Fed: Two soldiers injured in Afghanistan bomb attack =2

AAP General News (Australia)
02-03-2009
Fed: Two soldiers injured in Afghanistan bomb attack =2

The soldiers and dog were serving with the Mentoring and Reconstruction Task Force
(MRTF-1) based at Tarin Kowt in Afghanistan's dangerous Oruzgan Province.

After the incident, the wounded soldiers and dog were evacuated by helicopter to an
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) medical facility for treatment.

Families of the wounded soldiers have been informed and no personal details of the
soldiers will be released.

The bomb blast damaged a Bushmaster …

Shifting sands of advancing technology challenge schools building for the future ; South Portland, like other school districts, must make decisions now that will anticipate changes along the technolog

KELLEY BOUCHARD Staff Writer
Portland Press Herald (Maine)
05-22-2011
Shifting sands of advancing technology challenge schools building for the future ; South Portland, like other school districts, must make decisions now that will anticipate changes along the technology road.
Byline: KELLEY BOUCHARD Staff Writer
Edition: FINAL
Section: Maine/New England
Type: News

SOUTH PORTLAND --

These days it's difficult to buy a laptop or a smartphone that won't be obsolete soon after you walk out of the store.

Imagine being on a building committee charged with choosing technology for a high school that will be completed in five years and hopefully remain viable for the next 50.
That's the challenge facing the library, media and technology subcommittee that's helping to plan the $47.3 million renovation of South Portland High School, a project that will rebuild and expand the 59-year-old school on Highland Avenue.

Andy Wallace, a subcommittee member who is technology director for South Portland schools, readily admits that he has no crystal ball to help him figure out what technology will go where.

"I can't predict the future," Wallace said. "But we're working from the principle that each person in the building will have as many as three devices connected to the Web, as some people already do now. We'll need to have the wireless and electrical pathways available to handle the technology we have now and the unanticipated technology coming down the road."

Increasingly across Maine, new school construction and major renovation projects are forcing building committees and architects to design schools that will be flexible and adaptable as technology changes at an increasingly rapid pace.

Classrooms, auditoriums and other spaces are being built to accommodate new and varied teaching and learning styles and uses, driven by recent advances in educational technology ranging from interactive white boards to expanded audio and video capabilities.

The future-oriented approach to technology in major school construction projects comes as Maine marks the 10-year anniversary of its seminal school laptop program. It also reflects the fact that widespread access to information technology and the Internet has revolutionized the way most people communicate and learn.

"The conversation now is about the potential for technology to maximize learning into the future," said Jeff Mao, learning technology policy director at the Maine Department of Education. "The questions that South Portland and other school districts are asking now are right on target. What does technology look like now, how do we use it, and how might that change?"

The technology conversation jibes with ongoing discourse about the future of education in the United States, Mao said. The current educational model - students sitting in rows, changing classes when a bell rings and graduating after four years of high school - took root 100 years ago at the height of the industrial revolution. Now, that model's usefulness is fading, along with the factory jobs it was set up to feed.

"Learning as we know it is changing shape," said Laurie Wood, an assistant principal at South Portland High who is co-chairwoman of the technology subcommittee.

"Our challenge is to teach kids not just what they need to know now, but how they will learn going forward," Wood said.

"A classroom conversation today can happen over 24 hours, when a teacher posts a question on a Web page and students respond to it individually. When you have access to infinite information resources, it forces you to look at those resources differently."

With that in mind, South Portland High will likely have a "learning commons" instead of a traditional library, Wood said. It will accommodate various reading, writing, computer, Internet, audio and video uses, and probably will include diverse individual, small group and community areas for study, instruction and performance.

To see how technology works in a modern school, Wood and other technology subcommittee members recently visited the year-old Westbrook Middle School. It was designed by Harriman Associates of Portland, the firm that's working on the South Portland project, which is expected to be ready for contractors' bids in the fall.

The South Portland visitors saw that Westbrook Middle School has no computer lab because all rooms are wired for various technology uses. White boards are strategically placed in each classroom for maximum viewing ability. And with wiring hidden behind walls and above ceilings, the computer server room lacks the bales of wiring typically seen in older, retrofitted schools.

"It's remarkable how few wires are showing," Andy Wallace said.

Try as they might, those involved in choosing school technology still may have trouble keeping up with and anticipating advances, said Mike Johanning, an architect with WBRC Architects-Engineers in Portland. He designed the new Ocean Avenue Elementary School in Portland and is working on an addition to Old Town High School.

Old Town's technology director faces some tough decisions about digital image projectors, which are evolving quickly, decreasing greatly in size and becoming easier to mount and maintain, Johanning said.

