ABORTION RULING MAKES NOVEMBER CRITICAL.(Main)

Byline: Anna Quindlen

History was being made Monday. You could tell because Justice Harry Blackmun and Randall Terry agreed about something. Blackmun, the author of Roe vs. Wade, and Terry, the founder of Operation Rescue, both said the same thing when the Supreme Court decision affirming a constitutional right to abortion - but upholding state restrictions - was handed down.

One vote, they each said, one with anguish, the other with rage. One vote.

That is what you need to remember about what happened this week. The ruling on Roe was 5 to 4. One vote. It was a most confusing day. It is not often that those who support legal abortion and those who …

One in 3 German residents view World Cup win on TV

One in three German residents watched the national team's victory over Argentina in the World Cup quarterfinals.

FIFA says 27.7 million viewers watched the German television …

Bombings in Iraq kill 6 security guards

BAGHDAD (AP) — A pair of near-simultaneous bombings killed six security guards Thursday who were waiting in line to pick up their paychecks outside an Iraqi military base, officials said.

At least 35 people were wounded in the double-bombing near Baqouba, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad, said Diyala Health Directorate spokesman Faris al-Azawi.

"We are trying our best to deal with this situation," al-Azawi said.

The attack started with a suicide bomber who joined the line of the guards known as Sahwa, and detonated himself around 8 a.m., according to an Interior Ministry official speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the …

The Media: Shaping the Image of a People.(Book Review)(Brief Article)

by Bill Overton Pro Star Publishing, March 2002 $45.00, ISBN 1-577-85038-6

The ongoing investigation into how the arts and media have shaped the public perception and the self-image of African Americans is it worthy one. It is one of the best ways to engage the societal conversation about where we stand in relation to the struggle for equality and justice. In the past, such landmark events as the 1990 Brooklyn Museum exhibition and accompanying catalogue Facing History: The Black Image in American Art 1710-1940 by Guy C. McElroy have helped put into perspective the network of images and image-making that have influenced, and continue to guide cultural values regarding …

PRESIDENT RECEIVES US DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE.

Baku, 02 October (AzerTAc) -- Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev has today received US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.

They discussed prospects …

IDA STILLMAN GROSS.(CAPITAL REGION)

ALBANY -- Ida Stillman Gross, age 82, of the B'nai B'rith Parkview Apartments on Hudson Avenue in Albany, died Saturday morning at the Mary McClellan Hospital in Camridge, NY. She was married to Emanuel Gross until his passing in 1991. She is survived by two sons, Barry Gross of Cambridge and Gerald Gross of …

CPCU Society meeting draws 3,800 attendees.(Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter Society meeting)

Hugh B. McGowan stepped into the role of president of the CPCU Society at the group's 2003 Annual Meeting last month.

Mr. McGowan, who is president and chief executive officer of McGowan Insurance Group Inc. in Indianapolis, replaced outgoing president James R. Nau. Mr. Nau is general manager, residual markets division, at the National Council on Compensation Insurance …

Churches welcome MC Canada reps

On Oct. 23, 16 congregations from across Alberta hosted speakers from MC Canada's Formation and Witness Council. The council was meeting in Calgary, and made a great effort to get out to all the Alberta congregations for Sunday morning worship.

Some council members preached, some led Sunday school discussions, and …

Findings from E. Francia et al in Crop Research Reported.(Report)

According to a study from Reggio Emilia, Italy, "Barley grain yield in rainfed Mediterranean regions can be largely influenced by terminal drought events. In this study the ecophysiological performance of the 'Nure' (winter) x 'Tremois' (spring) barley mapping population (118 Doubled Haploids, DHs) was evaluated in a multi-environment trial of eighteen site-year combinations across the Mediterranean Basin during two consecutive harvest years (2004 and 2005)."

"Mean grain yield of sites ranged from 0.07 to 5.43 t ha(-1), clearly dependent upon both the total water input (rainfall plus irrigation) and the water stress index (WSI) accumulated during the growing season. All DHs …

REFUGEES MISSING AFTER DETENTION CENTER FIRES.(MAIN)

Byline: -- Associated Press

LONDON -- More than two dozen refugees remained missing Saturday after fires and rioting in Europe's largest asylum-seekers' detention center this past week, and police said some may have been killed in the chaos.

Bedfordshire, England, police said the latest figures suggested that as many as 23 men and five women remained unaccounted for after Thursday night's apparent attempted mass breakout at the …

French researchers find gene linked to Kindler's syndrome.

PARIS -- Researchers at the French National Genotyping Center and other research establishments in France and Algeria localized and identified a new gene involved in a rare genetic disease--genodermatosis, or Kindler's syndrome.

The gene, which the research team propose to baptize "kindlerin," is located on chromosome 20.

Kindler's syndrome, which affects both men and women, is an infection of the skin and the digestive and urinary mucous membranes that results in a detachment of the skin and erythemas following exposure to the sun.

To induce the disease, which is recessive, both copies of the gene (the father's and the mother's) have to be mutated. The …

NeoPharm and collaborators unveil cancer study results.

NeoPharm, Inc. (Lake Forest, IL; 847-295-8678) announced that new preliminary human clinical data on the company's entire Phase I portfolio of cancer treatment agents was released this week at the 38th American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting held in Orlando, Florida from May 18-21, 2002. ASCO accepted all nine (9) scientific abstracts submitted for NeoPharm's products in Phase I clinical development using the company's proprietary NeoLipid Electrostatic Liposome Encapsulation and Tumor-Targeting platforms. Preliminary data from four NeoPharm compounds in Phase I clinical trials, as presented in two scientific posters and published in the 2002 ASCO Program Proceedings (Volume 21), indicated that these ongoing clinical studies provided early evidence of patient safety, tolerability and successful dose escalation. Although not designed as efficacy studies, early data from these Phase I trials in certain populations of individuals suggested a preliminary treatment effect.

"NeoPharm is dedicated to developing effective, novel and well-tolerated therapies to benefit patients with cancer and to serve unmet medical needs. As evidenced by ASCO's acceptance of our scientific research in collaboration with our strategic partners and study investigators, we're moving ahead with the transformation NeoPharm into an integrated biotechnology company that will have the ability to bring compounds from conception to commercialization," said James Hussey, President and Chief Executive Officer of NeoPharm. "ASCO is yet another example of …

TOUR OF WATERFORD DRESSMAKER OFFERED.(CAPITAL REGION)

The Hudson-Mohawk Industrial Gateway is sponsoring a tour of Ursula of Switzerland, a Waterford dress manufacturer, at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

The designer's headquarters is in the 1894 Laughlin Textile Mill on the banks of …

USPTO ISSUES TRADEMARK: A-CHECK AMERICA

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 1 -- The trademark A-CHECK AMERICA (Reg. No. 3963907) was issued on May 24 by the USPTO.

Owner: A-CHECK AMERICA, INC CORPORATION CALIFORNIA 327 W. Broadway Glendale CALIFORNIA 91204.

The trademark application serial number 76702917 was filed on May 12, 2010 and was registered on May 24.

Goods and Services: Drug testing for substance abuse. FIRST USE: 20000900. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20000900

Employment related automated background and drug screening of current or potential employees of others offered primarily via the Internet. FIRST USE: 20000900. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 20000900

For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

Learning from History

Midterm elections have historically been unkind to the incumbent president's party. If pre-election, polls are accurate indicators, 2010 is likely to be no exception. Voters appear poised to deliver a humbling message to the President and the Democratic Party in die November elections.

