QLD:Cheers as baby whale swims off to find mum

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2011
QLD:Cheers as baby whale swims off to find mum

A baby humpback whale stranded on a Gold Coast has been returned to the ocean.

It's hoped the newborn will now make contact with its mother, who'll guide it out to deep water.

Hundreds of spectators at Surfers Paradise cheered as the calf was towed out by two
jetskis this morning, tired and sore after a tough night stranded on the sand.

Seaworld's director of marine sciences TREVOR LONG says the crisis is not over yet,
and the calf's fate depends on it making contact with its mum.

AAP RTV bart/jmm/gd

KEYWORD: WHALE (GOLD COAST)

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

Qld: Beattie snubbed on Palm Island

AAP General News (Australia)
02-17-2005
Qld: Beattie snubbed on Palm Island

Premier PETER BEATTIE has been snubbed while opening a new community centre in the
troubled north Queensland indigenous community of Palm Island.

Defying requests to stay away from the island, Mr BEATTIE, three ministers and Police
Commissioner BOB ATKINSON travelled to the island to officially open a new $5.5 million
community centre.

The centre is operated by the Police Citizens Youth Club.

His trip was made despite requests by the community for political figures to stay away
until the completion of a coronial inquiry into the death of MULRUNJI DOOMADGEE.

The inquiry is due to formally begin on February the 28th.

Riots broke out on the island in November after 36-year-old MULRUNJI died from severe
injuries while in police custody last November.

Aboriginal leader and DOOMADGEE family spokesman BRAD FOSTER says Mr BEATTIE and his
entourage were met with silent, peaceful protest, with only a handful of people attending
the centre opening.

AAP RTV nt/sc/wz/ea

KEYWORD: PALM (BRISBANE)

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

QLD:Major vegie supplier in receivership

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2011
QLD:Major vegie supplier in receivership

A major Australian vegetable supplier employing more than 500 people in Queensland
has gone into receivership.

Barbera Farms grows produce at Bundaberg and Childers in southern Queensland .. and
Bowen in the state's north.

It was placed into the hands of receivers Ernst and Young yesterday.

Growcom chief executive ALEX LIVINGSTONE says it's a blow to the horticulture industry.

Barbera Farms produce tomatoes .. capsicums and zucchinis.

AAP RTV peb/tnf/sw

KEYWORD: FARM (BRISBANE)

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

FED:Hanson-Young wants children's commissioner

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2010
FED:Hanson-Young wants children's commissioner

CANBERRA, Dec 22 AAP - Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young says Immigration Minister
Chris Bowen has a conflict of interest by having responsibility for the protection of
children orphaned by last week's Christmas Island boat tragedy.

Australian immigration officials are trying to track down the relatives of a child
orphaned in the accident which is believed to have killed about 48 asylum seekers.

Forty-two people survived the tragedy.

Senator Hanson-Young says it's inappropriate for the same person to be the children's
`jailer" and also be responsible for their welfare.

"There cannot be a continuation of the situation where the minister remains the person
who detains them, who jails them and advocates for their welfare," she told reporters.

"The minister must hand over the guardianship to somebody."

In October the government announced that children and vulnerable family groups are
to be moved to community accommodation by June 2011.

Senator Hanson-Young wants to create a position of children's commissioner who wold
also be guardian of any unaccompanied minors or orphaned asylum seeker's children.

"They would be able to advocate for their welfare, their rights and ensure that there
is no longer a conflict of interest between the immigration minister carrying out his
duties under the Migration Act ensuring mandatory detention ... and detaining and jailing
unaccompanied children."

The senator said in the short term Mr Bowen needs to find somebody other than himself
to advocate for their welfare, such as the human rights commissioner.

Senator Hanson-Young currently has a bill before parliament which would create the
new position and has called on the major parties to support it.

In October the government announced that children and vulnerable family groups are
to be moved to community accommodation by June 2011.

AAP ms/sb/maur

KEYWORD: BOAT CAPSIZE

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

VIC:Fire causes damage worth $200,000

AAP General News (Australia)
08-14-2010
VIC:Fire causes damage worth $200,000

MELBOURNE, Aug 14 AAP - A fire in Melbourne's outer east has caused more than $200,000
worth of damage, investigators say.

Firefighters arrived at the Marlborough Road brick veneer house in Heathmont about
8.50pm (AEST) on Friday to find it well alight.

The blaze was brought under control within 30 minutes after intensive water bombing.

The roof collapsed during the fire and asbestos decontamination precautions were taken.

A Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokesman said the fire is not believed to be suspicious,
but investigators will determine the cause on Saturday.

AAP ees/ao

KEYWORD: FIRE

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

National Newslist for Tuesday, April 6, 2010

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2010
National Newslist for Tuesday, April 6, 2010
AAP's National Newslist for Tuesday (not for publication). This is a guide only and stories
are subject to change. AAP's news editors can be contacted on 02 93228611/8610.

TOP STORIES
TURNBULL
- Malcolm Turnbull expected to announce he's quitting politics.

CARRIER
- Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to fly over stricken vessel
- Qld govt says oil leaked from from carrier has been dispersed
- Aust Greens leader Bob Brown calls for crackdown on foreign ships using the Great Barrier
Reef as a shipping shortcut. Brown presser at 1100 AEST
- Federal opposition (Warren Truss) backs calls to expand monitoring requirements for
ships travelling in restricted areas
- Marine Safety Queensland chief Patrick Quirk says there will be an investigation into
foreign ships taking shortcut `rat runs' in Australian
- There's still a risk that the ship grounded in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park could
break up, maritime officials say.

- Rockhampton mayor Brad Carter is praying for fine weather as salvage experts work to
refloat a stricken coal carrier.

- More to come.

POPULATION
- More infrastructure is needed in Australian cities to ensure the next generation has
a better standard of living, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.

- Federal govt accuses Abbott of flip-flopping on the issue of population.

- Australian Industry Group calls opposition's claim Aust's immigration levels are out
of control ridiculous.

- Outwatching for more.

RATES
- RBA holds its monthly board meeting. Rate decision 1430 AEST
- Retailers call on the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to keep interest rates low.

TOLL
- Outwatching for more on Easter road toll fatality numbers, political/police reax. On merit.


COURTS
SYDNEY
- Outwatching for verdict in trial of Percy Small and Matthew Reynolds over fatal Sydney
Harbour boat crash.

BRISBANE
- Jayant Patel manslaughter case continues.

MELBOURNE
- Court appearance for woman charged over the wounding of a man found shot in the kneecap
beside a freeway in Melbourne's northwest.

- Murder committal continues for Judy Moran and co-accused, Melbourne Magistrates Court.

PERTH
- Trial of Joseph Micalizzi and Andrew Santos accused of flying into WA drugs with an
estimated street value of $77 million to WA, one of the state's biggest drug hauls.

CANBERRA
- Cancer patients living in far-north Queensland will receive treatment closer to home
from mid next year, the federal government says.

- Consular officials assisting the family of an Australian man found dead in an apartment
in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta. Outwatching for more.

- Australian women who go under the knife often have unrealistic expectations of cosmetic
surgery and the risks involved, a study shows.

SYDNEY
- NSW Premier Kristina Keneally and others to make police forensic science announcement (1230 AEST)
- Population growth in regional NSW over the next 25 years will boost the economy, NSW
Planning Minister Tony Kelly says. Kelly doorstop on local population projections to 2036
(1115 AEST).

- Owner of a ferris wheel could be prosecuted after one of its cars broke off and plunged
to the ground, injuring three girls.

- Governor-General Quentin Bryce to award Gloucester Cup to HMAS Newcastle (0930 AEST,
with pix, video)

MELBOURNE
- Vic opposition to formally release election promise for 1600 extra police over the next
four years; Vic govt, Police Assoc reax to come.

- Group opposed to duck shooing to dump rubbish on Vic parly steps.

- Vic govt to announce sponsorship/players for Australian Masters golf.

- Leaders of the church behind a graphic crucifixion re-enactment in Geelong on Easter
Saturday are meeting with police to complain about the way they were shut down.

- Man accused of assaulting his partner so seriously that she is fighting for her life
in hospital has handed himself in to police.


BRISBANE
- Outwatching on stricken vessel aground in Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

- Millions of locusts have descended on the central Queensland town of Longreach.

- Australian Greens call for creation of a National Resources Fund and resource rent tax
to secure revenue, infrastructure funding for Australia.

- Twelve women and children airlifted from flooded campsite in Queensland's northwest.

- Man suffers serious spinal, head injuries after his jet ski hit sandbar at mouth of
Noosa River.

ADELAIDE
- SA Liberal Party meets again to elect another deputy leader.

- A geothermal energy company strikes the environmentally friendly equivalent of oil in
SA's southeast, putting the federal government on track to meet its promised green energy
targets.

PERTH
- Checking on midday CEPU protest rally outside Telstra over enterprise agreement negotiations.