Security systems are also growing more complex, including video surveillance cameras, key-card entrances and emergency lock-down systems such as the one at the Ocean Avenue school in Portland.

"And you don't see TVs in classrooms anymore," Johanning said. "That was a hard thing for people to let go of, but you can really do so much more with computers."

As wireless technology improves, the need for hardwiring is changing and decreasing in many cases, Johanning said. Despite this trend, new schools are being wired to accommodate long-range technology needs under the "wire once" principle to save time and money in the future.

Manufacturers also allow districts to try out the latest white boards, projectors and other devices before buying a slew of them when a new school opens, Johanning said.

And building committees are doing their best to choose technology that will last and can be updated easily.

Still, there's only so much they can do to predict future technology needs, according to Matt Nelson, curriculum dean at Westbrook Middle School.

"We built an infrastructure to have state-of-the-art technology that won't be soon outdated and can be adapted to our needs in the future," Nelson said. "But who knows? Maybe some changes in the future will be so drastic that we couldn't anticipate them. You have to do the best you can."

Staff Writer Kelley Bouchard can be contacted at 791-6328 or at:

kbouchard@pressherald.com

Copyright 2009 Blethen Maine Newspapers

SA:SA cops investigate after body found

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2011
SA:SA cops investigate after body found

Forensic testing will be conducted to confirm the identify of a male whose body was
found buried north of Adelaide.

Police say they believe they know who's buried on the property at Two Wells but they'll
wait for tests to confirm his identity.

No age has been disclosed.

Major Crime detectives will remain at the site throughout the day and into the evening

AAP RTV lf/crh

KEYWORD: BODY (ADELAIDE)

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

Whither al-Qaida?

YAAKOV LAPPIN
Jerusalem Post
02-25-2011
Whither al-Qaida?
Byline: YAAKOV LAPPIN
Edition: Daily
Section: Features
Type: News

The tidal wave of revolts that has washed over the Middle East in recent weeks has put al-Qaida in a precarious situation. Since the late 1980s, when Osama bin Laden linked up with former Egyptian Islamic Jihad leader Ayman al-Zawahiri to form al-Qaida in Afghanistan, the mantra of the global terror movement has been constant. Arab-Muslim regimes are artificial, the militant Salafis said. The regimes are oppressive, Western-controlled entities, designed to keep "true Islam" in check.

Nationalism, state borders that divide Muslims and secularism were all seen by al-Qaida ideologues, like Bin Laden's mentor Palestinian cleric Abdullah Azzam, as foreign ideas adopted by the Arab regimes and used to keep the Muslims weak.
Dislodging the regimes of Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia and others and replacing them with an Islamic superstate, a caliphate, has been the main objective of al-Qaida for more than two decades.

The war between jihadi movements and Arab-Muslim states has been raging for years. It was a war prosecuted by the jihadis with much fury and dedication, but without much success.

In fact, it was the failure of the global jihadi movement to achieve its aim to establish sovereignty in place of Arab regimes that drove its members and leaders to seek refuge on the Internet, and set up a virtual caliphate, a place where they could safely spread their ideology, recruit soldiers and plan the structure and policies of their future caliphate.

Now, the very premise of al-Qaida could be in jeopardy. While it is far too early to begin to know how the uprisings in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and other Arab nations will turn out in the long run, it is obvious to all that the Arab regimes so despised by al-Qaida were challenged and, in some cases, removed from power without its help.

Bloomberg reported this week that al-Qaida's second-in-command, Zawahiri, "urged Egyptians to revive Islamic rule and criticized Hosni Mubarak as a 'modern-day pharaoh' in remarks that came before the former Egyptian president was toppled."

"The Egyptian regime is in fact a repressive regime that relies on brutality and rigged elections, while the Islamic system is consultative and seeks to achieve justice," Zawahiri said in an online audio recording. It was an attempt to score some points on the back of the uprising. But his comments are mostly being ignored.

SOME OBSERVERS have been quick to celebrate al-Qaida's seeming irrelevance. "It's not just a defeat. It's a catastrophe, the worst thing that has happened since al-Qaida was created," The Wall Street Journal quoted Jean-Pierre Filiu, an expert on al-Qaida at the University of Sciences Po in Paris, as saying.

Indeed, the setback is significant, but the organization is far from being a relic of the past.

In countries as large as Libya, the organization could in theory exploit the collapse of the central government to move fighters there. That has not happened yet, despite propaganda by Muammar Gaddafi to the contrary. But it remains a possibility. Large numbers of Libyans have joined the ranks of al-Qaida and its affiliates, including the organization's third in command, Yahya al-Libi.

