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

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

0500 2GB Headlines

AAP General News (Australia)
04-17-2008
0500 2GB Headlines

- Family groups applaud Rudd child care plan



- Calls for overhaul of Newcastle Family Court security



- FuelWatch scheme under attack



- Pope has 81st birthday at White House



- UK PM attacks Zimbabwe over election result release



- New South Wales schools pressured to be gay-friendly



- Ramos Horta returning to ETimor



- Sports



AAP RTV wz

KEYWORD: 0500 2GB SYDNEY

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

Qld: Bali drug runner jailed for seven years

AAP General News (Australia)
12-12-2007
Qld: Bali drug runner jailed for seven years

By Christine Flatley

BRISBANE, Dec 12 AAP - A young man who accompanied members of the Bali Nine on an aborted
drug run to Asia has been jailed for seven years.

Khanh Thanh Ly, 27, pleaded guilty today in the Brisbane Supreme Court to conspiring
to import heroin into Australia just months before nine Australians were arrested in Bali
in April 2005.

Six of the Bali Nine now face death by firing squad for their role in the foiled plan
to smuggle 8.3kg of heroin from Indonesia to Australia.

The court was today told Ly travelled to Bali on two separate occasions between August
and December 2004.

On the first trip, Bali Nine ringleader and former schoolmate Myuran Sukumaran taught
Ly how to organise couriers who would bring heroin back into the country by strapping
it to their bodies.

On the second trip to Asia, Ly took a more senior role organising money and mobile
phones for couriers, giving them directions and reporting back daily to Sukumaran.

He also used flour to make up dummy bags of drugs so he could practice strapping them
to the couriers' bodies.

The planned importation on that trip, however, was aborted when the price of heroin
was increased following police interception of a drug haul in Bali.

The court was told on another occasion Ly also taxied couriers, who had just returned
to Australia with another Bali Nine ringleader Andrew Chan, from the airport to hotels
where they would unstrap packages of drugs from their bodies.

Ly then assisted with the unpacking of the drugs, for which he was paid $5,000.

The court was told Ly's involvement with the drug ring increased in the lead-up to
his second trip to Bali, but that he eventually decided it was not a lifestyle he wished
to pursue.

When Ly returned to Australia after the second trip in December 2004 he told Sukumaran
he did not want to be involved in any more drug runs.

The court was told he also advised couriers they should quit the business.

Just four months later the Bali Nine were arrested while trying to import heroin into Australia.

The court was today told Ly was "extremely remorseful" and that he had caused his family
- who were in court to support him - great shame.

Justice Debbie Mullins sentenced Ly to seven years jail with a non-parole period of four years.

Several other people alleged to have been involved with the drug ring will face court next year.

AAP cf/lc/cjh/sp

KEYWORD: LY NIGHTLEAD

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

News Diary events for Monday, April 30 2007

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2007
News Diary events for Monday, April 30 2007
Good Evening News Editors and Chiefs of Staff

Here is AAP's preliminary newslist for tomorrow (not for publication).

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

ADELAIDE
- No items listed.

BRISBANE
0930 - Parliamentary secretary to the minister for health and ageing Senator Brett Mason
announces a $190 million package to support Australians with severe mental health problems.

Annual congress of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, meeting
room 1, first floor, Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. Corner Gold Coast Highway
and TE Peters Drive, Broadbeach.

CANBERRA
- No items listed

MELBOURNE
1130 - Cabrini Health donating a $45,00 dose of the anti-inflammatory drug Infliximab
to a 15-year-old boy who suffers from Crohn's disease - without it he would face a major
operation to remove half his colon, Cabrini Hospital, Malvern.

1400 - Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport Mark Vaile will make a major announcement
on investment in the Australian Rail Track Corporation Ltd's national rail network, West
Melbourne.

PERTH
- Three men are set to be tried over the kidnapping, enslaving and torture of a Perth man

SYDNEY
0800 - Scheduled arrival at Bankstown Airport of blind pilot Miles Hilton Barber.

1000 - Inquest into death of Janet Campbell, the wife of an ex-drug detective, who fell
off a cliff during a camping trip.

- Australian Fashion Week

FINANCE
ECONOMIC NEWS:
SYDNEY - Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to release financial aggregates data for March (1130 AEST)
SYDNEY - TD Securities-Melbourne Institute Inflation Gauge for April due to be released (1030 AEST)
CANBERRA - Housing Industry Association releases HIA Trades Report for March quarter 2007

EQUITIES NEWS:
SYDNEY - Telstra chief operations officer Greg Winn due to speak at Trans-Tasman Business
Circle luncheon on "What it takes to become a world class company" (1200-1400 AEST)
SYDNEY - Roc Oil Ltd first quarter report due
SYDNEY - Orica Ltd first half results due (teleconference 0915-1000 AEST)
SYDNEY - Japanese property trust investor Challenger Kenedix Japan Trust lists on the
Australian stock exchange (1100 AEST)
MELBOURNE - Origin Energy Ltd third quarter production report due
PERTH - Newcrest Mining Ltd third quarter production report due (analysts teleconference 1100 AEST)
PERTH - Oil and gas explorer Black Fire Energy Ltd lists on the Australian stock exchange
(1200 AEST)

ADELAIDE - Paydirt 2007 South Australian (SA) Resources & Investment Conference (Day One)

SPORT:
CRICKET
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Follow-up to Australia's crushing victory in the World Cup final

AFL
MELBOURNE/PERTH - Former West Coast captain Ben Cousins expected back in Australia today
after attending Californian drug rehab clinic
MELBOURNE - AFL match review panel
MELBOURNE - Update on injuries from the weekend's matches
BRISBANE - Media conference with Brisbane coach Leigh Matthews. 1100

RUGBY LEAGUE
NEWCASTLE - NRL: Newcastle v Cronulla at EnergyAustralia Stadium. 1900
SYDNEY - Media conferences with NSW City and Country Origin teams. 0900
SYDNEY - Judiciary review of the weekend's matches

AAP RTV jlw/psm/

KEYWORD: DIARY NEWS MONDAY

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

Fed: Predicted rain tipped not to stop revellers welcoming 2007

AAP General News (Australia)
12-30-2006
Fed: Predicted rain tipped not to stop revellers welcoming 2007

One million people are tipped to crowd Sydney Harbour's foreshore for the world's biggest
ever fireworks display this New Year's Eve .. despite predictions of showers and possible
thunderstorms.

Revellers in Melbourne .. Canberra and Darwin may also have to brave wet weather as
they welcome 2007 .. with the Bureau of Meteorology predicting storms in all three cities.