(On merit)

ENTERTAINMENT
- Interview with Sydney band Cassette Kids.

MEDICAL
- Queensland-based scientists are studying whether SPF30 sunscreen is powerful enough
or whether a new "super sunscreen" is needed to cut rates of skin cancer.

INTERNATIONAL
LOS ANGELES - An Australian man has been charged with sexually assaulting a 14-year-old
girl in the Canadian province of Newfoundland.

AUCKLAND
- 24,000 rabbits, hares and other pests killed in the annual Easter Bunny Hunt in Otago.

- New Zealand's Easter road toll the worst in 16 years.

- Seeking: Details on Sir Edmund Hillary's ashes being sprinkled on the peak of Mt Everest
this week; Details from Pacific Islands Health Officers Conference in American Samoa;
Update from the President of Fiji's Olympic Committee regarding the nation's reinforced
ban from Commonwealth Games this year; Report into the sinking of Princess Ashika in Tonga.


FINANCE

ECONOMICS

Sydney - Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) monthly board meeting and monetary policy
decision at 1430 AEST

Sydney - ANZ job advertisements series for March



EQUITIES:

Sydney - The competition watchdog has extended its deadline for its probe into the
Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton joint venture in the Pilbera.

Adelaide - A geothermal energy company has struck the environmentally friendly equivalent
of oil in South Australia's southeast.



Also Stocks, Dollar and Finance Briefs to come.

SPORT
LEAGUE

BRISBANE - Darren Lockyer presser 1100AEST to announce his decision on his representative
future, Red Hill.

SYDNEY - Bulldogs recovery session

SYDNEY - NRL teams named for round 5.

AFL

MELBOURNE - Wrap of AFL news.

MELBOURNE - Essendon coach Matthew Knights presser in wake of big loss to Dockers.

MELBOURNE - St Kilda coach Ross Lyon presser.

RUGBY

SYDNEY - Australian Super 14 team news.

GOLF

AUGUSTA, Georgia - Reaction to Tiger Woods' press conference plus other news ahead
of the Masters starting Thursday.

AUGUSTA, Georgia - Tiger Woods took his first steps down the road to redemption on
Monday at the Masters, answering questions from reporters and playing his first public
round of golf in nearly five months. (GOlf Masters Woods 2nd UPdate) Wrap to come.

MELBOURNE - Australian Masters announcement, 1030, The Langham Melbourne.

SURFING

BELLS BEACH, Vic - Men's world tour event scheduled to continue.

BASKETBALL

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin - Milwaukee Bucks centre Andrew Bogut is scheduled to have surgery
two days after he broke his right hand, sprained his wrist and dislocated his elbow.

RACING

SYDNEY - Barrier draw for Saturday's AJC Australian Derby.

SYDNEY - Coverage of Easter Yearling Sale.

MELBOURNE - Looking ahead to racing at Flemington on Saturday.

AAP cdh

KEYWORD: NATIONAL NEWSLIST

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

HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 19:00, Aug 23

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2009
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 19:00, Aug 23

CANBERRA - Embattled Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull has denied he tried to forge
a career with Labor, the party that is now supposed to be his enemy. (Turnbull Wrap)

PERTH - Oil and gas will continue to spill into the ocean for seven weeks off Australia's
northwest coast, says the company responsible for the leak which is expected to cost millions
to clean up. (Spill Wrap to come)

MELBOURNE - The police union has called for mandatory jail terms for "lunatics" who
assault police after an officer had his jaw and eye socket broken in an attack in central
Melbourne. (Violence Wrap); see also,

MELBOURNE - Victoria Police admits that triple-teaming means officers are spread more
thinly in the ongoing struggle to contain Melbourne's violent booze culture. (Gangs Wrap)

CANBERRA - The saga of emissions trading could get longer, with the opposition planning
to dump or change the scheme if they win the next federal election. (Climate)

BRISBANE - Three horse stud workers under observation in hospital for the Hendra virus
could be discharged as early as next week, the father of one of the patients says. (Hendra
Wrap)

CANBERRA - Australia should rethink its stance on nuclear power and then let the people
decide via a referendum, Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce says. (Nationals Wrap)

BRISBANE - A peak wildlife body is hoping tests on four sick turtles will provide answers
as to why three bottlenose dolphins and a turtle died in southeast Queensland's Moreton
Bay. (Dolphins Wrap)

MELBOURNE - Gold and base metals explorer Herald Resources Ltd, which is developing
the Dairi zinc and lead project in north Sumatra in Indonesia, has advised shareholders
to take no action over last week's takeover offer by Indonesia's PT Bumi Resources Tbk
(Herald).