Most importantly, as Yemen, Somalia and the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan have seen, al-Qaida thrives in failed states. If the current uprisings fail to result in strong states that exercise a clear monopoly of arms within their borders, it will be quick to move in.

Furthermore, if the caretaker military regimes in Egypt and Tunisia refuse to relinquish power, al-Qaida's battle cry against oppressive Arab-Muslim governments would remain as relevant as ever.

THE LARGEST threat to al-Qaida in the medium term could come not from the democracy movements, but from a foe much closer to home, the Muslim Brotherhood.

Decades ago, the Muslim Brotherhood decided to avoid the path of instant jihad for the purpose of removing Arab regimes from power, choosing instead to patiently invest in charities, schools and hospitals in poor areas and to spread its Islamist ideology quietly, waiting for an opportunity to leverage its support base.

Unlike al-Qaida, the Muslim Brotherhood views democracy as a front gate to power. It stands a far better chance of profiting from recent events than the militant Salafis.

The writer's recently published book, Virtual Caliphate - Exposing the Islamist State on the Internet (Potomac Books, Inc.), explores the online jihadi presence.(c) Copyright Jerusalem Post. All rights reserved.

Illustrations/Photos:
Caption: ELUDING CAPTURE. Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. Al-
Qaida's flag.

(Copyright 2011 The Jerusalem Post)

NSW:O'Farrell won't surrender GST

AAP General News (Australia)
12-05-2010
NSW:O'Farrell won't surrender GST

More worries for the federal government's health reforms .. with NSW Opposition leader
BARRY O'FARRELL saying he won't surrender GST to pay for them if he becomes premier.

He says the GST is a growth tax that helps the state's bottom line .. and to give it
away without reference to the community is an abdication of all fiscal responsibilty.

He's told Sky News it's giving away the cream that a responsible government can use
to put in the bank to improve services.

AAP RTV dmg/jmt

KEYWORD: HOSPITALS OFARRELL (SYDNEY)

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

AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, April 28

AAP General News (Australia)
04-28-2010
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, April 28
Evening Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


Climate Rudd (SYDNEY)

KEVIN RUDD says the federal government's planning to unveil the biggest renewable energy
program the country's ever seen.

The government shelved plans this week for its controversial carbon reduction pollution
scheme until at least 2013 .. after failing to pass its legislation in the Senate.

However the prime minister says his government remains committed to the scheme and
to reducing greenhouse gases .. and in the meantime it will turn its attention to renewable
energy.



Whaling Garrett (CANBERRA)

Australia won't support an international proposal to allow the resumption of limited
commercial whaling .. and is calling instead for a complete ban.

The International Whaling Commission advisory group has drawn up a new agreement ..

that'd allow countries including Japan to hunt whales locally .. but ban killing in IWC
sanctuaries .. including the Southern Ocean.

But Federal Environment Minister PETER GARRETT says that isn't good enough .. and the
proposal falls well short of what Australia could accept.

Mr GARRETT says Australia will take an alternative proposal to the commission .. calling
for a five-year complete phase-out of whaling in the Southern Ocean .. and an immediate
halt to scientific whaling permits and the hunting of endangered species.



Affair Carles (PERTH)

West Australian Greens MP ADELE CARLES has contradicted her former lover TROY BUSWELL
.. saying there was no misuse of parliamentary entitlements during their affair.

Mr BUSWELL resigned as WA's treasurer yesterday after admitting misusing entitlements
to use ministerial cars and hotels.

But Ms CARLES today said her liaisons with Mr BUSWELL in Canberra and Sydney last month
were fully funded by her .. and both had been entitled to accommodation in the WA town
of Albany as MPs.

She says she called Mr BUSWELL today to ask him why he said he'd misused entitlements
.. and he said he'd been advised to do so by his chief of staff.



Economy Swan (CANBERRA)

Treasurer WAYNE SWAN says there's no room for complacency .. despite underlying inflation
having moderated.

Consumer prices rose by 0.9 per cent in the March quarter .. lifting the headline inflation
rate to 2.9 per cent from 2.1 per cent.

But the Australian Bureau of Statistics says underlying measures rose by just 0.8 per
cent .. lowering the annual rate of underlying inflation to 3.05 per cent from 3.35 per
cent.



Flu Wrap (WELLINGTON/BRISBANE)

New Zealand children have suffered convulsions .. as officials scramble to gather information
following reports of similar reactions to the flu vaccination in Australia.

The Health Ministry says five children have reportedly suffered convulsions since Friday.