But partygoers bringing the new year in Brisbane .. Hobart .. Adelaide and Perth can
expect sunny skies.







Huge crowds are expected to line Sydney Harbour's foreshore for the four million dollar
celebrations .. dubbed a Diamond Night in the Emerald City.

In Melbourne .. Bollywood dance lessons and live bands will be part of official celebrations
.. with 450 thousand expected in the city.

Brisbane's South Bank Parklands will be party central on New Year's Eve .. with up
to 100 thousand revellers expected.

And a similar entertainment line-up with fireworks on the hour from 9pm (AEST) until
midnight from the beach at Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast.

In Adelaide .. the traditional Lord Mayor's New Year's Eve party will be staged outside
the Town Hall with other large gatherings tipped for the seaside suburbs and Victor Harbor.

Thousands of people are expected to converge on Darwin's wharf precinct .. where live
entertainment and fireworks displays will be held.

In Perth .. the main celebrations will be at Northbridge with a free two-stage 100
thousand dollar concert expected to attract around 11 thousand people.

And two free outdoor events are being held in Canberra to be complemented by two fireworks
displays through the night.

AAP RTV lma/jm/els/

KEYWORD: EVE NATIONAL (SYDNEY)

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

SA: Main stories in today's Adelaide Advertiser

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2006
SA: Main stories in today's Adelaide Advertiser

ADELAIDE, Aug 22 AAP - The main stories in today's Adelaide Advertiser:

Page 1: Adelaide woman plunges to her death after falling from the balcony of her Gold
Coast apartment.

Page 3: Profit downgrade puts Telstra sale in doubt.

World: JonBenet Ramsey murder suspect in custody in the US after flight from Bangkok
(Los Angeles). Saddam Hussein open his second genocide trial with a show of defiance (Baghdad).

Final legal challenge delays firing squad death of Bali bombers (Denpasar).

Finance: Woolworths posts $1 billion profit. Coles Myer board thought to be resisting
a US takeover. Skycity Entertainment to spend more on Adelaide casino.

Sport: Adelaide Crows boss Steven Trigg questions the commitment of some of the club's
players. Tiger Woods wins the US PGA championship to clinch his 12th major title (Chicago).

Australian cricket umpire Darrell Hair accused of being a mini-Hitler after awarding Test
cricket win to England over Pakistan.

AAP tjd/goc/jlw/

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS SA

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

Vic: Tent protesters brave rain after run-in with jogger

AAP General News (Australia)
04-14-2006
Vic: Tent protesters brave rain after run-in with jogger

Aboriginal protesters in a Melbourne park will brave the rain for a second night after
losing their tents through a Supreme Court order.

About five men will spend the night guarding their ceremonial fire in Kings Domain.

Police were called to the camp this morning after a woman complained about the group.

Police say the female jogger wanted to have a look at the fire .. and there was a brief
confrontation with one of the people present.

Acting Senior Sergeant SHARON ROONEY says there was a misunderstanding after the woman
approached the sacred fire site .. and she was asked to leave by a man holding a stick.

Police say no action will be taken.

AAP RTV kl/wz

KEYWORD: TENT (MELBOURNE)

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

Qld: Elderly evacuated, shops destroyed in arson attacks

AAP General News (Australia)
12-16-2005
Qld: Elderly evacuated, shops destroyed in arson attacks

By Chris Herde

BRISBANE, Dec 16 AAP - Arsonists are being blamed for two fires which destroyed five
Sunshine Coast businesses, causing millions of dollars in damage.

No one was hurt in the blazes which began about an hour apart early today, but some
staff from the various business could find themselves without a job the week before Christmas.

The first blaze began about 1.30am (AEST) inside a retail complex housing Spotlight,
Chandlers and Rosemore Furniture Cottage outlets on Nicklin Way, Kawana.

The buildings could not be saved.

Firefighters were alerted to the second fire about an hour later, just 2km further
along Nicklin Way in Warana, which destroyed two shops - the Fruit Shed and Mick's Meat.

Specialist units and an aerial firefighting appliance were sent from Brisbane to battle
the blazes which continued well past daybreak.

About 100 residents from the nearby The Grove retirement village at Kawana were evacuated
because of toxic smoke.

Queensland Fire and Rescue Service Commissioner Lee Johnson said there were 13 units
and 60 firefighters in attendance at the height of the fires.

"These appear to be deliberately set fires," he said.

"They have caused, particularly in the major fire (in Kawana), multiple millions of
dollars worth of damage to the commercial businesses and premises that operate from them."

There were no injuries in either blaze.

But with the businesses destroyed, employees could find themselves without a job this Christmas.

Spotlight store manager Maureen Davis said work had already begun on rebuilding the shop.

"You can replace stock and walls, but I am so relieved to know that no staff member
or customer was present at the time or injured," she said.

Ms Davis said every effort would be made to ensure staff do not lose their jobs.

"Spotlight is also currently looking into all options to accommodate its current staff
members, including a staff meeting with their store and regional manager, working with
other local businesses in an effort to accommodate all of their staff," she said.

AAP ch/sc/rj/bwl

KEYWORD: FIRES NIGHTLEAD

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Qld: Survey to gauge seniors' fear of crime

AAP General News (Australia)
08-13-2005
Qld: Survey to gauge seniors' fear of crime

BRISBANE, Aug 13 AAP - A survey to assess how fearful senior citizens are of crime
will take place in Queensland.

Queensland Premier Peter Beattie announced the $65,000 "Safe and Secure" survey today
at the Ballycara Retirement Village in the northern Brisbane suburb of Scarborough.

The survey will "assess the actual level of fear of crime that exists in the elderly community."

"We need to survey our seniors to ensure that we understand how you feel about crime
because perception can be a reality," Mr Beattie told the Ballycara residents.

Mr Beattie said the last survey of this kind was conducted in 1991.

He denied that this was a political stunt one week short of the Redcliffe and Chatsworth
by-elections and said the survey would have taken place regardless.

"This survey will help develop further strategies that will help seniors live a full
life without fear."

The survey results are due at the end of the year.

AAP rl/jp/de

KEYWORD: FEAR

2005 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

ARP

ARP Abbreviation for adjustable-rate preferred stock.