Still, President Obama may be able to wrestle victory from the jaws of midterm defeat, as several of his predecessors have in the past, going into the second half of his first term. Whatever the outcome, midterm elections - -and the 2010 cycle in particular - are fascinating episodes that challenge old thinking and encourage analysis of the electorate and the strategies used to appeal to it.

This issue of Campaigns & Elections sheds light on aspects of midterm electioneering, focusing on voter mobilization and getting out the vote, which is especially critical to electoral victory in non-presidential cycles. The articles offer insights about the latest understanding in voter psychology and how to leverage online opportunities to mobilize voters.

The 2010 cycle is also noteworthy for the role played by social movements like the Tea Party, which, as Villanova University political scientist Lara Brown observes in her article, is the htest manifestation of voter anxiety. Misunderstandings about the Tea Party abound, but Brown's article takes a look at its roots, its similarity to other movements in history, and its application for this election cycle and beyond. Brown's key point - and it's a good one - is that not heeding the lessons of the movement prevents campaign professionals from developing political strategies that capitalize on the voter sentiment underlying the movement.

Also in this issue, we mark the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking 1960 presidential campaign with some reflections by Ted Sorensen, the legendary adviser to President John F. Kennedy, among others. Sorensen 's observations, culled over more than half a century in the epicenter of American politics, are prescient, practical and illuminating. It's a must-read.

After the midterm madness subsides, we hope you'll share your reflections and experiences about the 2010 elections, tactics that worked and those that failed, and your ideas about effective campaign outreach.

Thank you for reading.

[Author Affiliation]

Mike Hennessy

CEO

Blue is her hue: Blind artisan uses distinctive color in pottery for store

DAILY MAIL STAFF

FOREST HILL - You couldn't picture a more charming countrysidecrafts gallery than Wakerobin.

Nestled on the upside of an up-and-down lane, the little cottagesports a lazy front porch, cozy wood floors and old-timey woodshelves brushed an eye-warming sky blue. They brim with decorativebaskets, wooden utensils, bright watercolors, stained glass,ironwork, woven rugs and fragrant soaps.

The mainstay of the gallery, however, is the utilitarian andattractive pottery of Wakerobin's 53-year-old proprietress, MarciaSpringston.

She creates chili bowls, crocks, pitchers, mugs, chess pieces andmore, most in hues of blues, but some in green. They are meant to beuseful for the kitchen or other rooms of the home, but they alsoexude a down-to-earth artistry and allure.

"I like people to use my pots, instead of just putting them up ona shelf to collect dust," she said.

While Springston can't actually see her work with her eyes becauseshe has been blind since birth, her way of "looking" is to feel theclay as the wheel rotates. She also attaches handles or spouts ordecorative coils, facets or other flourishes.

"Unfortunately, decorations that are tactilely pleasing are notalways visually successful," Springston said.

But the creative pieces indicate the artist is wrong.

Her pottery springs to life with a gnarled pumpkin stem here, atwist of a handle there. Colors, which she creates with the help ofan assistant, are subtle but expressive. Shapes are sensual as wellas useful.

Springston and several other craftspeople will gather from 10 a.m.to 5 p.m. Saturday at Wakerobin in Summers County to showcase theirwares. There will be live dulcimer music and lots of food, Springstonsaid.

Her work also is available at Tamarack.

Springston was born and lived three years in Fairmont, beforespending the rest of her childhood in Columbus, Ohio. There, she andher sister were the first blind children in the Midwest to attendpublic school, she said. Both girls were blind due to a hereditarycondition. Her parents' progressive ideas about education fueled herdetermination and pride.

After graduating from the University of Akron with a degree insocial psychology, she worked for the Ohio Bureau of VocationalRehabilitation. Later, while cross-country skiing in Colorado, shemet a woman who made pottery.

Inspired, Springston then took classes at a Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio,art center. "The magic of the wheel got a hold," she said.

She taught high school pottery in McDowell County and ran an artshop in Hinton before opening Wakerobin in Forest Hill nearly twodecades ago. Her pottery studio takes up the entire back room andbasement, where she uses an electric kiln with a talking pyrometer -a high temperature thermometer.

Scales, recipes and other necessary information are kept inBraille. Assistive technology on her computer allows her to use e-mail and the Internet.

Having studied pottery at the Campbell Folk Art School in NorthCarolina, the University of Northern Colorado and Indiana Universityof Pennsylvania, Springston espouses her own philosophy: "My handsremember how the pots grew, and my heart is gratified."

Though pottery earns a living, horseback riding feeds Springston'sadventuresome spirit. In her studio hang scads of blue ribbons, manyfrom dressage shows. Currently, she owns an Arabian named Dr. Pop anda thoroughbred named Alphie.

She rides in a fenced-in area behind her barn. Sound from radiosat each end of the riding ring bounces off the vinyl fence, tellingher just where she is.

For more information on Wakerobin's upcoming Christmas fair, call466-2227. The gallery is located about 12 miles south of Hinton onW.Va. 12, not far from the Monroe County line.

Writer Therese Smith Cox can be reached at 348-4874 or by e-mailat therese@dailymail.com.

New Jersey Resources to Report 2nd-Quarter Earnings

New Jersey Resources invites investors, customers, members of thefinancial community and other interested parties to listen to a liveInternet webcast of its second-quarter fiscal 2011 earnings resultsteleconference on Wednesday, May 4, at 9 a.m. ET.

Laurence M. Downes, chairman and CEO, will present an overview ofNJR's financial results for the first quarter of fiscal 2011.

A few minutes prior to the webcast, go to njliving.com and select"Investor Relations," then click just below the microphone under theheading "Latest Webcast" on the Investor Relations home page.

New Jersey Resources, a Fortune 1000 company, provides renewableand natural gas services including transportation, distribution andasset management in states from the Gulf Coast to the New Englandregions, including the Mid-Continent region, the West Coast andCanada, while investing in and maintaining an infrastructure tosupport future growth.

More Information:

www.njliving.com

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

FCC TO APPEAL COURT RULING ON PRIVACY RULES

WASHINGTON -- A court ruling overturning federal protection oftelephone customer records puts the interests of phone companies overthe rights of consumers, a top federal regulator says.

The Federal Communications Commission plans to appeal the decisionby the three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals,which could enable phone companies to use information about customersfor marketing purposes without obtaining their consent.

FCC Chairman Bill Kennard said the court's decision to reject thecommission's rules remove important protections to consumer privacy.

"I think it's a sad day when the First Amendment rights oftelephone companies to solicit business outweighs the rights ofconsumers to protect their privacy," Kennard said Tuesday.

Information such as calls made to a doctor or to a help-group andthe frequency of such calls could become fodder for marketers totarget their goods, he said.

When people make calls or pages, the companies providing themservice end up with personal information including who, when and forhow long the call lasted. They can also tell how much theircustomers spent for service.

The FCC rules adopted in 1998 had required telecommunicationscompanies to obtain permission either written, oral or electronicbefore using or sharing customers' records, calling patterns andother personal information to market new services to them. A 1996telecommunications law had mandated such approval without specifyinghow it had to be given.

In a 2-1 ruling published last week, the panel vacated the FCCrestrictions, saying they wrongly interfered with the phonecompanies' First Amendment right to free speech. The court said thegovernment failed to show any specific harm to customers from thepractice.