Australia's chief medical officer has already suspended seasonal flu vaccinations for
children under five .. following reports of convulsions and a two year old Queensland
girl was found dead in her cot on April 9 .. the day after she and her twin sister were
given the vaccine by their GP.

Meanwhile .. health officials say only 13 children under the age of five may have had
adverse reactions to the seasonal flu vaccine in Queensland .. less than previously thought.

Queensland Health received 41 notifications of under fives who've had adverse reactions
after receiving the vaccine .. but all but 13 have been put down to other causes.



US Zirus (KERRVILLE)

The parents of the young victims of convicted Australian pedophile SCOTT ZIRUS have
told a US court in harrowing detail of the pain they feel .. and the damage he's done
to their families.

He was sentenced to 40 years in jail in Texas today .. but it was the testimony of
the parents which caused heartache.

The mother of a six-year-old boy .. her hands trembling .. told of how excited her
son was to attend his first summer camp .. but returned home a different boy .. and is
undergoing therapy.

And a six-year-old .. once classified by his school as a gifted child .. was so damaged
by his encounter with ZIRUS that he is now haunted by nightmares and talks about dying.



Broadband NBN (SYDNEY)

The National Broadband Network's chief executive says Australia will miss out on vital
infrastructure investment if a coalition government scraps it.

Opposition leader Tony Abbott says the coalition will cut spending by 10 billion dollars
during its first term in office to reduce national debt and the 43 billion dollar NBN
is in its sights.

The government's also estimated 25 thousand potential jobs could be lost if the project
is scrapped.



Blood (SYDNEY)

Australia's Red Cross Blood Service has placed a two year moratorium on accepting blood
donations from people who've ever had chronic fatigue syndrome.

The service says the temporary halt will allow for more research into whether CFS has
a viral cause .. which could pose a new type of transmission risk to the blood supply.

Red Cross spokesman Dr TONY KELLER says the moratorium's a precautionary move based
on emerging research which suggests a link.



Briefly in other news ..



Quake WA (PERTH)

The West Australian government will provide millions of dollars to restore heritage-listed
buildings .. damaged by last week's earthquake in the mining city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder.



Boat (CANBERRA)

The navy's intercepted a boat carrying 50 asylum seekers in waters off Australia's
northwest coast .. the 48th asylum seeker boat intercepted in Australian waters this year.



Safety Aust (BRISBANE)

A national memorial commemorating workers killed and injured on the job is expected
to be built in Canberra.



NZ Jackson (WELLINGTON)

Lord of the Rings director PETER JACKSON's been knighted in New Zealand .. as a Knight
Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit.



in Sport ..



AFL Wrap (ADELAIDE/SYDNEY)

Adelaide utility PATRICK DANGERFIELD has a fractured hand and will miss the next four
AFL matches.

A club spokesman says the 20-year-old had inconclusive x-rays yesterday before an MRI
scan later revealed the fracture.

But Brisbane Lions captain JONATHAN BROWN has declared himself a certain starter for
Saturday night's clash against Sydney at the SCG.

Both the Lions and Swans have made strong starts to the year .. with win-loss records of 4-1.



League Judiciary (SYDNEY)

Gold Coast forward ANTHONY LAFFRANCHI will be available for Saturday's NRL clash with
in-form Penrith after entering an early guilty plea to a high tackle charge.

The former Test forward was charged with a grade one careless high tackle on Manly's
MATT BALLIN in the Titans' 24-22 win at Brookvale Oval on Monday night.



Cycling Ellis (ADELAIDE)

Federal Sports Minister KATE ELLIS says improved training facilities for Australia's
elite cyclists could give them the edge over arch rivals Britain at the 2012 London Olympics.

World and Olympic champion ANNA MEARES has also hailed the improvements made to facilities
and equipment at the Adelaide Superdrome .. the home of the national track cycling team.

The minister says the improvements and new equipment are about giving cyclists every
chance of success at events like the London Olympics and the upcoming Commonwealth Games
in Delhi.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP

Broadcast Desk inquiries 24 hours: 02 9322 8714

AAP RTV crh/wf

KEYWORD: EVENING ROUND-UP

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

NSW: Price's visit to shine UK media spotlight on NSW - Keneally

AAP General News (Australia)
12-15-2009
NSW: Price's visit to shine UK media spotlight on NSW - Keneally

SYDNEY, Dec 15 AAP - Prince William's visit to NSW next month will be an opportunity
to showcase the state in foreign media, Premier Kristina Keneally says.

Ms Keneally on Tuesday confirmed the prince would officially visit NSW in late-January
as part of his first Australian trip as an adult.

He previously travelled Down Under with his parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana,
a year after his birth in 1983.