Barefoot Healing.(Clint Ober and the Earthing Institute)

Byline: Matt Sutherland

The old people came literally to love the soil, and they sat or reclined on the ground with a feeling of being close to a mothering power. It was good for the skin to touch the earth, and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth. Their tipis were built upon the earth and their altars were made of earth. The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing, and healing. That is why the old Indian still sits upon the earth instead of propping himself up and away from its life-giving forces. For him, to sit or lie upon the ground is to be able to think more deeply and to feel more keenly; he can see more clearly into the mysteries of life and come closer in kinship to other lives about him. -- Lakota Chief Luther Standing Bear

In the late 1990s, a former cable guy named Clint Ober was sitting on a park bench in Sedona, Arizona, when he had a revelation. Early in life Ober had to quit school to help on the family farm in Montana, and then he got a job at the beginnings of the cable industry. He had installed poles and wires and home boxes on his way to becoming a successful cable executive. He knew, among other things, that one secret of a static-free cable TV picture is to make sure that all the electrical equipment in the cable system is protected from electromagnetic interference, and the simple solution is to connect the home cable system by a wire to an iron pole stuck into a single, six-sextillion-ton battery that is constantly charged by solar radiation, lightning, and heat from her molten core. That giant battery, of course, is Mother Earth. The connection is known as grounding. Cable systems have to be grounded with the same electrical potential as the surface of the earth, or customers call up and complain about fuzzy pictures.

Ober happened to be sitting on the bench that day in Sedona because he had recently almost died of a liver disease. Once healed, he decided to start a new life: He sold his cable company and his mountaintop house in Colorado, gave his possessions to his kids, and took to the road. He had time and resources and was wondering what to do next as he watched the tourists amble by in their expensive footwear. As he writes, "It occurred to me rather innocently that all these people -- me included -- were insulated from the ground, the electrical surface charge of the earth beneath our feet."

Intrigued, Ober went home and created a simple grounding mechanism by attaching a wire to a grounded metal rod out his living room window. With a voltmeter and the wire in hand, he walked around his house measuring the voltage on his body. He writes, "When I walked toward a lamp, the voltage would go up. When I stepped back, the voltage went down. I tested this with all the electrical appliances in the living room and kitchen. The only appliances that did not create EMF (electromagnetic fields) voltage on my body were the refrigerator and my computer tower. They were grounded. From my background in the communications industry, this immediately made sense to me, as we had to ground all of our electronic equipment to prevent electrical interference from EMFs. ... Next I went to the bedroom, lay down on my bed, and registered the highest level of EMF voltage on my body. The bedroom was the most "electrically active' area of the apartment. The bed was up against a wall full of hidden electrical wires."

The next day, Ober built himself a crude sleeping pad out of metalized duct tape, which he then grounded out his bedroom window. He speculated that his chronic sleeping problems might be caused by the electric fields in the room. When he lay down on the pad, the voltmeter showed that his bed was now the equivalent to the ground outside. "I was lying there fooling around with the voltmeter, and the next thing I knew it was morning. I had fallen asleep with the voltmeter on my chest. I hadn't needed a pill to fall asleep. I had slept soundly for the first time in years, and I had hardly moved at all during the night."

After a few days of sleeping restfully on the pad, Ober also noticed that his severe back pain had vastly improved. In fact, he was feeling better than he had in years. "I came to the conclusion that I may have made a great discovery." Over the following weeks and months Ober created more makeshift grids for the beds of half a dozen or so people, who reported that they too experienced benefits. Meanwhile, he scoured the Internet and visited Arizona's top medical libraries, searching for anything he could find on grounding and health, but all he found were a few Native American stories. Electronic specialists confirmed that there was no risk from the grounding pads -- or from standing barefoot on the earth, for that matter -- but no one had seriously investigated whether or not our bodies depend on grounding energy to maintain health. When Ober brought the question to prominent sleep researchers in California, they laughed him out the door.

ARE CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS ALL IN YOUR HEAD?

Nobody doubts that our bodies are governed by biological clocks. Since the beginning of the space program and fueled by the demands of jet travel and 24-hour shift work, many millions of dollars have been spent on the field of chronobiology, mapping daily, monthly, and annual cycles in humans and animals and all the way down to single-celled organisms. The working of these clocks are enormously complex, orchestrating a wide variety of systems, including the stress hormone cortisol and the sleep inducer melatonin, but the ultimate goal of the clocks is straightforward: to keep the complex workings of living creatures in sync with our ultimate source of energy, the sun. And so the field of chronobiology has focused primarily on prevailing light conditions for keeping our systems entrained. For example, astronauts are given artificial light and dark periods to keep them healthy, and we fight the sadness of winter with bright, artificial sunlight (sunlamps). And we now worry the artificial light entering our bedrooms at night raises our risk of breast cancer.

Ober's revelation raised another set of questions. What if light isn't the only form of energy that affects our circadian rhythms and our health? What if the energy of the earth is part of our natural circadian system? As it turns out, these questions are not new. Chinese medicine refers to a spot near the ball of the foot that comes in contact with the earth when we walk barefoot. It is the primary entry point for soaking up the earth Qi, or energy. The spot also serves as an important acupuncture point -- connecting with the urinary bladder meridian and most of the body's major organs.

Before Ober came along, it had also been established that the earth is, in a sense, a giant battery with a charge that fluctuates according to circadian rhythms created by the sun and the moon, as well as by some 5,000 lightning strikes a minute, the continuing motion of wind and water, the dynamizing effect of spinning at 28,000 miles per hour, and the biodynamic forces of plants and fungal life. Much of this energy is stored in soil, itself composed mostly of energy-absorbent quartz crystals. And of course our feet are packed with as many as 1,300 nerve endings per square inch. While we tend to think of these nerve endings as simply a means to protect our feet on rough ground, could they also help to keep us electrically in tune with the natural rhythms of the earth?

EARTHING RESEARCH BEGINS

Ignored by mainstream researchers, Ober went on to conduct the first study of what he now called "Earthing," with the help of some sympathetic students at one university sleep clinic. He first contracted to have some conductive fiber material bonded with wool-lined sleeping pads attached to grounding wire. Then he rounded up 60 volunteers by dropping flyers at ten beauty salons. The 38 women and 22 men all complained of sleep problems and various forms of joint and muscle pain. He split the volunteers into two groups: 30 slept on pads that were properly grounded, and the other 30 on pads with a hidden disconnect. Only Ober knew who was actually grounded for the month-long study.

The results were astonishing: 85 percent of the grounded sleepers fell asleep sooner; 93 percent slept better; 100 percent were more rested upon waking; 82 percent "experienced significant reduction in muscle stiffness; 74 percent "experienced elimination or reduction of chronic back and joint pain;" and 78 percent reported "improved general health." Furthermore, many participants reported "unexpected but significant relief from asthmatic and respiratory conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension (high blood pressure), sleep apnea, and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). There were also reports of fewer hot flashes."