"This case is a harbinger of difficulties encountered in this ageof exploding information, when rights bestowed by the United StatesConstitution must be guarded as vigilantly as in the days ofhandbills on public sidewalks," the ruling said.

As for customers' privacy, "Although we may feel uncomfortableknowing that our personal information is circulating in the world, welive in an open society where information may pass freely," theruling said.

Kennard expressed concern that the ruling would give rise to an"opt out" approach, with companies assuming they had permission touse customers' personal information unless customers told them theydid not. Customers might then inadvertently forfeit their right toprivacy by missing a notice from the company informing them of thepolicy, he said.

Other FCC officials warned that the decision could open a widedoor for releasing information, such as phone companies sellinginformation about a customer's toll-free catalog shopping habits to arival retailer.

Denver-based U S West, which brought the case, said it does notintend to share customers' personal information with other companiesonly with its divisions. The company also says that the ruling mightspare consumers some sales calls by letting companies targetcustomer's perceived needs.

But Kennard said he was not convinced that all companies wouldabide by the same standard.

"Some of them will find it just too tempting not to go ahead andsell this information to the highest bidder," he said.

The FCC plans to ask for a rehearing by the full 10th Circuit.

Privacy groups also have expressed concern that the decision couldset a precedent for privacy protections in other areas, such as theInternet.

"This really does cast doubt on the government's ability toprotect citizens' privacy," said John Morris, counsel at the Centerfor Democracy and Technology, a Washington-based privacy advocacygroup. The court's analysis "may make it much more difficult toenact privacy legislation in other areas."

Eqn: Individual show-jumping standings

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2004
Eqn: Individual show-jumping standings

ATHENS, Aug 22 Reuters - Collated standings qualification round 1 of the Olympic equestrian
individual show-jumping:

1= Peter Wylde (USA) FEIN CERA 0

1= Juan Carlos Garcia (ITA) ALBIN III 0

1= Thomas Velin (DEN) CARNUTE 0

1= Malin Baryard (SWE) BUTTERFLY FLIP 0

1= Antonis Petris (GRE) GREDO LA DAVIERE 0

1= Peder Fredericson (SWE) MAGIC BENGTSSON 0

1= Grant Cashmore (NZL) FRANKLINS FLYTE 0

1= Ludo Philippaerts (BEL) PARCO 0

1= Beezie Madden (USA) AUTHENTIC 0

1= Wim Schroder (NED) MONTREAL 0

11= Ludger Beerbaum (GER) GOLDFEVER 1

11= Otto Becker (GER) CENTO 1

11= Cian O'Connor (IRL) WATERFORD CRYSTAL 1

11= Mclain Ward (USA) SAPPHIRE 1

11= Bernardo Alves (BRA) CANTURO 1

11= Nick Skelton (GBR) ARKO III 1

17. Kevin Babington (IRL) CARLING KING 2

18. Yuka Watanabe (JPN) NIKE 3

19= Christian Ahlmann (GER) COSTER 4

19= Chris Kappler (USA) ROYAL KALIBER 4

19= Jos Lansink (BEL) CUMANO 4

19= Leopold van Asten (NED) FLECHE ROUGE 4

19= Rolf-Goran Bengtsson (SWE) MAC KINLEY 4

19= Robert Smith (GBR) MR SPRINGFIELD 4

19= Bruno Broucqsault (FRA) DILEME DE CEPHE 4

19= Markus Fuchs (SUI) TINKA'S BOY 4

19= Stanny Van Paesschen (BEL) O DE POMME 4

19= Florian Angot (FRA) FIRST DE LAUNAY 4

19= Jessica Kuerten (IRL) CASTLE FORBES MAIKE 4

19= Gert-Jan Bruggink (NED) JOEL 4

31= Eric Navet (FRA) DOLLAR DU MURIER 5

31= Gerco Schroder (NED) (MON) 5

31= Peter Eriksson (SWE) CARDENTO 5

31= Fabio Crotta (SUI) MME POMPADOUR M 5

31= Bruno Chimirri (ITA) LANDKNECHT 5

31= Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) BALOUBET DU ROUET 5

31= Federico Sztyrle (ARG) WHO KNOWS LILLY 5

31 Danae Tsatsou (GRE) ROBLE Z 5

31= Luciana Diniz-Knippling (BRA) MARIACHI 5

31= Rossen Raitchev (BUL) MEDOC II 5

31= Sohn Bong-gak (KOR) CIM CHRISTO 5

42= Hwang Soon-won (KOR) C.CHAP 6

42= Marion Hughes (IRL) FORTUNUS 6

42= Eugenie Angot (FRA) CIGALE DU TAILLIS 6

42= Woo Jung-ho (KOR) SEVEN UP 6

42= Steve Guerdat (SUI) OLYMPIC 6

47= Gerardo Tazzer (MEX) CHANEL 8

47= Alvaro Miranda Neto (BRA) COUNTDOWN 23 8

47= Vincenzo Chimirri (ITA) DELFI PLATIERE 8

47= Martin Dopazo (ARG) FURKA DU VILLAGE 8

47= Tadayoshi Hayashi (JPN) SWANKY 8

47= Grzegorz Kubiak (POL) DJANE DES FONTENIS 8

47 Marco Kutscher (GER) MONTENDER 8

54= Federico Fernandez (MEX) BOHEMIO 9

54= Ramzy Al Duhami (KSA) FALL KHAEER 9

54= Lucas Werthein (ARG) WARREN 9

54= Christina Liebherr (SUI) NO MERCY 9

58. Andre Sakakini (EGY) CASPER 10

59. Ian Millar (CAN) PROMISE ME 11

60= Kamal Bahamdan (KSA) CASITA 12

60= Taizo Sugitani (JPN) LAMALUSHI 12

60= Dirk Demeersman (BEL) CLINTON 12

63= Daniel Meech (NZL) DIAGONAL 13

63= Ibrahim Bisharat (JOR) QWINTO 13

63= Hannah Mytilinaiou (GRE) SANTANA 329 13

66= Joo Jung-hyun (KOR) EPSOM GESMERAY 14

66= Ryuichi Obata (JPN) OLIVER Q 14

68. Vladimir Tuganov (RUS) LEROY BROWN 15

69= Marcela Lobo (MEX) JOSKIN 16

69= Guy Thomas (NZL) MADISON 16

71. Roberto Arioldi (ITA) DIME DE LA COUR 17

72. Gustavo Hernandez Leyva (MEX) MINOTAURO 19

73. Mark Watring (PUR) SAPPHIRE 25

74. Bruce Goodin (NZL) BRAVEHEART 28

75. Tim Amitrano (AUS) MR INNOCENT 38

76= Emmanouela Athanassiades (GRE) RIMINI Z DQ

76= Gregorio Werthein (ARG) CALWARO DQ

Reuters jjs

KEYWORD: OLYR EQN COLLATED

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

QLD: Queensland set to get more money to fight fire ants

AAP General News (Australia)
04-16-2004
QLD: Queensland set to get more money to fight fire ants

BRISBANE, April 16 AAP - The Queensland government has secured an in-principle agreement
from all Australian states for an extra $37.5 million for an extended campaign to eradicate
fire ants.

If the extra funding was approved by all governments the total budget for the irradication
program in south-east Queensland would increase to $175.4 million over six years.

Queensland Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk said progress towards the irradication
of the potentially fatal imported pest has been excellent.