LONDON - Two of the six Australian rugby league players being deported from Britain
amid a visa scandal insist they had no idea they had broken any immigration rules. (League
Visas)

BERLIN - Steve Hooker has rewritten the book on how you win major pole vault gold medals.

(Aths World Hooker)



More bwl

KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL UPDATE

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

HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 19:30, April 14 = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-14-2009
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 19:30, April 14 = 2

CANBERRA - An Australian Navy seaman has been sentenced to more than a decade in jail
for the bashing murder of an elderly woman on a Pacific island. (Doney)



AUCKLAND - Phar Lap, the big-hearted horse that rewrote racing's history books nearly
80 years ago, has been reproduced as a life-sized clay statue before being cast in bronze
to stand outside a New Zealand racecourse. (NZ Phar Lap)



SYDNEY - Drowning, fires, falls, road accidents and poisonings are the five leading
causes of accidental deaths of Australian children. (Accident)



SYDNEY - Raising the cost of a packet of cigarettes by half would prompt the vast majority
of smokers into trying to quit, a poll shows. (Smoking. Eds: Embargoed until 0001 AEST
Wednesday)



SYDNEY - It looks like a wart-covered zucchini and has an equally unappetising name,
but experts say it could help rescue the world's population from malnutrition and disease.

(Vegetable)



SYDNEY - Fast and Furious star Paul Walker says he's "bummed out" he couldn't make
it Down Under for the premiere of the film, but he'll be back in May for a surfing trip.

(Walker)



CANBERRA - A majority of Australians have given the Rudd government's $43 billion national
broadband plan the thumbs up, a survey released on Tuesday shows. (Essential)



CANBERRA - The Rudd government says it's "silly" to suggest preschools would be forced
to fly the Aboriginal flag under proposed national guidelines for early childhood teachers.

(Children McKew)



CANBERRA - Electricity supplies could be jeopardised by a double whammy of emissions
trading and the financial crisis, the industry says. (Electricity)



PERTH - The federal government insists its policies are not to blame for the recent
spike in illegal boat arrivals. (Boat Wrap)



CANBERRA - The federal government must change the funding structure for aged care to
keep the sector afloat, providers say. (Aged ACAA)



CANBERRA - Greens leader Bob Brown will press for an end to the logging of native forests
when he meets Prime Minister Kevin Rudd this week. (Greens Meeting)



SYDNEY - Before Joyce Mary Chant shot her husband dead and hacked off his arms, legs
and head, she endured years of domestic violence. (Chant Wrap)



SYDNEY - Sydney's ANZ Stadium insists fan safety is a paramount concern despite a security
guard being bashed and a pregnant teenager suffering a blow to the stomach at Monday's
NRL game. (Pregnant Update)



SYDNEY - A young girl left bruised and bloodied by a violent attempted abduction has
been praised by police, who say it will take a long time for her to overcome the trauma.

(Girl)



SYDNEY - Sydney Roosters hooker Jake Friend has pleaded guilty to a charge of high
range drink driving. (Friend)



SYDNEY - NSW Premier Nathan Rees says a new western Sydney hospital will open ahead
of schedule and under budget, despite opposition claims to the contrary. (Hospital)



SYDNEY - NSW recorded the highest Easter road toll in the country, pushed to six by
the death of a teenager who drowned when her car washed off a flooded causeway. (Toll
NSW Wrap )



SYDNEY - The NSW Department of Corrective Services misled the public by denying a brawl
at a Sydney jail was bikie gang related, the prison officers union says. (Bikies Prisons
Update)



SYDNEY - A Kings Cross security boss was collecting a $380,000 payment for "an associate"

when he was gunned down in a Sydney park, a magistrate has been told. (Jacobs)



MELBOURNE - A conman allegedly fleeced his new wife of her life savings before telling
her she faced being eliminated by ASIO. (Charters)



MELBOURNE - A bouncer had his thumb cut off in an attack by up to 20 men at a Melbourne
bar in the latest serious incident in the city's spate of nightclub violence. (Thumb Wrap)



MELBOURNE - The Victorian opposition has questioned whether lives could have been saved
on Black Saturday if warnings about the state's emergency response system had been heeded.