With the help of an assisting nurse, Ober had the informal study published in ESD, an online journal covering electrostatics. That exposure generated a call from a retired anesthesiologist interested in whether grounding "affected the circadian secretion of cortisol." Ober was excited because this study would move beyond simply gathering feedback from participants. Instead, it would measure a specific physiological change in the body. Published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, the study showed that grounding "during sleep resynchronizes cortisol secretions more in alignment with its natural, normal rhythm -- highest at 8:00 a.m. and lowest at midnight."

In 2006, a study published in European Biology and Bioelectromagnetics by electrical engineer Roger Applewhite found that electrons travel from the earth to the body and back again when the body is grounded. Effectively, the body is grounded at the same negative-charged electrical potential as the earth. The same study also showed that grounding strongly reduced electromagnetic fields on the body. In other words, Applewhite suggests that connecting with the earth provides a source of healthy electrons and also acts as a shield from dangerous environmental electric fields.

EARTHING GOES PUBLIC

Last spring Ober, Stephen Sinatra, MD, and Martin Zucker published a fascinating account of Ober's adventures and research on Earthing in the book, Earthing: The most important health discovery ever? The three are part of a group called the Earthing Institute that is doing more research and selling Earthing-related products. So far the Institute has only small studies published in obscure journals (though one of their research papers was recently referenced in a Harvard Health Letter). Nevertheless, the "most important health discovery ever" should warrant a piece in a journal like The Lancet or the New England Journal of Medicine, either confirming or refuting the results. But so far that hasn't happened. In fact, perhaps the most remarkable thing about Earthing is the silence. If you Google "Earthing Hoax" you'll reach a forum from the Museum of Hoaxes that chortles about the health claims -- insinuating that they cannot be real -- but offering nothing but incredulity. Maybe the problem with Earthing is its simplicity.

But the stakes may be high. Over the last ten years as Ober has been doing his work, a variety of mainstream medical scientists have reached the conclusion that many diseases -- from heart disease to diabetes to arthritis -- are ultimately signs of chronic inflammation, in which the body's natural defenses have been turned against itself. The problem seems to be an overabundance of positively-charged "free radicals."

Ironically, free radicals are a beneficial tool used by white blood cells to fend off invasive microorganisms and repair damaged tissue. Chronic inflammation develops when the inflammatory response does not shut down properly, and these normally helpful free radicals continue seeking out electrons in healthy cells. Confused, our body sends in more white blood cells, more free radicals are released, and more healthy tissue is damaged. A variety of expensive supplements and dietary regimens are designed to provide electrons to neutralize the free radicals.

Practitioners of Earthing believe those electrons are freely available right outside your door. They believe that "normal inflammation veers out of control because of lost contact with the earth ... The land and seas of planet Earth are alive with an endless supply of electrons. By making direct contact with the surface of the planet -- the skin of our bodies touching the skin of the earth -- our conductive bodies naturally equalize with the earth. Figuratively speaking, we refill the electron level in our tank that has become low ... Just like standard electronic equipment that needs a stable ground to function well, so, too, the body needs stable grounding to also function well."

One irony of all this is the billions of people worldwide who dream of the day when they will have good shoes to protect their feet and when they won't have to sleep on the ground. For them, the energy of the earth can be all too close. Another irony is that folks like us are so well insulated that we need a series of scientific reports to go outside, kick off our shoes, and let our tens of thousand of nerves plug back in to Mother Earth. Maybe for us, Earthing is like the practice of gratitude: always accessible, always healing, and so easy to forget.

-- Matt Sutherland is managing editor of Spirituality & Health.

EXPERIMENT WITH GROUNDING

Whether you choose to walk, run, sit, or lie on the bare ground or grass, your conductivity with the earth will increase if the ground is damp, which may explain the joys of damp grass, moist earth, wading, and dipping your feet in the pool. Concrete, as long as it's not painted or sealed, is grounding because its ingredients are simply water and minerals, so if you are sitting in a chair with your feet resting on your basement floor, you're grounded.

JET LAG RELIEF

Earthing research suggests that our internal clocks receive local timing cues from the ground as well as the sun. Numerous Earthing practitioners have reported that grounding for 30 minutes after a transcontinental flight can ease and even eliminate the effects of jet lag. Try it.

HUG TREES

Trees are especially potent players in the earth energy equation, with a vibrant presence in three realms -- below ground, on the earth's surface, and reaching into the air above. In the words of Catriona MacGregor, author of Partnering with Nature, trees act as "dynamic columns of light, facilitating the movement of beneficial energy and life force from the sky, which is positively charged (yang), to the earth, which is negatively charged (yin), and back." With this in mind, you can't do better from an Earthing standpoint than to sit beneath an old oak.

JOG BAREFOOT

For most of history, humans ran barefoot, and reputable studies now show that running barefoot is safe and healthy -- in some ways, better than running in shoes. Barefoot runners maintain an upright posture, landing on the balls of their feet and absorbing their weight in the calves and thighs, thus avoiding the problematic heel strike, which greatly reduces the blunt forces on heels, ankles, knees, and the lower back. Try it, but take it slow on soft grass. Your feet need time to get tough again.

EARTHING INSTITUTE

If you are unable to get outdoors, numerous Earthing systems -- Earthing bands, patches, mats, sleep systems, and more -- are available for use indoors. Many of them were designed by Clinton Ober, the founder of the modern grounding movement. Check out shop.earthing.net.

Indiana Health Information Exchange Connects to Indiana State Department of Health Immunization Registry.

Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE) has announced that it will connect to the Indiana State Department of Health's Children and Hoosiers Immunization Registry Program (CHIRP). CHIRP is a secure, internet-based immunization registry operated by the Immunization Program of the State Health Department (see also Immunization).

This connection will provide secure, seamless integration between IHIE and CHIRP, eliminating a step for physicians and providing greater efficiencies for the State Health Department. It will help physicians ensure immunizations for their patients are up-to-date, in a non-intrusive and convenient manner.

"The State of Indiana is pleased to support Hoosiers and our healthcare community so that patients receive the best care possible, while at the same time taking advantage of efficiencies that only information technology can provide," said Chris Mickens, Chief Technology and Compliance Officer for the Indiana State Department of Health. "We are fortunate to have a robust healthcare technology infrastructure throughout the state, and this is just one example of how Indiana is leading the way to transform healthcare."

The IHIE/CHIRP connection supports physician and hospital efforts to reach goals established by federal government policies regarding the use of health information technology (health IT). The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH Act) of 2009 introduced incentives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for eligible healthcare providers (EPs)and eligible hospitals (EHs) to adopt and attain 'meaningful use' of health IT systems, in particular electronic health records (EHRs).