"Monitoring results from the core treatment zone show that approximately 97.6 per cent
of previously infested properties no longer have viable nests after two years of treatment,"

he said.

"Large areas of the original infested area now appear to be free of the ant."

AAP ch/cjh

KEYWORD: ANTS

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Search for light plane passengers to continue

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2004
Vic: Search for light plane passengers to continue

The search for three people missing since a light plane crashed into a Victorian Lake
on Saturday continues today.

Police say PAUL and THERESA FACCIN and their 10-year-old daughter BREE were on a sightseeing
tour when the single-engine Piper Cherokee they were travelling in crashed into Lake Eildon
north-west of Melbourne about 11am (AEDT) on Saturday.

They were from Ferntree Gully in Melbourne's east.

A police spokesman says the body of THERESA, 42, has been recovered, but PAUL, 43,
BREE and pilot JASON LIND, 35, of Forest Hill, who was a family friend, remain missing.

Police divers, who faced difficult conditions including cold and deep water, today
recovered a piece of wreckage after using sonar equipment to narrow down the search.

Witnesses to the crash say the plane was flying low and clipped powerlines before plunging
into the south side of the lake near Jerusalem Creek.

AAP RTV kw/psm/

KEYWORD: PLANE (MELBOURNE)

2004 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Parcel workers continue 24 hour strike

AAP General News (Australia)
12-11-2003
NSW: Parcel workers continue 24 hour strike

Australia Post has called in extra staff to help handle Christmas deliveries, as 850
parcel workers continue a 24 hour strike across New South Wales.

The postie sorters are on a 24 hour strike which began at 10pm (AEDT) last night, after
talks broke down between the mail giant and the Communications Electrical Plumbing Union.

The strike relates to a relocation of staff to Australia Post's upgraded parcel network
due to open at Chullora in Sydney's west in March next year.

Australia Post spokeswoman ELIZABETH RICH says the corporation is extremely disappointed
the union has chosen to strike two weeks before Christmas.

AAP RTV gmw/rh/rca

KEYWORD: POSTAL (SYDNEY)

2003 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Row between ACT and NSW over Canberra fires

00-00-0000
Fed: Row between ACT and NSW over Canberra fires

A row has broken out between the ACT government and New South Wales rural fire authoritiesover sharing the blame for January's devastating bushfires in Canberra.

ACT chief minister JON STANHOPE -- under pressure over criticisms in a new report ofthe ACT's handling of the fires -- says a blaze from NSW played a part in the firestorm.

And he says NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner PHIL KOPERBERG should share some responsibilityfor the January 18 disaster in which four people were killed and more than 500 homes destroyed.

Mr STANHOPE says Mr KOPERBERG was responsible for the McIntyre's Hut fire, which hesays is regarded as having had the most direct impact on the Weston Creek area of Canberra.

Mr KOPERBERG says the ACT chief minister is under pressure and it's regrettable he'spointing the finger at NSW fire authorities.

He says there's nothing in the McLEOD report which indicates any particular fire dominatedin the damage inflicted on Canberra suburbs.

The inquiry by former commonwealth ombudsman RON McLEOD found the disaster may havebeen averted if an initial blaze sparked by lightning in the Namadgi National Park hadbeen contained.

AAP RTV mb/sp/jmt

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES ACT (CANBERRA)

Vic: Humidity helps firefighting effort

00-00-0000
Vic: Humidity helps firefighting effort

Firefighters in Victoria have welcomed an ally in high humidity which has helped themwork on the north-eastern bushfires.

Department of Sustainability and Environment spokesman ROSS PENNY says humidity ofmore than 50 per cent has kept vegetation damp after recent rain.

He says this means flames from the fire are smaller and …

NSW: Man dies in Manly after pub crawl

00-00-0000
NSW: Man dies in Manly after pub crawl

Police are interviewing witnesses and friends of a Canberra man who's died after apub crawl along Sydney's Manly beach.

Police say the man, in his mid 20s, is believed to have died from head injuries aftervisiting several hotels in Manly.

Manly Inspector CARL CLARK say officers called to the beachfront area near Raglan Streetat North Steyne just before 2am (AEDT) found the man face down on the footpath.

The man, in his mid-20s, later died in Manly hospital.

Inspector CLARK says the man's death is being treated as suspicious.

Witnesses are asked to call Manly police on 02 99779499.

AAP RTV as/jmt

KEYWORD: MANLY (SYDNEY)

Fed: Tent embassy resident vow to stay put

00-00-0000
Fed: Tent embassy resident vow to stay put

Residents of Canberra's controversial Aboriginal tent embassy are vowing to stay putdespite enduring a freezing night with their electricity cut off.

Tent embassy spokesman DARREN BLOOMFIELD rejects government suggestions that the embassyand its residents make way for something like an information office.

Power to the embassy was cut off yesterday, possibly permanently, after a fire damageda tent and some cables.

While the fire was extinguished without injury, the National Capital Authority anda local electricity company cut power to the site for safety reasons.

The historic tent embassy site was first set up on Australia Day 1972 to protest thethen coalition government's refusal to recognise land rights. It became a permanent fixturein 1992.

Federal Territories Minister WILSON TUCKEY says he's sympathetic to proposals to replacethe embassy with some sort of permanent, more aesthetically pleasing monument -- suchas an information bureau.

AAP RTV mb/sw/pc/rp

KEYWORD: TENT EMBASSY (CANBERRA)

Fed: Steelmakers hold talks with govt over dumping

00-00-0000
Fed: Steelmakers hold talks with govt over dumping

By Sandra O'Malley

CANBERRA, April 5 AAP - Local steelmakers held talks with the government today abouta program aimed at ensuring steel is not dumped in Australia following the United States'decision to impose tariffs on imports.

BHP Steel president Kirby Adams and Smorgon Steel Group chief executive Ray Horsburghmet Trade Minister Mark Vaile and Customs Minister Chris Ellison to discuss the monitoringprogram, which was flagged last month.

The import monitoring program is aimed at preventing the dumping of excess steel productioninto Australia following the US decision to increase tariffs on its steel imports byup to 30 per cent.

The European Union has already decided to slap tariffs on US steel imports in retaliation.

Australian steel has largely escaped the tariffs, but around 15 per cent of the $450million in steel products shipped to the US will be hit.

However industry heavyweights are concerned about the prospect of other nations offloadingsteel normally destined for the US into Australia.

Steel companies, industry participants, unions and government representatives willform a monitoring committee to be alert to the prospect of dumping.

Mr Horsburgh told AAP the committee would ensure that there was not an abnormal amountof imports coming in from countries hit by the tariffs.

"We need to ensure we won't be played for a sucker," he said.

"The government is determined that won't happen."

If the committee found dumping was occurring, overseas companies could be warned theywere under review.

Mr Horsburgh said there could be retrospective penalties if it was found that steelhad been dumped.

AAP so/da/dl

n

KEYWORD: US STEEL AUST

Qld: Search for missing pilot suspended

00-00-0000
Qld: Search for missing pilot suspended

Authorities have suspended the search for a 26-year-old pilot who crashed into theseas in the Torres Strait on Friday.

A spokesman for Australian Search and Rescue says that after examining wreckage foundyesterday, authorities assessed that no-one could have survived the crash.