(Bushfires Vic Warning)



MELBOURNE - Victoria has recorded its lowest Easter road toll in a decade with only
one death, but police say luck as much as good planning kept the figure down. (Toll Vic
Easter Wrap)



BRISBANE - The launch of a north Queensland emergency rescue jet base has been delayed
- after the jet detoured to pick up an Australian who fell 20 metres off a Papua New Guinea
cliff. (Careflight)



BRISBANE - Container lashings and safety procedures on the ship that spilled 270 tonnes
of oil off the Queensland coast will be the initial focus of transport safety investigators.

(Spill Report Wrap)



BRISBANE - An aircraft carrying six people made a safe belly-landing at Oakey airport,
near Toowoomba in south east Queensland, after experiencing landing gear problems. (Aircraft)



BRISBANE - A Gold Coast bank manager was injected in the neck with an unknown substance
during a terrifying abduction and robbery. (Bank)



BRISBANE - A notorious pedophile will be released back into the community despite breaching
his supervision order for the fourth time. (Foy Wrap)



BRISBANE - Industrial pill presses capable of manufacturing illicit drugs have been
stolen from a southeast Queensland business. (Pillpress)



ADELAIDE - An Adelaide hospital has been locked down following reports of a man with
a gun in the area. (Lockdown. Outseeking more)



PERTH - Former West Australian premier Brian Burke has continued to appeal for a fair
trial on corruption charges. (Burke)



DARWIN - Vandals have defaced sacred Aboriginal sites, including rock art at Uluru
and rock faces in Kakadu, in the last few months. (Kakadu)

AAP jlw

KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL UPDATE 2 SYDNEY

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

QLD: Gold Coast shopping hours decision deferred

AAP General News (Australia)
12-09-2008
QLD: Gold Coast shopping hours decision deferred

By Steve Gray

BRISBANE, Dec 9 AAP - Coles and Woolworths will have to wait until the middle of next
year to learn if they'll be allowed to extend trading hours on the Gold Coast.

The grocery giants are seeking permission to trade from 6am until midnight, seven days
a week, at their Gold Coast stores.

The push has been opposed by the Queensland Retail Traders and Shopkeepers Association,
which argues it would threaten small and independent retailers.

The matter was adjourned in November by the full bench of the Queensland Industrial
Relations Commission (QIRC) and the adjournment is subject to appeal in the Industrial
Court of Queensland.

Industrial Court President, Justice David Hall, heard legal argument on Tuesday before
saying he would deliver his judgment on the appeal in mid-January.

The application by the National Retail Association for extended hours at six Gold Coast
supermarkets will then be re-listed, with a hearing by the QIRC expected to occur around
March.

A decision on the matter would then be delivered mid-year.

AAP stg/pjo/tnf

KEYWORD: TRADING

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

WA: Barnett says he would relish the opportunity to lead WA

AAP General News (Australia)
08-05-2008
WA: Barnett says he would relish the opportunity to lead WA

By Warwick Stanley

PERTH, Aug 5 AAP - Former West Australian opposition leader Colin Barnett is set to
be drafted back into the Liberal leadership despite announcing his retirement from politics
and endorsing the candidate selected for his blue-ribbon Perth seat.

Mr Barnett, who would become the Liberals' fourth leader since the party's defeat at
the 2005 election, today announced his intention to contest the opposition leadership
at a party room meeting tomorrow.

He said he had been urged in recent days by Liberal MPS, party members and "members
of the public" to reconsider his decision to retire and to lead the opposition to the
next election, likely to be called within weeks.

If elected tomorrow, Mr Barnett would replace Troy Buswell, who resigned yesterday
after taking over from former leader Paul Omodei in January.

Mr Barnett, 58, has held the Perth beachside seat of Cottesloe for 18 years and held
several ministries in the government of Richard Court.

He quit as Liberal party leader following the 2005 defeat and has since announced his
retirement from politics, clearing the way for the preselection of a former chief of staff
in Mr Court's office, Deidre Willmott.

Ms Willmott, whose preselection in Cottesloe was unopposed, is yet to indicate that
she will willingly stand aside to contest another seat.

Mr Barnett, who said he had discussed the leadership "on and off" with Mr Buswell in
recent days, said difficulties remained in finding a seat for Ms Willmott should he be
voted in as party leader tomorrow.

He said he was a good friend of Ms Willmott and wanted to see her in parliament after
the next election.

"That is obviously the issue," Mr Barnett told reporters in announcing his leadership bid.

"It is a complicated issue. It is something that is up to Deidre and it is up to the
Liberal party to resolve and it is not something I should be involved in.

"I can't answer whether she will be given another seat."