As part of Stage I of the HITECH Act's 'meaningful use' provisions, in order to qualify for these incentives, EPs and EHs must fulfill certain objectives. One of these objectives is to electronically submit data to immunization registries. Since IHIE has the capability to receive clinical results directly from EHRs, this integration aligns with the needs of EPs and EHs to fulfill these, and potentially other 'meaningful use' objectives, while at the same time supporting the highest level of patient care possible.

In addition, the CHIRP/IHIE link will benefit the over 1,700 physicians who are part of IHIE's quality, preventive care and chronic disease care effort, called the Quality Health First[R] Program. The program helps physicians care for their patients by providing information so they can proactively manage the care they provide patients, ensuring they are receiving recommended tests and screenings. Given the new IHIE/CHIRP link, immunizations could play a bigger role in this effort in the future.

IHIE and its partner, the Regenstrief Institute (Regenstrief) are working together on the CHIRP connection. Regenstrief has a long history of working with the State Health Department through the state's Public Health Emergency Surveillance System, which monitors emergency department visit complaints in real-time so that disease outbreaks and other public health concerns are identified and resolved as soon as possible. Over 100 emergency departments throughout the state currently participate in this effort.

About the Indiana Health Information Exchange Indiana Health Information Exchange, Inc. (IHIE) is a non-profit corporation formed in 2004 by the Regenstrief Institute, private hospitals, local and state health departments, BioCrossroads and other prominent organizations in Indiana. IHIE is the nation's largest health information exchange organization, delivering clinical information to providers securely and efficiently, along with providing information to assist providers as they care for patients needing preventive care and management of chronic diseases. An IHIE-led collaboration (Central Indiana Beacon Community) is one of 17 national cooperatives to help advance healthcare quality and efficiency. This collaboration will help communities in Indiana identify opportunities to measurably improve patient care. To learn more, visit www.ihie.org.

Keywords: Politics, Legal Issues, Public Health Practice, Environment and Public Health.

This article was prepared by Managed Care Weekly Digest editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Managed Care Weekly Digest via NewsRx.com.

Reportlinker Adds Impact of Counterfeits on Pharmaceutical Industry - Counterfeiting Poses Threats to Patient Safety and Revenues of Pharmaceutical Companies.

NEW YORK, June 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

Impact of Counterfeits on Pharmaceutical Industry - Counterfeiting Poses Threats to Patient Safety and Revenues of Pharmaceutical Companies

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Impact of Counterfeits on Pharmaceutical Industry - Counterfeiting Poses Threats to Patient Safety and Revenues of Pharmaceutical Companies

Summary

GBI Research's report, "Impact of Counterfeits on Pharmaceutical Industry - Counterfeiting Poses Threats to Patient Safety and Revenues of Pharmaceutical Companies", provides in-depth analysis of trends, issues and challenges in this industry. The report analyzes the effects of counterfeits on the pharmaceutical industry in the US, Europe and the Rest of the World. Further, the report provides an analysis on the technologies and solutions that are used to eliminate or prevent counterfeiting of drugs. This report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research and in-house analysis by GBI Research's team of industry experts.

Scope

The scope of this report includes -

- Challenges facing the pharmaceutical industry

- Sources of counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical industry

- Analysis of the impact of counterfeiting in the pharmaceutical industry

- Key technologies and solutions that are developed to reduce counterfeiting .

- Competitive benchmarking of leading technology solutions companies in the market

Reasons to buy

The report will enhance your decision making capability. It will allow you to -

- Assess impact of counterfeiting on pharmaceutical sales, distribution and other functions

- Identify solutions and technologies that are useful against counterfeiting of drugs

- Identify best practices in the industry through analyses of solutions developed by industry leaders

- Strengthen security of supply chain through case studies of implementation of technologies.