The second in line to the British throne will be in Sydney and Melbourne from January
19-21, spending the first two days of the trip in NSW.

Ms Keneally, who will host the prince on January 20, said details of the visit were
yet to be made public.

However, it's expected the prince will be accompanied by a large contingent of British
journalists, covering his first major Australian visit.

The trip could have even greater media focus if he travels with long-time girlfriend
Kate Middleton, with rumours they may announce their engagement over the Christmas period.

"Prince William's visit will showcase NSW to an international audience," Ms Keneally
said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We are delighted to welcome back the prince to Sydney."

Buckingham Palace was expected to soon release the prince's program, she said.

The Office of the Prime Minister says the visit originated from Prince William's request
to visit the country to get to know Australia and its people.

"During his visit, Prince William will focus on his core interests of supporting servicemen
and women, helping young people fulfil their potential and sustainable development in
the light of climate change," it has said.

"The prince will also use the visit to learn more about local indigenous issues and
visit the bushfire-ravaged countryside in Victoria," it has said.

"Prince William will have the opportunity to meet a cross-section of Australians involved
in a variety of projects of interest in both Sydney and Melbourne."

He will be arriving after a visit to New Zealand, where he will be opening the new
Supreme Court in Wellington.

AAP evt/hn/dep

KEYWORD: WILLIAM

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

NSW: Missing nine-year-old sparks concern for safety

AAP General News (Australia)
08-06-2009
NSW: Missing nine-year-old sparks concern for safety

SYDNEY, Aug 6 AAP - A nine-year-old schoolgirl has gone missing from her NSW Central
Coast home leaving authorities with concerns for her welfare.

Shelley Webb was last seen by her brother leaving a property in Mahogany Crescent at
Gateshead, about 6.15pm (AEST) on Wednesday.

"When Shelley was last seen she was wearing her school uniform which consists of a
blue checks with a royal blue jumper and red tie," police said in a statement.

"She is of average height for a nine-year-old with brown, shoulder length hair, blue
eyes and fair skin.

"Shelley's mother searched the local area for a number of hours before reporting her
missing to police about 9.30pm."

Investigating officers have spoken with Shelley's friends.

"Along with Shelley's family, police hold concerns for the nine-year-old's welfare
due to her light clothing and overnight cold temperatures," police said.

Anyone with information about Shelley's whereabouts or who have seen a girl fitting
her description should contact police.

AAP ad/evt/dep/

KEYWORD: WEBB

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

Vic: Blaze breaks out near Mansfield

AAP General News (Australia)
02-11-2009
Vic: Blaze breaks out near Mansfield

MELBOURNE, Feb 11 AAP - A fire has broken out near Mansfield and an urgent threat message
has been delivered to the town's residents.

The fire is burning in a pine plantation southeast of the town, which is about 200km
northeast of Melbourne.

The fire broke out at about 5.20pm (AEDT) on Wednesday and trucks and water bombing
aircraft are involved in fighting the fire, a Country Fire Authority spokesman said.

Firefighters were struggling to control the fire in the pine plantation, the spokesman said.

AAP gr/pmu/mn

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC MANSFIELD

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

Wpo: Girls come up with bronze while men miss out again

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2008
Wpo: Girls come up with bronze while men miss out again

By Tom Wald

BEIJING, Aug 24 AAP - Regrets, Australia's water polo teams might have a few.

The women did a brilliant job to recover from their 9-8 semi-final loss to the US and
pip Hungary for the bronze medal in an epic play-off for third.

But the sight of The Netherlands, who the Stingers beat in the group stages, winning
the gold medal won't sit well with them.

The Australian women only lost one match all tournament and leave Beijing knowing they
were as good as any side at the Yingdong Natatorium.

But unlike in Athens where they lost the third-placed play-off, at least this time
the Stingers return home with a medal.

"We came here with high expectations and it is just great to walk away with a bronze
medal," said head coach Greg McFadden.

"It only happens every four years and not many people even get to compete at an Olympics
let alone win a medal, all the girls are just champions.

"I am just so proud of them."

The side's future looks positive with Nikita Cuffe the only retiree.

For the men, it is another case of what could have been.

The Sharks played inspired water polo at times and almost pulled off one of the great
comebacks against Hungary.

Trailing 11-6 in the third quarter, they stormed back only to lose the group match 13-12.

The Sharks also lost 9-8 to Spain before being bundled out of medal contention courtesy
of a tense 5-5 draw with Montenegro.

At the end of the day, it was a case of missed opportunities and the men must continue
their quest for their first Olympic medal in London in 2012.

