates maybe, but Hockey-Rudd rivalry deepens

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-2007
Fed: Mates maybe, but Hockey-Rudd rivalry deepens

MELBOURNE, April 18 AAP - They say they're old mates, but politics is putting a growing
strain on the friendship between federal minister Joe Hockey and Labor leader Kevin Rudd.

Mr Hockey, the workplace relations minister, says Mr Rudd lacks the qualities to lead
the country.

"I don't want Kevin Rudd to be prime minister of Australia," Mr Hockey declared in
Melbourne today, as he accepted a jumper from AFL club Richmond for his son Xavier.

"I say that emphatically with absolute conviction," he said.

"I don't think his policies are well thought through.

"And certainly he is not experienced. I think Australians will discover that over the
next few months."

Mr Hockey said Mr Rudd's policies so far were "clumsy."

"He has no experience in running anything that is of matter and substance to the Australian
people.

"He's trying to placate everyone. He's trying to be all things to all interest groups
at the moment."

Mr Hockey and Mr Rudd built their friendship through five years of weekly appearances
of the Seven Network's Sunrise program, and they walked the Kokoda Track together.

Both pulled out of the long-running spot this week following controversy over Sunrise's
plans for a "fake" Anzac Day dawn service, and after Mr Hockey was criticised by colleagues
for initially supporting Mr Rudd over the issue.

Announcing he was pulling out of Sunrise, Mr Rudd said this week that politics was
making it too hard to appear on Sunrise with his "longstanding mate".

Today, Mr Hockey would not comment on whether he still thought Mr Rudd was a good bloke.

"I'm not going down the path of whether he is a good bloke or not," he said.

"He wants to be prime minister and I want to stop him."

AAP sam/gfr/sp/bwl

KEYWORD: RUDD HOCKEY

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

Fed: Commonwealth extends defence bushfire assistance

AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2006
Fed: Commonwealth extends defence bushfire assistance

The federal government has again promised assistance .. to fight bushfires in Victoria.

Attorney-General PHILIP RUDDOCK says army personnel and equipment will be available
in Victoria until January 4.

They'd been due to finish their stint tomorrow.

AAP RTV mb/wf/rt

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES RUDDOCK (CANBERRA)

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

Fed: Nelson says defence expansion under consideration

AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2006
Fed: Nelson says defence expansion under consideration

The federal government's tipped to consider whether to expand the Defence Force when
cabinet meets next week.

Defence Minister BRENDAN NELSON has told the Nine Network .. he and the prime minister
are looking at whether the ADF needs to be increased .. because of the force's many commitments.

Dr NELSON says the Defence Force is currently running 10 deployments .. including four
major ones .. with four thousand of the 51 thousand personnel on operations.

AAP RTV mb/es/cp

KEYWORD: AFGHAN AUST NELSON (CANBERRA)

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

Fed: Indonesia backs out as PSI exercise observer

AAP General News (Australia)
04-04-2006
Fed: Indonesia backs out as PSI exercise observer

CANBERRA, April 4 AAP - Indonesia has rejected an Australian invitation to send an
observer to a military exercise to be held around Darwin this week, in another sign of
deteriorating relations.

The Indonesian government told the Australian government last week it would not be
sending an official to watch the latest Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) exercise
which aims to test procedures for intercepting shipments of weapons of mass destruction
(WMD) materials, ABC radio reported today.

The decision is seen as the latest sign of frost from the Indonesian government, upset
at Australia's granting of protection visas to a group of West Papuan asylum seekers.

Ron Huisken, an expert on international relations with the Strategic and Defence Studies
Centre in Canberra, said the timing of the rejection was no coincidence.

"Probably a calculation was made in Jakarta that even observing this exercise might
dilute the opposition that we are are expressing to this Australian position," he told
ABC radio.

"That observer status, my understanding is, has become very popular as as sort of halfway
house where you can show political interest in the initiative but also maintain political
distance from it."

Hugh White, a former senior defence official and visiting fellow at the Lowy Institute
for International Policy, agreed.

"It is significant as yet another sign by Indonesia of the way in which they see our
decision on Papua and the way in which that issue has unfolded over the last couple of
weeks impact on a broader bilateral relationship," he told ABC radio.

US president George Bush launched PSI in 2003 in response to the worrying spread of
WMD materials and capabilities and it has since gained worldwide backing of more than
60 nations.

Australia hosted the first ever PSI exercise back in September 2003 which involved
intercepting a ship carrying suspected WMD materials in the Coral Sea off Queensland.

This week's PSI exercise, called Protector 06, involves Australia, the US, Singapore,
Japan, Britain and New Zealand with 20 another countries sending observers.

It involves interception of an aircraft carrying WMD materials and forcing it to land at Darwin.