ZACHARY SHORT, a pilot with Cape York Air, issued a mayday call around 1.40pm (AEST)on Friday before the crash about 10 …

Qld: World flags given to Australia for Goodwill Games

AAP General News (Australia)
08-25-2001
Qld: World flags given to Australia for Goodwill Games

BRISBANE, Aug 25 AAP - Flags from the 69 countries competing in the Goodwill Games
were handed to Queensland Premier Peter Beattie today to mark the first time the Games
have been held outside Russia or the United States.

Goodwill Games Inc president Mike Plant presented the flags to Mr Beattie at Southbank,
in Brisbane city.

"The presentation of the flags signifies the unification of all people from around
the world in this sporting competition," Mr Beattie said.

Mr Beattie also opened an Indigenous Pavilion in the Global Village set up at Southbank
after a traditional smoking ceremony by indigenous dancers.

"I passionately believe that indigenous art is an enormous opportunity not only for
the artists but community to develop self-esteem," he said.

Meanwhile, Goodwill Games 2001 chief executive officer Campbell Rose said he was pleased
with ticket sales even though about 140,000 remained unsold.

"Well over 200,000 tickets have been sold, which is in excess of 70 per cent," he said.

"In some sports there are more tickets remaining than in others."

Mr Rose said ticket sales for the games were already in the black and he was confident
the event would not lose money.

"We still need to maintain our expenditure profit, but I am confident we will do that," he said.

The Goodwill Games Opening Gala will be held on Tuesday evening with sporting competition
to start on Wednesday.

AAP nr/apm

KEYWORD: GOOD FLAGS

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NSW: Protest over Pakistani refugee s case

AAP General News (Australia)
04-09-2001
NSW: Protest over Pakistani refugee s case

SYDNEY, April 9 AAP - Members of Australia's Pakistani community demonstrated in Sydney
today over the federal government's refusal to grant entry to the family of a refugee.

About 60 protesters gathered outside Sydney Town Hall waving placards accusing the
government of having a "Hitler"-like stance on the case.

The protest follows an incident outside Parliament House in Canberra last Monday where
a Pakistani man torched himself in frustration at the immigration system.

Shahraz Kayani doused himself with petrol before setting himself alight after years
of trying to bring his wife and three daughters to Australia.

Mr Kayani remains in a critical condition at Sydney's Concord Hospital, where he is
being treated for burns to 50 per cent of his body.

The initial immigration requests for Mr Kayani's wife and daughters were refused because
one of the children had cerebral palsy and would be a $750,000-burden on the taxpayer.

But the family was invited to reapply with Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock indicating
on Friday that the application had been close to arriving on his desk for consideration
before the incident.

A delegation from today's protesters will march to Mr Ruddock's Sydney office to hand
over a letter demanding Mr Kayani's family application be approved.

Pakistan Association of Australia general secretary Saeed Khan said the association
would continue to fight on behalf of Mr Kayani, taking his case to Amnesty International
and the Human Rights Commission.

"A disability shouldn't play in the (immigration) formula," he said.

"If someone is allowed here then their children should be allowed whether they are
disadvantaged or not."

Mr Khan, who has visited Mr Kayani in hospital on several occasions, said he was in
a critical condition.

"He can't open his eyes, he can't speak, he can only shake his head or wave his hands.

It is a terrible tragedy," he said.

Pakistan Association president Bashir Malik said it would have cost $30 a day for the
care of Mr Kayani's disabled daughter, which his family had indicated they were prepared
to pay.

AAP ls/cc/rp/mg/br

KEYWORD: BURN NSW

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Schoolgirl cleared of assaulting classmate

AAP General News (Australia)
01-17-2001
Qld: Schoolgirl cleared of assaulting classmate

A 16-year-old schoolgirl on trial for punching a classmate during a fight over a note
has been acquitted of assault.

The girl, who cannot be identified, pleaded not guilty in the District Court in Brisbane
to assault causing bodily harm against a 16-year-old classmate on March 9 last year.

The girls had been in a computer room where crumpled pieces of paper were being thrown.

They began fighting over …

Fed: Cosgrove vows action against bastardisation

AAP General News (Australia)
08-28-2000
Fed: Cosgrove vows action against bastardisation

CANBERRA, Aug 28 AAP - Australia's army chief today defended the service's delay in
bringing allegations of brutal bastardisation of soldiers before parliament's defence
sub-committee.

Army chief Lieutenant-General Peter Cosgrove said justice needed to be swift and sure,
but sure had to come before swift.

"I can't actually give you chapter and verse as to why these things take so long in
the legal sense, but I look at the community, the wider legal system and it's pretty slow,"

he told journalists after facing the sub-committee.

"There still is conjecture as to whether the committee would be the natural place for
these things to be taken.

"But on the other hand, you should be assured that the military from the word go -
as soon as we established there was what appeared to be a systemic problem in a small
part of one unit - we were right on it and continue to be on it."

General Cosgrove said the most important concern was ensuring complaints were properly
investigated.

He faced the sub-committee this morning over allegations of violent backroom discipline
in the army's elite 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3RAR) for the first time
since the reports emerged a fortnight ago.

The defence committee was angry that General Cosgrove, Defence Minister John Moore
and the defence department did not disclose the information for two years.

General Cosgrove said he reassured the committee the ADF was committed to giving everyone
in the defence force a fair go, while actively investigating internal complaints.

"And where there's substance to these complaints we will certainly take vigorous action,"

he said.

General Cosgrove would not rule out a broad-based investigation, but said an effective
complaints mechanism was the top priority.

"Let's make sure that we have the right ethical arrangements and the right avenues
for people to bring forward their complaints," he said.

"And by our assertions and our actions, (we'll) show that we will not, under any circumstances,
condone the illegal treatment of our people. And if we do that, I think we'll be pretty
right."

General Cosgrove denied that bastardisation was firmly entrenched in army culture,
saying the majority of the force was as shocked by the allegations as the civilian community.

"I think what we had was an area in a narrow part of the defence force where allegations
are there was a bad climate of summary justice. So we'll fix that," he said.

AAP jb/mfh/hu

KEYWORD: REGIMENT (CARRIED EARLIER)

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Vic: Victorian Nationals meet this weekend to debate name change

AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2000
Vic: Victorian Nationals meet this weekend to debate name change

MELBOURNE, April 13 AAP - The Victorian National Party will vote this weekend on severing
ties with the Liberal Party and changing its own name as it prepares for a crucial by-election
campaign.

A motion by the Wonthaggi and Inverloch branches to change the name to the Country
Party of Victoria will be debated at the party's three-day Bendigo state conference.

Delegates will also vote on a Warrnambool motion to immediately withdraw from any formal
relationship with the Liberal Party and stand alone.

The conference is the first since the Nationals' disastrous showing in last September's
state election, which voted out the Kennett government and preceded the end of the formal
coalition.

But recriminations by grass roots members is expected to be tempered by former leader
Pat McNamara's retirement announcement yesterday, which puts the party on an unofficial
by-election campaign footing.

The Liberal Party's decision not to contest Benalla, which the Nationals have held
for 57 years, has also diminished the prospect of public dissention within conservative
ranks.

But divisions within the party may surface when another motion is put up to have the
conference support the federal party's policy backing the full sale of Telstra.

The Telstra sale has divided the party across Australia, with members torn between
federal coalition policy and the widespread fears of regional voters about the impact
of the sale on services.

The Queensland party's state council meeting last week defied National Party leader
and Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson by passing a motion that its federal MPs block
the sale.

Mr Anderson is due to address the Victorian conference on Saturday.

Delegates will also elect a replacement to party state president Brian O'Sullivan,
who stands down after five years but retains a position on the state council and management
committee.