"The water polo gods are not smiling on us obviously," said shattered head coach John Fox.

AAP tdw/nh/jmt/tb

KEYWORD: OLY08 WPO AUST WRAP (REPEAT)

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

NSW: Ferry services resume after ramp problem

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-2008
NSW: Ferry services resume after ramp problem

SYDNEY, April 18 AAP - Dozens of Sydney ferry commuters were stranded in the city and
Manly this evening while staff worked to fix a faulty boarding ramp, a Sydney Ferries
spokeswoman says.

Earlier reports put the number of stranded passengers in the hundreds, but a Sydney
Ferries spokeswoman said most of them were taken on their way aboard JetCat services.

A fault with a hydraulic boarding ramp at the Manly terminal on the harbour's north
side forced the cancellation of some ferry services from 6.15pm (AEST).

But it was rectified after a delay of 45 minutes, the spokeswoman said.

Sydney Ferries cancelled Freshwater Class ferries between Manly and Circular Quay while
engineers fixed the problem.

The backlog of passengers has been cleared, the spokeswoman said.

AAP pc/jl/cdh

KEYWORD: FERRIES LEAD

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

NSW: Calls for lighter tax burden for NSW businesses

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2007
NSW: Calls for lighter tax burden for NSW businesses

SYDNEY, Dec 14 AAP - NSW-based small businesses are paying almost 10 times as much
in state taxes as their Queensland counterparts, the NSW Business Chamber says.

A 12-employee firm in Sydney pays approximately $25,600 in state taxes, compared with
only $2,600 by a Brisbane business of similar size, according to modelling carried out
by the chamber.

The business lobby group today focused on the comparison in its presentation to the
Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, which is currently reviewing the NSW government's
taxation.

"Small businesses in NSW are carrying a heavy taxation burden - and are doing so in
part because NSW is subsidising Queensland," chamber chief executive Kevin MacDonald said.

"We are also concerned about the over-reliance on payroll tax in NSW compared to other states.

"According to the 2007-08 NSW Budget, payroll tax collections will increase a further
20 per cent over the next three years."

NSW has the highest state payroll tax rate in Australia at six per cent, compared with
5.05 per cent in Victoria and 4.75 per cent in Queensland.

The chamber's submission calls for the NSW governments to embark on a three-year program
that would reduce the payroll tax rate to 5.25 per cent.

It also has called on the NSW government to pressure the new federal government to
review the GST agreement to make it simpler and fairer on NSW.

"In 2005-06, the commonwealth grants commission redistributed $2.2 billion away from
NSW," Mr Macdonald said.

"NSW businesses are paying higher taxes, which are being used to subsidise Queensland residents."

AAP nr/was/jl/bwl

KEYWORD: TAX CHAMBER

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

Fed: New reality singing contest is the anti-Idol, says Morris

AAP General News (Australia)
08-03-2007
Fed: New reality singing contest is the anti-Idol, says Morris

By Michael Gadd, National Entertainment Writer

SYDNEY, Aug 3 AAP - It's The Office meets an after work karaoke party.

The Singing Office is a new Foxtel reality contest aimed at those who cringe at the
prospect of another group of fresh-faced hopefuls lining up for the new series of Australian
Idol this week.

"It's anti-Idol, and that's what we love about it," says comedienne Julia Morris, who
has been brought back to Australia from London for the show.

Morris joins Gus Worland, the Aussie who joined The Barmy Army cricket supporters for
another reality show, as a team mentor on The Singing Office.

Each week, crew from the show, which will be hosted by actor Nick Giannopoulos, invade
an ordinary office block.

They audition workers at their desks with the accompaniment of a keyboard and select
the best five singers.

Then, after a two-day intensive show-business boot camp with some professional talent
developers, they perform head-to-head under the bright lights of a Melbourne studio.

Former Full Frontal actor Morris has been in England for the past seven years, picking
up a host of TV roles.

But it was singing that gave a 17-year-old Morris her first taste of TV, as a 1985
contestant on New Faces. She came equal first with a group made up of marching girls and
a big band.

The new show, Morris proudly says, gives ordinary people with no ambitions a chance to be a hero.

"These people don't have aspirations to get the next big contract with Sony BMG, they
are just in it for a laugh," she said.

"It's been such a long time that anything in television has gone in that direction,
so it's been nothing but a pleasure to work on since it started."

The show began shooting the in-office auditions in early July and this week the first
group of offices - RipCurl Surfwear and Tourism Victoria - did battle in their first studio
performances.

Another episode features a crew of jockeys and horse trainers.

"It's like karaoke without the booze, can you imagine it? It's a pretty sobering experience,"

she said.