Table of Contents

1 Table of Contents

1 Table of Contents 4

1.1 List of Tables 7

1.2 List of Figures 7

2 Impact of Counterfeits on Pharmaceutical Industry - Introduction 8

2.1 GBI Research Report Guidance 9

3 Impact of Counterfeits on Pharmaceutical Industry - Counterfeiting in the Pharmaceutical Industry 10

3.1 Introduction 10

3.2 Extent of the Problem - A Global Scenario 11

3.3 Counterfeits and Pharmaceutical Distribution Chains 14

3.3.1 Possible Access Points of Counterfeit Medicines into Legitimate Distribution Channels 14

3.4 Targets for Counterfeits 18

3.4.1 Bulk Ingredients 18

3.4.2 Finished Products 18

3.4.3 Examples of Counterfeiting (2005-2009) 21

3.5 Factors Encouraging the Counterfeiting of Pharmaceuticals 24

3.5.1 High Profits and Low Risk in Counterfeiting (Relatively Small Risk and Low Penalty) 24

3.5.2 Rising Demand for the Prescription and Lifestyle Drugs 25

3.5.3 Proliferation of Online Drug Sale Channels 25

3.5.4 Price Controls by the Government 26

3.5.5 Availability of Sophisticated Tools for Counterfeiting 26

3.5.6 Deregulation and Lack of Tools for Law Implementation 26

3.5.7 Lack of Awareness among Patients 27

4 Impact of Counterfeits on Pharmaceutical Industry - Countries and Counterfeiting of Pharmaceuticals 28

4.1 Developed countries 28

4.1.1 The US 28

4.1.2 Canada 29

4.1.3 Europe 30

4.1.4 Developing Countries 31

5 Impact of Counterfeits on Pharmaceutical Industry - Global Initiatives Against Counterfeiting in Pharmaceuticals 37

5.1 Key Challenges to Fight against Counterfeits 37

5.2 Anti-Counterfeit Platforms 37

5.2.1 WHO and International Medical Products Anti-Counterfeiting Taskforce (IMPACT) 37

5.2.2 European Alliance for Access to Safe Medicines (EAASM) 39

5.2.3 European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) 40

5.2.4 Pharmaceutical Security Institute (PSI) 41

5.2.5 Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites (VIPPS) 43

5.2.6 Verified-Accredited Wholesale Distributors Program (VAWD) 44

5.2.7 The US FDA 44

5.2.8 China 45

5.2.9 India 46

5.2.10 Russia 46

5.2.11 Africa 47

5.2.12 Pharmaceutical Industry 47

6 Impact of Counterfeits on Pharmaceutical Industry - Anti-Counterfeiting Strategies 49

6.1 Introduction 49

6.2 Overt (Visible) Technologies 50

6.2.1 Holograms/Diffractive Optical Elements 50

6.2.2 Optical Variable Device (OVD) 51

6.2.3 Sequential Product Numbering 51

6.2.4 Security Graphics 51

6.2.5 On Product Marking 51

6.2.6 Color Shifting Security Inks and Films 51

6.2.7 Film Wrappers 51

6.2.8 Shrink Seals and Bands 51

6.2.9 Breakable Caps 51

6.2.10 Sealed Tubes 51

6.3 Covert (Hidden) Technologies 52

6.3.1 Invisible Printing and Watermarks 52

6.3.2 Hidden Marks and Printing 52

6.4 Forensic Markers 52

6.4.1 Chemical Taggants 53

6.4.2 DNA Fragments 53

6.4.3 Micro-Particle Taggants (Nanotaggants) 53

6.4.4 Isotope Ratio 53

6.5 Mass Serialization/Track and Trace Technologies 53

6.5.1 Serialization 54

7 Impact of Counterfeits on Pharmaceutical Industry - Parallel Trade in Pharmaceutical Distributions 57

7.1 Introduction 57

7.2 General Pathway of Parallel Trade 57

7.3 Factors Encouraging Parallel Trade in Pharmaceuticals 59

7.3.1 Drug Price Difference across Various Pharmaceutical Markets 60

7.3.2 Government Price Controls Policy 62

7.3.3 Supportive Legal and Regulatory Framework to Parallel Trade in Medicines 62

7.3.4 Availability of Multiple Importation Pharmaceutical Markets 62

7.4 Parallel Trade in Pharmaceuticals - A Controversial Issue 63

7.4.1 Research and Development 64

7.4.2 Product Shortage 64

7.4.3 Parallel Trade and Benefits to Patients 64

7.4.4 Product Recall 65

7.4.5 Counterfeit Medicines 65

7.5 European Parallel Trade - Current Perspectives 66

7.5.1 Price Differences in Europe 69

7.5.2 Legal and Regulatory Framework Supporting Parallel Trade in Medicines 72

7.5.3 Opposition to Parallel Trade in Medicines in Europe 73

7.5.4 The UK 74

7.5.5 Germany 76

7.5.6 Sweden 77

7.5.7 Spain 77

7.5.8 Greece 78

7.6 Parallel Trade in the US Pharmaceutical Market 78

7.6.1 Parallel Trade and the FDA's Perspective 79

8 Impact of Counterfeits on Pharmaceutical Industry - Impact Analysis of Counterfeit Medicine and Parallel Trade in Pharmaceutical Distribution 81

8.1 Impact of Counterfeit Medicines 81

8.1.1 Impact of Counterfeit Medicines on Patients 81

8.1.2 Impact of Counterfeit Medicines on Drug Manufacturers 83

8.1.3 Impact of Counterfeit Medicines on Governments 84

8.2 Impact of Parallel Trade in Pharmaceutical Distribution 86

8.2.1 Parallel Trade Reduces Revenue and Incentives to Invest in Research and Development 87

8.2.2 Pharmaceutical Companies May Delay or Refrain From the Launch of New Products Due to the Impact of Parallel Trade 87

8.2.3 Parallel Trade Hinders Effective Batch Recall 87

8.2.4 Product Shortage 87

8.2.5 Human Error in Repackaging Undermines Efficacy of Medicines 88

8.2.6 Product Stability can be Hampered by Repackaging of Drug Products 88

8.2.7 Price 89

8.3 Counterfeit Medicines and Parallel Trade in Pharmaceuticals 89

9 Impact of Counterfeits on Pharmaceutical Industry - Appendix 91

9.1 Market Definitions 91

9.2 Abbreviations 91

9.3 Research Methodology 95

9.3.1 Coverage 95

9.3.2 Secondary Research 95

9.3.3 Primary Research 95

9.3.4 Expert Panel Validation 96

9.4 Contact Us 96

9.5 Disclaimer 96

9.6 Sources 97

List of Tables

1.1 List of Tables

Table 1: Impact of Counterfeits, Issued Drug Alerts Related to Counterfeit Medicines, 2005-2009 21

Table 2: Impact of Counterfeits, Examples of Counterfeit Medicines, 2005-2009 21

Table 3: Impact of Counterfeits, Prevalence of Counterfeit Medicines in Developed Countries 28

Table 4: Impact of Counterfeits, Prevalence of Counterfeit Medicines in Developing Countries 32

Table 5: Impact of Counterfeits, Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Sites 43

Table 6: Impact of Counterfeits, Pros and Cons of Overt Features 50

Table 7: Impact of Counterfeits, Pros and Cons of Covert Features 52

Table 8: Impact of Counterfeits, Pros and Cons of Forensic Markers 52

Table 9: Impact of Counterfeits, Pros and Cons of Track and Trace Technologies 53

Table 10: Impact of Counterfeits, Drug Price Difference by Country, 2009 61

Table 11: Impact of Counterfeits, Short and Long Term Effects of Parallel Trade 63

Table 12: Impact of Counterfeits, Share of Parallel Trade in the Pharmaceutical Industry, Europe, (%), 2005-2008 67

Table 13: Impact of Counterfeits, Pricing and Reimbursement Methodologies in Selected EU Countries 70

List of Figures

1.2 List of Figures

Figure 1: Impact of Counterfeits, Counterfeit Medicine, Key Facts 10

Figure 2: Impact of Counterfeits, Number of Incidents of Counterfeiting by Region, 2009 12

Figure 3: Impact of Counterfeits, Global, Number of Incidents of Counterfeiting, 2002-2009 13

Figure 4: Impact of Counterfeits, Possible Access Points of Counterfeits in the Legitimate Drug Distribution Chain 14

Figure 5: Impact of Counterfeits, Reasons for Purchasing Medicines From Online Pharmacies 15

Figure 6: Impact of Counterfeits, Targets for Counterfeits, 2009 19

Figure 7: Impact of Counterfeits, Factors Encouraging the Counterfeiting of Pharmaceuticals 24

Figure 8: Impact of Counterfeits, Lack of Awareness Among Patients about Medicines 27

Figure 9: Impact of Counterfeits, Access Points of Counterfeits in the US Drug Supply Chain 28

Figure 10: Impact of Counterfeits, Product Verification at the Point of Dispense Flow Chart 40

Figure 11: Impact of Counterfeits, PSI Members 41

Figure 12: Impact of Counterfeits, Quantity of Fake Medicines Seized, (%), 2009 42