Mr O'Sullivan said the major issue facing the conference was a Labor plan to overhaul
the state's upper house, which he claimed would reduce country representation.

AAP pjb/jlw/hu/br

KEYWORD: NATIONALS VIC

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: New Gold Coast theme park takes next step

AAP General News (Australia)
01-18-2000
Qld: New Gold Coast theme park takes next step

Queensland's Gold Coast is to get a new theme park to add to its existing stable of
tourist attractions of Dreamworld, Seaworld and Movieworld.

Work on the new $55 million park, to be created on 40 hectares at Pimpama, at the northern
end of the coast, is expected to start at Easter and the facility should be in operation
by next year.

It will be known as the …

NSW: NSW poultry expo cancelled

AAP General News (Australia)
08-26-1999
NSW: NSW poultry expo cancelled

The biennial NSW Poultry Expo scheduled for today has been cancelled amid supplier fears
chickens would become infected by the deadly Newcastle disease.

Chicken farmers have pulled out of the expo, to be held in the Hunter Valley, after news
broke of another outbreak of the disease last week at a farm in western Sydney.

More than 8,000 birds from the Schofields farm infected with the deadly disease have been
slaughtered this week.

The expo has been re-scheduled for next year.

AAP RTV smf/jo/am/rp

KEYWORD: NEWCASTLE (SYDNEY)

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

FED: Aust leading employment indicator falls in February

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-1999
FED: Aust leading employment indicator falls in February

The federal government says a leading Australian jobs indicator fell in February for the
ninth consecutive month.

The Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business leading indicator of
employment fell to a value of 0.04 in February, compared to a value of 0.12 the previous
month.

The department says the fall was largely due to a fall in Australian Bureau of Statistics
job vacancies in the three months to February.

The indicator is based on seasonally adjusted data from six components including ABS and
ANZ vacancies, vehicle registrations, dwelling approvals, the skilled vacancy survey and GDP.

It is designed to give advance warning of turning points in cyclical employment, with the
average lead time around eight months.

The indicator comes ahead of the release of jobs data for March on Thursday, with
economists expecting the unemployment rate to rise to 7.5 per cent, seasonally adjusted.

AAP RTV rmm/mfh/nd/jn

KEYWORD: JOBS (CANBERRA)

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Diary for Saturday December 19, 1998

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-1998
Diary for Saturday December 19, 1998
EVENTS ARE IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER AND IN LOCAL TIME UNLESS
STATED OTHERWISE:
ADELAIDE
No items listed
BRISBANE
1000 - Media preview of Warner Bros MovieWorld's new Wild Wild
West adventure ride, Pacific Highway, Oxenford. Contact: Julie
Sinclair (07) 5573 8315 or (0414) 38 48 32.

CANBERRA
No items listed
MELBOURNE
0945 - Media briefing with CFA communications manager Susan
MacKenzie in the Brownlow Suite in the Ross Drew Stand at
Kardinia Park.

1100 - Memorial service for five CFA volunteers killed at
Linton bushfire. Kardinia Park, Geelong (Melways 228a E9).
Contact: Susan MacKenzie 9262 8316, 0419 397 091, pager 9483
8888.

PERTH
No items listed
SYDNEY
No items listed
SPORT
GALLOPS:
Randwick, first race, 1.00 - Villiers Stakes
Moonee Valley, first race, 12.40
Eagle Farm, first race, 1.10
Victoria Park, first race, 1.00
Kembla Grange, first race, 12.45
Gold Coast, first race, 12.45
Ascot Toowoomba, twilight
Country meetings: Armidale, Canberra, Coffs Harbour, Parkes,
Port Macquarie, Tumut.

TROTS:
Moonee Valley, first race, 7.00
Albion Park, first race, 6.10
Globe Derby, first race, 6.51
Newcastle, first race, 6.45

GREYHOUNDS:
Wentworth Park, first race, 7.25
Penrith, first race, 6.30
Country meetings: Albury, Bathurst, Broken Hill,
Coonabarabran, Dubbo, Forbes, Goulburn, Grafton, Gunnedah,
Moree, Moss Vale, Orange, Tamworth, Taree, Tweed Heads, Wyong,
Young.

CRICKET
England v Australian XI at Hobart
SHEFFIELD SHIELD -New South Wales v Victoria at SCG
Queensland v Tasmania at the Gabba
Western Australia v South Australia at Perth

GRADE
Round 7
Campbelltown v Hawkesbury at Raby Oval
Manly v Balmain at Manly
Mosman v Fairfield at Allan Border Oval
North Sydney v Bankstown at North Sydney
Northern District v Gordon at Waitara
Parramatta v Eastern Suburbs at Old Kings Parramatta
Petersham v St George at Petersham
Sydney University v Sutherland at St Pauls
Uni of NSW v Penrith at Village Green Kensington
Western Suburbs v Randwick at Pratten Park
Women's National League: South Australia v Western Australia at Adelaide
Sydney League: Sutherland v Berala at Caringbah
Gordon v Bankstown at Chatswood

SOCCER
Ericsson Cup
Marconi v Carlton at Marconi Stadium 7.00
Gippsland Falcons v Adelaide City at Falcons Park 7.00

ATHLETICS
Intraclub at SIAC, Homebush

BASKETBALL
NBL Challenge
Melbourne v Canberra at Melbourne Park 7.30
Brisbane v Perth at Brisbane Convention Centre 7.30
West Sydney v Newcastle at Liverpool 8.00
WNBL
AIS v Canberra at AIS 7.00
Melbourne v Dandenong at Melbourne Park 5.00

BASEBALL
FAI Cup
Melbourne Monarchs v Gold Coast at Melbourne Ball Park 6.00
Sydney v Perth at Homebush Sports Centre 7.30
Adelaide v Melbourne Reds at Norwood Oval 4.30

GOLF
Coolum classic at Hyatt Coolum

AAP nac/mk

KEYWORD: DIARY SATURDAY DECEMBER 19, 1998

1998 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

QLD:Two police officers assaulted in Brisbane

AAP General News (Australia)
02-27-2011
QLD:Two police officers assaulted in Brisbane

BRISBANE, Feb 27 AAP - A woman allegedly punched and spat at a Brisbane police officer
after she was questioned for walking across railway tracks.

The 29-year-old allegedly pushed, punched and spat at the senior constable at Petrie,
in Brisbane's north, about 8.20pm (AEST) on Saturday, police said.

A 31-year-old man allegedly obstructed the officers as they were dealing with the woman.

The woman was charged with serious assault, assault, wilful damage and obstructing police.

The man was charged with being a public nuisance and …

Qld: Alleged drug kingpin gives evidence in court

AAP General News (Australia)
02-27-2008
Qld: Alleged drug kingpin gives evidence in court

By Christine Flatley

BRISBANE, Feb 27 AAP - The alleged kingpin of one of Queensland's biggest ecstasy syndicates
has given evidence in a Brisbane court.

Todd Sean Filippa, 44, has pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in Brisbane to one count
of trafficking in a dangerous drug.

However, the sentence is being contested because of arguments over the period of trafficking.

The prosecution alleges Filippa was the head of the syndicate and that he trafficked
in ecstasy for almost two years from January 2003.