"I don't think they know what they're in for. It's not like Big Brother, we're not
picking people who we can bury and make cry. It's just picking whoever's got a good voice
to come along and have a go.

"And they have a great time with it."

The 13-part series, based on a Dutch series, will air on Fox8 from early September.

AAP mdg/cjh/cp/cdh

KEYWORD: SINGING (REPEAT)

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

NSW: Search on for $7mil lottery winnner

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2007
NSW: Search on for $7mil lottery winnner

A lucky New South Wales gambler has won over seven million dollars in today's two dollar
jackpot lottery .. but still doesn't know it.

The winning ticket was purchased at the Marketown Newsagency in Newcastle .. but newsagent
SHERYL TUCKERMAN is still waiting to deliver the good news to the unregistered player.

Mr TUCKERMAN says people will come streaming in to check their tickets when word gets
out that someone's won.

Today's jackpot of seven million-175-thousand dollars is the seventh highest two dollar
jackpot lottery prize .. which is won when a ticket which has won a cash prize of any
value is reselected in a random number lottery draw.

Lotteries New South Wales spokesman JOHN VINEBURG says the size of the jackpot in recent
weeks has led to a surge in unregistered entries.

Mr VINEBURG has urged gamblers to register with the Players Club .. which ensures any
prizes won are protected and paid out immediately.

AAP RTV dmc/was/cp

KEYWORD: LOTTERY (SYDNEY)

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

NSW: Injections begin to prevent school hepatitis A outbreak

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2006
NSW: Injections begin to prevent school hepatitis A outbreak

By Katelyn John

SYDNEY, Aug 23 AAP - Health chiefs will investigate a Sydney school tuckshop as a program
to inject 300 students to guard against an outbreak of hepatitis A began today.

More than 100 students and 15 adults at St Patrick's College, a private Catholic school
in Strathfield, were given immunoglobulin antibody injections at a temporary clinic.

The clinic will open again tomorrow as part of the measures to protect 300 students
believed to have eaten from the tuckshop on the day a hepatitis A-infected volunteer helped
prepare food.

NSW Health communicable diseases director Jeremy McAnulty played down the threat of
a hepatitis outbreak at the school, but said the department would investigate work practices
at its tuckshop.

"There are guidelines already about hygiene in terms of food preparation ...

"I can't comment specifically about this circumstance, but we've identified a risk
here," he said.

Dr McAnulty said that because the risk was detected within the first two weeks of the
students' potential exposure, an outbreak should be preventable.

"It's impossible to give a figure on exactly what the risk is," Dr McAnulty said.

"We hope that the risk is low ... but the idea of the intervention today and tomorrow
is to reduce that risk to basically negligible."

Dr McAnulty said students, with their parents' permission, could take the treatment
which should "stop that infection dead".

Unlike hepatitis B and C, once the treatment was given, the infection should not recur,
he told reporters at the school.

Even if students did contract the disease, there would be no long-term effects, he said.

"(With) hepatitis A people will get it and then get over it and get no long-term effects
from it," Dr McAnulty said.

Other workers in the tuckshop would also be offered the preventative treatment.

Hepatitis A is a virus that causes liver inflammation.

The main symptoms develop two to six weeks after infection, and include fever, feeling
unwell, poor appetite and abdominal discomfort.

A few days later people develop jaundice and dark urine.

However, not all people who are infected develop symptoms.

The disease is usually transmitted when the virus from an infected person is swallowed
by another person through eating food that has been handled by that person or through
direct contact with that person.

AAP kaj/cj/was/cjh/de

KEYWORD: HEPATITIS

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

NSW: Seven die on NSW roads this Easter - two more than 2005

AAP General News (Australia)
04-17-2006
NSW: Seven die on NSW roads this Easter - two more than 2005

SYDNEY, April 17 AAP - A head-on crash killed three people in Sydney and almost doubled
the NSW Easter road toll today as the holiday period wound down.

Seven people died on the state's roads this Easter, two more than last year.

Two men, aged in their early 20s, died when their Subaru WRX collided head-on with
a Holden Kingswood shortly after 10.05am (AEST) at Horningsea Park, in Sydney's west,
today.

Police said it appeared the Subaru had crossed to the wrong side of Bringelly Road
before crashing into the car driven by a 75-year-old woman, killing her instantly.

Her elderly male passenger was taken to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition
with severe head injuries.

A backseat passenger in the Subaru, a man in his 20s, was taken hospital in a serious condition.

NSW's traffic services commander, Chief Superintendent John Hartley, said the triple
fatality was an avoidable accident.