AAP mb/lma/jlw

KEYWORD: PROTECTOR

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

nationalization

nationalization The process of bringing the assets of a business into the ownership of the state. Examples of industries nationalized in the past in the UK include the National Coal Board and British Rail. Historically, nationalization has been achieved through compulsory purchase, although this need not necessarily be the case. Nationalization has often been pursued as much for political as economic ends and the economic justifications themselves are varied. One argument for nationalization is that if a company possesses a natural monopoly, then it should not be run for private profit; another is that certain industries are strategically important for the nation. In the 1980s and 1990s Conservative governments reversed the nationalizations of the post-war Labour governments with a series of privatization measures, on the grounds that competition would increase efficiency and reduce prices. Even where this has arguably not proved to be the case, Labour administrations since 1997 have been reluctant to renationalize.

Navy E-Learning recognized by E-Gov Conference.

RDATE:07032002

Navy E-Learning, the Department of the Navy's distance learning initiative, was honored last week at the National Electronic Government Conference and Exposition (E-Gov) in Washington, D.C.

The Explorer Award was presented to the Chief of Naval Education and Training for innovations in the development and distribution of education and training initiatives used in the Navy E-Learning program.

Navy E-Learning delivers, tracks and manages more than 1,000 e-courses at no cost to the user for more than 1.2 million active duty Sailors, Marines, Department of the Navy civilian employees, reservists, retirees, and family members of active duty military. The program, which began May 2001, allows students to continue their education, training, and professional development in information technology, leadership, and management as well as several Navy-specific topics via the Internet.

"Sailors and Marines leave their homes, deploying around the world to protect and defend the nation," said the chief of Naval Education and Training, Vice Adm. Alfred G. Harms, Jr.

"E-Learning is fulfilling many of the educational and training needs of military members, who many times are not able to go to a brick and mortar school because of the nature of the Navy's mission. Through distance learning, we are able to take our training to the frontlines to support their professional and personal goals."

The Explorer Award was accepted by Rear Adm. John W. Townes III, vice chief of Naval Education and Training.

For more information about the Navy's E-Learning program, please visit http://www.navylearning.navy.mil.

[Web version: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2002/b07032002_bt346-02.html]

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Delphi to Consolidate Facilities at World Headquarters in Michigan.

Project Will Provide Significant Cost Reductions

TROY, Mich., June 13 /PRNewswire/ --

Delphi Automotive Systems announced today that it will consolidate several leased facilities in the Midwest to existing land in Troy, Mich. The consolidation is being made to better utilize employee resources, reduce operating costs, and create synergies among divisional administrative staffs for improved efficiencies.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000613/DETU003 )

A total of 775 salaried employees from Delphi's Energy & Chassis Systems and Interior Systems divisions from current facilities in Dayton, Ohio, and Warren and Flint, Mich., will begin consolidation into two new facilities, scheduled to be built adjacent to Delphi's existing headquarters, over the next 18 months. This announcement does not affect any manufacturing facilities or personnel.

"This consolidation project will bring Delphi significant increased operational efficiencies and falls directly in line with our corporate strategy of being a lean organization," said Delphi Chairman, CEO and President J.T. Battenberg III. "We will continue to examine all phases of our business, looking for ways to best serve our customers by improving productivity and reducing the cost of doing business." Battenberg said the consolidation will result in a net reduction of 35,000 square feet of office space for Delphi.

Construction on a new two- and a new three-story building, which will begin this summer, will be completed in early 2002. The facilities will bring Delphi 240,000 sq. feet of new workspace.

Multi-national Delphi Automotive Systems, with headquarters in Troy, Mich., USA, Paris, Tokyo and Sao Paulo, Brazil, is a world leader in transportation and mobile electronics components and systems technology. Delphi's three business sectors -- Dynamics & Propulsion; Safety, Thermal & Electrical Architecture; and Electronics & Mobile Communication -- provide comprehensive product solutions to complex customer needs. Delphi has approximately 213,000 employees and operates 176 wholly owned manufacturing sites, 41 joint ventures, 53 customer centers and sales offices and 30 technical centers in 38 countries. Delphi can be found on the Internet at www.delphiauto.com .

Death driver faces jail.

Provided by 7DAYS.ae

The head of Dubai Traffic Prosecution yesterday said his department would be seeking the toughest possible sentencing for the drunk driver who was involved in an accident that killed two people on Thursday.Salah Bu Farousha told 7DAYS that blood taken from the 36-year-old Briton had tested positive for alcohol and that he had admitted drink-driving."The man will be referred to the Traffic Court within the next two weeks and we will ask for a harsh penalty against him. He caused death for two and injured others, a person's life is so precious and the accident was horrific," he said."In his condition the penalties are worse because he was drunk driving, crossed through a signal and killed others. His penalty will be jail for five years maximum and a dhs30,000 fine."The accident occurred at around 9.40pm on Thursday at the Mankhool-Bur Dubai junction.According to police, the Brit's Land Cruiser went straight through a red light at 50kph and smashed into a minibus that was carrying a number of tourists.A 58-year-old British man, who was a passenger in the Land Cruiser, and a

47-year-old Pakistani tourist died on the spot. The Land Cruiser's driver received treatment for slight injuries and was then arrested.

"He will be in police custody for seven days while an investigation is undertaken," Bu Farousha said."He has confessed to being drunk and crossing the signal. The junction was clear and the lights were red when he went through them."

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