However, Filippa …

CHINA: BLACKMARKET FOR HUMAN ORGANS AIDED BY INTERNET

Mitch Moxley
Inter Press Service English News Wire
05-09-2011
BEIJING, May 7, 2011 (IPS/GIN) - In China, where a growing demand for organ transplants coupled with a dramatic shortage of donors has fuelled a rampant black market trade, selling your organs for cash is a mouse click away.

An Internet search reveals a website offering kidneys for sale and the contact information of those able to procure them. A young woman, posing for IPS as a migrant worker from Hebei province, calls a man who has advertised on the website, identified as Mr. He.

"I need money," she says over the phone. "Do you want a womans kidney?"

Mr. He asks her age. Twenty-five, she replies.

"Of course we want your kidney."

Mr. He tells the woman to travel to Xuzhou city, Jiangsu province, where somebody will be waiting when her train pulls into the station. Shell be given a physical examination and, if shes found to be in good health, Mr. He will find a suitable transplant candidate. He says hell pay RMB 320,000 (50,000 dollars) a dubious offer, since most kidneys in China sell for around RMB 100,000 (15,000 dollars) and promises to transfer the money before surgery.

In China, around 1.5 million people require organ transplants, but just 10,000 receive them each year. The vast majority of organs in China still come from condemned prisoners, but new government regulations have reduced the number of organs for available for transplant. Meanwhile, few Chinese agree to donate their organs upon death, widening the gap between supply and demand.

Illegal organ traffickers have stepped in to fill that gap. Last month, Southern Weekend, a newspaper in Guangzhou, broke the story of Hu Jie, a migrant worker from Hunan province who decided to sell his kidney in Linfen, Shanxi province, in order to pay off debts.

Hu changed his mind before surgery but found that his mobile phone, identification and belongings had been taken. He was told by traffickers that he wouldnt be allowed to leave the city until the surgery was completed.

The story exposed the workings of an illegal trafficking network.

"The illegal organ trade is widespread in China," Zheng Xiaojun, a lawyer at Tian Run Hua Bang law firm, under the Sichuan Provincial Department of Justice, tells IPS. "Theres booming demand so theres a large underground market in organ trafficking in China, acting as an intermediary between organ seekers and organ donors."

For decades, China, which executes more prisoners annually than any other country, has relied on organs removed from the condemned, a practice that has drawn international criticism. But in 2007, the government mandated all death penalty sentences to be reviewed by the Supreme Court, curtailing executions.

In 2007, the country banned organ transplants from living donors, except from spouses, blood relatives and step or adopted family members. With fewer organs available for transplant, and a growing list of patients in need, the black market trade flourished even further.

Organ trafficking is made easier by a lack of proper regulations and hospital loopholes, according to an article by the Procuratorial Daily this April.

The Regulation on Human Organ Transplantation, which came into effect in May 2007, requires administrative punishment for employees of medical institutes, but punishment for selling or purchasing remains lax, the article said. Many organ donors pose as spouses and relatives of organ seekers by using fake IDs.

The Ministry of Health recently announced it would crack down on medical facilities found conducting organ transplants without proper qualifications, levying large fines and ordering the hospitals to conduct institutional overhauls or risk closure. Staff found breaking laws will be stripped of licences, and officials in charge will be removed and held legally responsible.

The government is also trying to alleviate the organ shortage. In 2008, a liver transplant registry was established in Shanghai. In 2009, the country launched a nationwide system to coordinate donation after death, beginning with a pilot project in ten provinces and cities that encouraged post-death donations as well as starting a fund to provide financial aid for those in need and to donors families.

Despite these efforts, China Daily reported in 2009 that 65 percent of all transplants still came from executed prisoners.

By the end of this year, Chinese will be given the option of registering as organ donors when they apply for drivers licences. The government is also considering offering financial incentives to encourage voluntary donation.

"The move is to streamline the donor registration system so as to expand the pool of organs available for transplant surgeries," Vice Health Minister Huang Jiefu was quoted in the state media as saying. "Other financial compensation could also be considered, such as tax rebates, medical insurance or tuition wavers for donors family members."

Critics have expressed doubt the drivers licence scheme will have the desired effects.

"Most Chinese would think it was a curse for them to fill out such a form while applying for a driving licence," Yang Junyi, a Shanghai Red Cross spokesman, told state media.

Copyright 2011 IPS/GIN. The contents of this story can not be duplicated in any fashion without written permission of Global Information Network

NSW:Man dead after car collides with truck

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2011
NSW:Man dead after car collides with truck

SYDNEY, Aug 29 AAP - A man has died and a woman is in a critical condition after a
head-on collision with a truck in western Sydney.

The man was travelling south along Burragorang Road in Glenmore, when his Camry sedan
collided with a Pantech truck travelling in the opposite direction about 10am (AEST) on
Monday, police said.

The man died at the scene while his female passenger was airlifted to Liverpool Hospital
in a critical condition.

The driver of the truck has been taken to Campbelltown Hospital suffering from shock
and will undergo mandatory testing.

A Crash Investigation Unit is examining the site.

Police said motorists should avoid the area if possible.

Burragorang Road is closed to traffic with motorists being diverted along Moore Way.

AAP lcf/tr/sn

KEYWORD: TOLL NSW

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

FED:War Memorial says funding being addressed

AAP General News (Australia)
02-16-2011
FED:War Memorial says funding being addressed

CANBERRA, Feb 16 AAP - The Australian War Memorial says it's confident the federal
government is addressing its funding difficulties.

Memorial director Steve Gower said Veterans Affairs Minister Warren Snowdon and Finance
Minister Penny Wong were reviewing the memorial's budget, hard hit through the public
service efficiency dividend.

"We await the outcome," he said in a statement.

"The memorial is confident that the government is addressing the issues that have been raised."

Mr Gower said that, in the meantime, the memorial had a balanced budget for 2010-11
and would work within the funding levels available.

"The memorial continues to be a significant national institution of which all Australians
can be very proud," he said.

The war memorial revealed last year how government cost-cutting measures, applied across
all national institutions, were impacting its operations.

In letters to the government last year, obtained by the Australian newspaper under
freedom of information legislation, War Memorial council chairman Peter Cosgrove repeatedly
sought more funds, warning of inexorable decline.

A proposed closure of the memorial for a day a week was averted but money for exhibitions
was cut and capital reserves drained to pay staff, he said.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard subsequently directed a review of memorial finances to
ensure it's prepared for the commemoration of the centenary of Anzac in four years time.

The war memorial is tipped to receive a big funding boost at the budget on May 10.

Mr Gower said war memorial council policy, endorsed by the Australian National Audit
Office (ANAO), was only to fund staff costs from capital funds when costs were associated
with enhancing or replacing an asset or extending its life.

He said all spending from capital funding was audited yearly by the ANAO which had
never criticised memorial accounting practice.

The NSW RSL has demanded the federal government make good war memorial funding.

State president Don Rowe has accused the government of insulting generations of Australians
who fought for their country by refusing to restore appropriate funding.

"This is a disgrace and an embarrassment," he said.

The prime minister and veterans affairs minister made a public show of attending funerals
for soldiers killed in Afghanistan and ceremonies when today's heroes are decorated for
bravery, he said.

"Yet they have refused to respond to appeals for funding to be restored so the war
memorial can continue to honour our war dead, maintain its magnificent Victoria Cross
display and educate generations of young Australians on our military history."

AAP mb/sb/dep

KEYWORD: MEMORIAL WRAP

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

FED:Lesson for Gillard in tangled web

AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2010
FED:Lesson for Gillard in tangled web

The federal opposition says the problems with the government's My School website reflect
a larger .. underlying problem.