"This is a tragedy. It should not have happened," he said.

"We are now mourning the loss of three more people."

The crash took the Easter toll to seven after two single-car accidents overnight.

A Canberra man, aged in his 30s, died when the four-wheel drive in which he was travelling
overturned on Moira Vale Road, near the Melrose to Condobolin Road.

Meanwhile, a 39-year-old was killed when the car he was driving left the road and hit
a tree at Coolangatta Estate, near Nowra, on the NSW south coast.

"I'm extremely disappointed. As of yesterday, only two had died on our roads over the
first two days," Supt Hartley said.

On Thursday, a three-year-old girl was killed in a crash at Mount Kembla, near Wollongong,
and a 17-year-old youth died in a head-on collision near Grafton on Friday.

Supt Hartley said more than 8,500 motorists had been booked for speeding since Thursday.

He said some young drivers had been caught clocking more than 200kph in 80kph and 110kph
zones, and police had stopped people driving with five times the legal alcohol limit.

"These are some alarming statistics," he said.

"Certainly we are concerned about the high number of speeds detected across this state."

Supt Hartley warned young drivers to slow down.

"I reminded people yesterday about young people on our roads, and the road safety message
to them ... to slow down, to take their time," he said.

AAP tr/was/jt/sd

KEYWORD: TOLL NSW NIGHTLEAD

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

Tas: Pair nabbed with abalone haul

AAP General News (Australia)
12-19-2005
Tas: Pair nabbed with abalone haul

HOBART, Dec 19 AAP - A man and woman are due to face a Tasmanian court later this afternoon
to face a charge of possessing more than 50 times the legal limit of abalone.

Police said the 30-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman were arrested after they were
found with 58kg of frozen abalone meat in their car on the Bass Highway near Launceston
about 0900 (AEDT) today.

A police spokeswoman said more charges were expected to be laid and added fisheries
officers alleged the haul equalled about 500 abalone.

AAP jmw/gfr/mon/de

KEYWORD: ABALONE

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

superannuation

superannuation An occupational pension scheme. Contributions are deducted from an employee's salary by the employer and passed to an insurance company or the trustees of a pension fund. After retirement, the employee receives a pension payment from the scheme.

IP Virtual Private Networks increasingly outsourced.(Brief Article)

EUROPEMEDIA-(C)2003 Van Dusseldorp & Partners - http://www.vandusseldorp.com/

The number of 'do-it-yourself' internet protocol virtual private networks (IP VPN) in Western Europe is set to decline relative to managed or outsourced IP VPNs, according to the latest study from the IDC.

The IDC predicts that the number of DIY IP VPN connections in Western Europe - 0.5m at the end of 2001 - will rise by 24 per cent year on year to nearly 1.5m at the end of 2006.

Meanwhile, the market will see a 51 per cent year on year increase in the number of managed IP VPN connections from 0.4m at the end of 2001 to 3.2m in 2006. The faster growth of managed IP VPN services will lead them to overtake the number of DIY services in 2003.

The predicted growth in the uptake of managed IP VPN services is based on several factors, including the extent to which managed service offerings are becoming more prevalent, more affordable, and more attractive in terms of how they are offered and what they are able to support. DIY IP VPNs are still expected to remain popular among businesses which have the technical and human resources required to run their own network.

The IP VPN service provider landscape is experiencing a consolidation process in terms of the types of services that are offered. Increasingly, providers are offering customers a full range of services, including managed premise-based services and managed network-based services.

Chris Drake, a senior analyst on IDC's European IP Services program, suggests that, "as the market for IP VPN service provision becomes morecompetitive, service provider offerings will make greater use of a wide range of connectivity, management, and pricing options, as well as become more attractive in terms of the performance, quality of service, and value added services offered."((Distributed via M2 Communications Ltd - http://www.m2.com))

Panel To Solve U.S.-Mexico Sugar Dispute Nearly Ready.

MEXICO CITY, Aug 22, 2001

Authorities from Mexican government and the sugar industry said that a panel should be ready within three weeks to resolve the controversy of access of sugar to the United States, reported Mexico City daily el Universal. National Chamber of the Sugar and Alcohol Industry (CNIAA) Chairman Carlos Seoane said the request to form a panel to solve the disagreement was made last year, but still has not been finalized. Mexico claims that it has the right to export 550 thousand tons of sugar to the United States per year. Seoan also said he recently spoke with Economy Minister Luis Ernesto Derbez about the setting of the price for sugar cane for next year, but without resolution.

URL: www.securities.com

Copyright 2001 Internet Securities, Inc., all rights reserved. A Euromoney Institutional Investor Company.

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