Figure 13: Impact of Counterfeits, Arrest Data for Counterfeiters, (%), 2009 42

Figure 14: Impact of Counterfeits, General Parallel Trade Pathway 58

Figure 15: Impact of Counterfeits, Factors Encouraging Parallel Trade 59

Figure 16: Impact of Counterfeits, Lipitor Price Difference by Country, 2009 60

Figure 17: Impact of Counterfeits, Nexium Price Difference by Country, 2009 61

Figure 18: Impact of Counterfeits, Share of Parallel Trade in the Pharmaceutical Industry, Europe, 2008 66

Figure 19: Impact of Counterfeits, Share of Parallel Trade in the Pharmaceutical Industry, Europe, 2005-2008 67

Figure 20: Impact of Counterfeits, Share of Parallel Trade in the Total European Pharmaceutical Industry, 2005-2008 68

Figure 21: Impact of Counterfeits, Plavix Price Difference by Country, 2009 69

Figure 22: Impact of Counterfeits, Share of Parallel Trade in Germany, 2008 76

Figure 23: Impact of Counterfeits, Impact of Counterfeiting of Drugs on Patients 81

Figure 24: Impact of Counterfeits, Effect of Counterfeiting of Drugs on Pharmaceutical Companies 83

Figure 25: Impact of Counterfeits, Effect of Counterfeiting of Drugs on Governments 84

Figure 26: Impact of Counterfeits, Negative Impact of Parallel Trade 86

Figure 27: Impact of Counterfeits, Complex Network of Parallel Trade in Europe 89

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Drug and Medication Industry: Impact of Counterfeits on Pharmaceutical Industry - Counterfeiting Poses Threats to Patient Safety and Revenues of Pharmaceutical Companies

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COLORADO MAN CHARGED WITH FEDERAL CHILD SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OFFENSE.

ALBUQUERQUE, NM -- The following information was released by the Albuquerque Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation:

This morning in federal court in Albuquerque, a United States Magistrate Judge found that there was probable cause to support a criminal complaint charging Christopher Robert Gray, 20, of Denver, Colorado, with a child sexual exploitation charge. United States Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales said that Gray was arrested on May 19, 2011, and is charged with a violation of 18 U.S.C. s. 2423, traveling in interstate commerce for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct with a person under 18 years of age. If convicted of this offense, Gray faces a maximum penalty of 30 years' imprisonment. Gray entered a not guilty plea to the offense during this morning's proceedings, and was released to a third party custodian pending trial.

The criminal complaint filed in the case alleges that, at approximately 9:15 a.m. on May 19, 2011, a campus safety aid observed a person whom she believed to be a student leaving the grounds of an Albuquerque high school during a fire drill. The aid contacted the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office and a deputy was dispatched to bring the person, who subsequently was identified as Gray, to the school office where he was interviewed by an Albuquerque Public Schools Police Department (APSPD) officer.

According to the complaint, Gray allegedly told an APSPD officer that he was from Denver, Colorado, and was staying at "Jane Doe's" residence and sleeping under her bed. Gray allegedly admitted meeting "Jane Doe" on Facebook and knew she was 15 years old, but said that nothing had happened between them. When the APSPD officer inquired about the "hickeys" on Gray's neck, he admitted kissing "Jane Doe." The APSPD officer discontinued the interview and contacted the Albuquerque Police Department.

The complaint alleges that "Jane Doe" was interviewed by APD officers. "Jane Doe" allegedly admitted meeting Gray about a month ago on a telephone chat line, and that, thereafter, the two continued to have communication, including communication that was sexual in nature. "Jane Doe" allegedly stated that, although she initially told Gray that she was 18 years old during their telephonic communication, she later told Gray that she was 15 years old. According to "Jane Doe," on May 10, 2011, Gray told her he was coming to Albuquerque to see her and, when he arrived, he stayed in her room "under [her] bed" to avoid detection. "Jane Doe" alleged that Gray and she engaged in sexual conduct.

The complaint alleges that, in a subsequent interview conducted by a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), "Jane Doe" admitted that Gray arrived at her residence on May 11, 2011; that she let him in through her bedroom window; and that the two engaged in sexual conduct in that room.

The case was investigated by APD with assistance from the FBI, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlyn E. Rees. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

The case also was brought as part of the New Mexico Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force's (ICAC Task Force) mission to locate, track, and capture Internet child sexual predators and Internet child pornographers in New Mexico. There are 61 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies associated with the ICAC Task Force, which is funded by a grant administered by the New Mexico Attorney General's Office. Anyone with information relating to suspected child predators and suspected child abuse is encouraged to contact federal or local law enforcement.

A criminal complaint is only an accusation. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Citi Talks Price on OneLink CF.(News)

Byline: Gayatri Iyer

Citigroup has set pricing on OneLink Communications' $520 million credit facility, which will go to refinancing existing bank debt, according to sources.

Price talk on the six-year $345 million first lien is at Libor plus 375 bps to 400 bps, with an OID of 99.5 and a Libor floor of 1.25%. The seven-year $150 million second lien is at Libor plus 650 bps to 700 bps, with an OID of 99 and a Libor floor of 1.5%. The credit facility will also include a $25 million five-year first-lien revolver.

OneLink provides broadband internet access, mobile phone and television services in Puerto Rico. It is headquartered in San Juan, and covers the Puerto Rico metropolitan area.

Vishay Precision Group Announces Date for First Quarter 2011 Results and Conference Call.

MALVERN, Pa. -- Vishay Precision Group, Inc. (NYSE: VPG) ("VPG or the Company"), a leading producer of sensors based on resistive foil technology and sensor-based systems, today announced the Company will hold its quarterly conference call to discuss first quarter financial results and answer questions on Tuesday, May 3, at 11:30 a.m. (ET). VPG will release the company's financial results at approximately 8:30 a.m. (ET) on the same day.

A conference call and simultaneous audio webcast will take place at 11:30 a.m. (ET). To access the conference call, interested parties may call 877-317-6789 or +1-412-317-6789 and enter conference number: 450-571, or log on to http://ir.vishaypg.com for listen-only mode. A replay will be available approximately one hour after the completion of the call by calling toll-free 877-344-7529 or internationally +1-412-317-0088 and using the conference number: 450-571 A replay will also be available on the VPG website at http://ir.vishaypg.com. The replay will be available via phone and website for a limited time.

About Vishay Precision Group

Vishay Precision Group produces sensors based on resistive foil technology, and sensor-based systems. VPG provides vertically integrated products and solutions for multiple growing markets in the areas of stress, force, weight, and pressure measurements. As a spin-off from Vishay Intertechnology, the Company has a decades-long track record of innovation in foil precision resistors, current sensors, and strain gages, which serves as a foundation for its more recent expansion into strain gage instrumentation, load cells and transducers, weighing modules, and complete systems for process control and on-board weighing. Vishay Precision Group may be found on the internet at www.vishaypg.com.