The revamped My School website was due to be launched tomorrow .. but has now been
put off until next year because of problems with financial data.

Opposition education spokesman CHRISTOPHER PYNE says Prime Minister JULIA GILLARD was
desperate for a headline after having been accused of policy paralysis by her own party.

He says .. as a result .. she announced something that wasn't ready .. which is terribly
embarrassing for her.

The glitch came as another much-vaunted program .. to subsidise households for installing
rooftop solar panels .. was scaled down.

Other Gillard government policies are also under threat including the health agreement
and national education reforms.

AAP RTV pjo/sb/af

KEYWORD: FEDERAL (CANBERRA)

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

Vic: Actor Matthew Netwon enters rehab - report

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2010
Vic: Actor Matthew Netwon enters rehab - report

MELBOURNE, April 26 AAP - Underbelly star Matthew Newton, son of showbiz golden couple
Bert and Patti Newton, has entered a Melbourne rehabilitation hospital for an undisclosed
personal problem.

The Herald Sun newspaper says Newton, 33, has been admitted to the unnamed private
hospital in Melbourne's east which specialises in drug and alcohol issues.

He was admitted some time this month with the support of his parents and actress girlfriend
Rachael Taylor.

"We want what's best for Matthew and we are with him all the way," Bert Newton told
the newspaper.

Family friend and spokeswoman Jillian Bowen said: "Matthew is in hospital at the moment,
but we do ask people to understand that this is a private time and we won't be discussing
any details."

The news comes just before Bert makes a triumphant return as host of the annual TV
Week Logie Awards in Melbourne on Sunday night.

Matthew Newton won acclaim last year for his role as Terry `Mr Asia' Clark in the second
series of the Underbelly franchise, A Tale of Two Cities.

Most recently, he worked on feature film Face To Face with Sigrid Thornton and Vince Colosimo.

AAP jrd/rs

KEYWORD: NEWTON

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

NSW: Liberals select sitting senators as candidates

AAP General News (Australia)
12-13-2009
NSW: Liberals select sitting senators as candidates

The Liberal Party has selected its Senate candidates for New South Wales in the next election.

They are 49-year-old CONCETTA FIERRAVANTI-WELLS and BILL HEFFERNAN .. who's 66.

They are the party's number one and number two candidates respectively following yesterday's
ballot in Sydney.

There were six candidates.

Ms FIERRAVANTI-WELLS and Mr HEFFERNAN are already sitting senators representing New South Wales.

The Nationals have the third candidate on the Coalition's ticket.

AAP RTV mdg/mmr/wz

KEYWORD: LIBERALS SENATE (SYDNEY)

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

NSW:Alleged attack on defence base was imminent:NSW police=2

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2009
NSW:Alleged attack on defence base was imminent:NSW police=2

Asked what timeframe was meant by imminent, Mr Scipione said it did not matter "whether
it was minutes or whether it was months" because the threat no longer remained.

The commissioner said he believed the increase in the security level at Holsworthy
and all other military bases in southwestern Sydney in April was also linked to this threat.

It had been reported at the time that the rise in security levels was due to a threat
posed by outlaw motorcycle gangs.

Mr Scipione insisted NSW residents should feel safe.

"This threat never sleeps, so we never sleep," he said.

"We know that we need to stand ready to deal with it.

"The community should feel safe. This is not the first time where we have interdicted
and stopped an attack, and it won't be the last unfortunately."

Assistant Commissioner Peter Dein said the information he had received indicated that
Holsworthy Barracks was the only planned target for the attack in NSW.

He said it was hard to estimate just how many people could have been killed if an attack
had taken place.

"The number is hard to estimate ... but this could have been a very catastrophic result,"

Mr Dein said.

AAP nr/evt/mmr/cdh

KEYWORD: TERROR VIC SCIPIONE 2 SYDNEY

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

Fed: Police are confident arson arests will be made

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2009
Fed: Police are confident arson arests will be made

Victorian police are confident their arson investigations will lead to arrests.

The death toll now stands at 173 .. and is expected to rise.

Police believe the Gippsland fire was deliberately lit .. and firebugs could be responsible
for more.

Deputy police commissioner KIERAN WALSHE has refused to confirm reports police have
been given a video tape to help their investigation .. but has told ABC Television they're
confident they're making progress.

Task Force Phoenix has been established to lead the investigation .. with 100 police
looking into all fire-related deaths.

The task force will be headed by Crime Department Assistant Commissioner DANNYE (Dannye)
MOLONEY .. who was involved in similar investigations during the 1983 Ash Wednesday bush
fires.

AAP RTV sld/rl/af

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC WALSHE (CANBERRA)

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

HOC: Dutch women shatter China's golden dream

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2008
HOC: Dutch women shatter China's golden dream

By Kuldip Lal

BEIJING, Aug 22 AFP - The Netherlands won back the Olympic women's hockey gold medal
after 24 years with a 2-0 win over hosts China in an absorbing final tonight.

Naomi van As and Maartje Goderie scored in the space of 13 minutes in the second half
to end China's dream of becoming the first Asian women's side to win the Olympic title.

The Dutch world number one team, who were forced to settle for silver by Germany in
Athens four years ago, won their first gold since the Los Angeles Games in 1984.

They are the most medalled women's team in Olympic hockey history with two golds, a
silver and three bronze medals.

China, the reigning Asian Games champions, improved upon their fourth place finish
at Athens to win their first Olympic medal and continue a remarkable rise since their
international debut in 1990.

Argentina, meanwhile, retained the bronze medal with a 3-1 win over defending champions
Germany in the play-off between the losing semi-finalists.

A sell-out crowd of 12,000 at the Olympic Green Hockey stadium that included a fair
share of boisterous Dutch supporters, saw the Netherlands take charge in the second half.

Van As deflected in a rebound off a penalty corner in the 50th minute to give the Dutch
their 100th Olympic goal since the women's competition started at Moscow in 1980.

Goderie then assured her team the gold with a stunning reverse hit from the top of
the circle in the 63rd minute which crashed into the net.

The Dutch ended the 12-nation competition by winning all their seven matches, even
though the competition's leading scorer Maartje Paumen failed to add to her tally of 11
goals.

Both teams emerged unscathed after the first half in which Chinese goalkeeper Zhang
Yimeng saved three penalty corner hits by Paumen.

The hosts launched lightening counter-attacks, but Tang Chunling twice shot into the
Dutch goalkeeper, while Fu Baorong's reverse hit went wide off the posts.

Meanwhile, Argentina kept the bronze they won at Athens with a convincing win over Germany.

The South Americans, cheered on by football superstar Diego Maradona in the stands,
took a 2-0 lead by the 22nd minute and added a third goal after the break.

Rosario Luchetti scored the opener in the 11th minute and Carla Rebecchi increased
the tally, before Anke Kuehn pulled one back for Germany 12 minutes into the second half.

The German girls attacked for the equaliser, but it was Argentina who got their third
goal seven minutes before the final whistle when Noel Barrionuevo slammed in a penalty
corner.

Germany, who won their maiden Olympic title in Athens, were relegated to fourth place
after being stunned by China in the semi-finals.

Argentina, who were strong contenders for the title after winning the Champions Trophy
ahead of the Olympics, had lost 2-5 to the Dutch in the semi-finals.

AFP nh

KEYWORD: OLY08 HOCW NIGHTLEAD

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