Finding romance in Rajasthan.

THE medieval Samode Palace is a magical introduction to rural Rajasthan in India. Converted to a hotel, it has been exalted by the best.

The former editor of The Times of London, Sir Simon Jenkins, ranked it the fifth best hotel in the world in 1999, and the Samode has been dining out on it ever since.

Last year in The Economist Jenkins went a step further and ranked it seventh in his personal seven wonders of the world.

He called it the world's most romantic hotel and said his writing about it 10 years ago had apparently ruined it.

Well he hasn't ruined it _ it's still a very special hotel _ but it does make you wonder what a wow of a weekend he had there 10 years ago to have placed it as he did alongside more conventional wonders like Venice and the Taj Mahal.

But, then again, if ruining it means that it is no longer his secret _ yes he has.

Many a tourist makes the well-worn trip up the lumpy streets of the rural village _ perhaps the cleanest village in all of India _ where part of The Far Pavilions was filmed, to the foot of the 16th century palace.

Spain-based traveller Marsha Lloyd, in a blog of her journey through India with husband Eladio, rated their night in Samode Palace as ``our best night throughout our whole trip'' _ helped, no doubt, by an upgrade to a royal suite when she fibbed that the day they checked in was their 25th wedding anniversary.

The palace was converted to a hotel in 1987 by the descendants of the former rulers and is spread over five storeys on the slopes of the valley. It was protected by the Sheogarh Fort which still sits at the top of the hill.

The palace has kept the giant spikes on the outside of its giant gates _ to deter charging invaders on elephants.

My group was welcomed, as is the custom, with a floral lei, a drink (pomegranate, banana, pineapple, papaya and lime juice) and a bindi mark on the forehead.

There is no lift, so being allocated a suite on the top floor from reception can mean a long trek up through dark narrow stairways and an even longer one down the stairs to get to the ground floor pool (there are two).

Some would argue that that is part of the palace's authenticity. But a hotel that offers Grey's Anatomy on satellite TV and broadband internet in one of its charming historic courtyards, should be catering for the disabled with elevators, if not the lazy.

The hotel exteriors are a little faded and stained in parts, but the exquisitely decorated interiors where the former rulers held their meetings or received dignitaries never fade and are still used.

You can take a book and curl up on a day bed in one of the grand formal reception areas of old, or explore the magnificent Durbar Hall where Rajput rulers once held public audiences to discuss political matters of the day.

If you talk to one of the turbaned attendants nicely, he might unfurl his 10m head-gear on the floor of the Durbar Hall and furl it up again.

The monkeys who stole Jenkins' toothpaste when he was there 10 years ago are still swinging round the rooftops, or at least their descendants are. Guests are advised not to leave the door to their balconies open at night. (What do you do with a monkey high on toothpaste loose in your room?)

Like many travel experiences, the verdict is related to expectation. If you expect the seventh wonder of the world in Samode you might be disappointed. But if you're just looking for a hotel you will be enchanted. The hotel is 240 km from Delhi and it has a sister hotel, the beautiful Samode Haveli in Jaipur city, an hour's drive from Samode village.

Audrey Young

Corporate Profile for InPart, dated Feb. 27, 1998.

--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The following Corporate Profile is available for inclusion in your files. News releases for this client are distributed by Business Wire and also become part of the leading databases and online services, including all of the leading Internet-based services. -0-

  Published Date:   Feb. 27, 1998  Company Name:     InPart  Address:          12900A Saratoga Ave.                   Saratoga, Calif. 95070  Main Telephone  Number:          408/873-3500  Internet Home  Page Address   (URL)           www.inpart.com  Chief Executive  Officer:         Bob Kadarauch  Chief Financial  Officer:         John Tannebring  Investor Relations  Contact:         John Tannebring  Business number: 408/873-3532  Public Relations  Contact:         Brian Mellea  Business number: 408/873-3536  Home number:     650/941-1046  Industry:         Internet 

Company description: InPart is a technical publisher serving the mechanical engineering community. In conjunction with our manufacturer partners, InPart develops, markets, and supports 3D CAD libraries of catalogued mechanical components. InPart offers these libraries, containing 3D geometry, technical specifications and component selection software to mechanical engineers over the Internet.

Manufacturer partners include Aeroquip, Boston Gear, Deltron, Gates Rubber, Jergens, Kollmorgen, Panduit, Parker Hannifin Hose Products, Parker Hannifin Parflex, Parker Hannifin Tube Fittings, Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instruments, Thomson Industries, The Torrington Company, and U.S. Electrical Motors.

InPart's corporate headquarters are located in Saratoga, Calif. For more information on InPart's DesignSuite product line contact InPart at 800/725-PART, via electronic mail at sales@inpart.com or via the Web at www.inpart.com.

CONTACT: InPart

ODS Announces Opening Of New Technology Center; New Technology Center To House Engineering, Research And Development.

RICHARDSON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 11, 1996--Optical Data Systems, Inc. (ODS), (NASDAQ-NMS:ODSI) today announced a 50 percent expansion of its Richardson, Texas facilities with the purchase of a 50,000 square foot building located at 1001 East Arapaho Road in Richardson, Texas, adjacent to ODS' world headquarters facility.

The new facility will be used for ODS' Technology Center and will house all of ODS' Engineering, Research, and Development personnel.

"ODS' growth has brought about the need to expand our operations into the new Technology Center," said G. Ward Paxton ODS' president and CEO. "The new Technology Center will provide us room to grow our hardware and software engineering in a new facility as well as free up space in our existing headquarters for expanding other operations," Paxton continued. ODS plans to move into the new Technology Center this month.

Optical Data Systems, Inc. (ODS)

ODS sells a full range of intelligent switches; high-speed multi- protocol routers, bridges, switches and sophisticated network management modules to large corporations that build very large and advanced enterprise-wide information internetworks including LANs, MANs and WANs. Its mainstay product, the ODS Infinity intelligent switch, is the largest switch on the market that supports all four of the industry standards -- Ethernet, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Token Ring and Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI).

The Infinity switch provides superior local and remote SNMP-based management that supports all groups of RMON for both Ethernet and Token Ring networks. ODS can be reached at 214/234-6400 or on the Internet at http://www.ods.com. -0-

Note To Editors: ODS is a trademark of Optical Data Systems.

CONTACT: Optical Data Systems, Inc.

Terry Gaston, 214/301-3653

Internet: terryg@ods.com

ODS Home Page: http://www.ods.com.