He said he had attended a football match with Ms Willmott at the weekend where they
"had a chat" about the possibility that Mr Buswell would step down.

They had not discussed the likelihood of Mr Barnett's return to politics, he said.

"Wise heads have to prevail. It is an extraordinary situation that we find ourselves
in," Mr Barnett said.

He acknowledged he may still have enemies in the party room, saying he expected any
differences of opinion to be discussed at tomorrow's meeting.

"The important thing is we are going about winning government and all Liberal members
of parliament must be united in that," he said.

"When the Liberals meet tomorrow I hope there is open and frank discussion of forming
an opposition."

Mr Barnett, widely seen as sinking the Liberals at the last election with a plan to
build a canal to carry water from the Kimberley to Perth, is still to commit to serving
another full four-year term in parliament.

He persistently dodged questions as to whether he would remain Member for Cottesloe
if he won the Liberal leadership and failed to win government at the coming election,
which must be called before May 2 next year.

"I have been an MP for 18 years. I have received remarkable goodwill and friendship
from my electorate," he said.

"It is my electorate more than anyone that has been urging me take on this role."

He called an end to the press conference when he was questioned as to whether he retained
his plans for a Kimberley-Perth canal.

"If I am elected leader of the Liberal party tomorrow, I will endeavour to answer all
of your questions," he said.

AAP was/jfm/de

KEYWORD: LIBS WA NIGHTLEAD

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

Qld: Man robs service station with shot gun

AAP General News (Australia)
02-12-2008
Qld: Man robs service station with shot gun

BRISBANE, Feb 12 AAP - A service station operator was threatened with a shotgun in
an overnight robbery west of Brisbane, police say.

Police said the armed man walked into the Mobil Red Lion Petrol Station in Toowoomba
about 10.50pm (AEST) yesterday and pointed the gun in the staff member's face.

He stole money and cigarettes before fleeing along West Street and discharging a single
round from the gun at a nearby intersection.

No-one was injured.

The man is described as Caucasian, between 180 and 185cm tall, with a slim build and
a short, narrow beard.

He was wearing a black beanie, a dark blue, long-sleeved button-up King Gee-style work
shirt, dark blue work pants and no shoes.

Anyone with information can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

AAP jmm/maur

KEYWORD: SERVICE

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

Vic: Accused rapist remanded in custody

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2007
Vic: Accused rapist remanded in custody

MELBOURNE, Aug 24 AAP - A 45-year-old Melbourne man has been remanded in custody after
appearing in court today charged over sexual attacks on 24 women including a string of
offences dubbed the Hot Chocolate rape.

Harry William Barkas, of South Yarra, appeared at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court
today to face 61 charges relating to a series of rapes over a 15 year period.

Barkas, who lived with his mother, was the subject of two separate investigations by
sexual crime squad detectives.

Prosecutor Moya O'Brien requested that Barkas be remanded in custody until a further
hearing on the 14th December this year.

Ms O'Brien told the court that police needed more time to interview witnesses and follow-up
calls from the public.

"Four of the 24 victims are overseas," Ms O'Brien told the court.

"There are also a potential two victims which need to be spoken to."

Magistrate Frank Hodgens remanded Barkas in custody till December 14 and refused bail.

AAP sam/szp/mh/cp

KEYWORD: BARKAS REMAND

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

Qld: Veterans behind Powderfinger Anzac Day concert

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2007
Qld: Veterans behind Powderfinger Anzac Day concert

By Jessica Marszalek

BRISBANE, April 10 AAP - War veterans have thrown their support behind a rock concert
to be staged following an Anzac Day dawn service on the Gold Coast, saying it is a celebration
of the freedom they fought for.

The Queensland Returned and Services League (RSL) has given the green light to the
beach gig by the award-winning Brisbane rock band, Powderfinger, which is expected to
attract thousands to the dawn and midday services.

The concert, the band's first in more than two years, will be telecast live on the
Seven Network's Sunrise program and will help raise funds for the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary's
animal hospital.

In 2005, a controversial plan to have singer John Farnham perform at the 90th anniversary
Anzac service in Gallipoli, Turkey, was vetoed after a furore over its inconsistency with
the solemnity of the occasion.

But Currumbin and Palm Beach RSL president Ron Workman said not one single complaint
had been received from veterans about the Powderfinger gig, which is being called a "freedom
concert".

"I think possibly the biggest issue that people have to remember is that Anzac Day
is our national day of remembrance and - in the last century - tyranny, depression and
terrorism have been a significant aspect against freedom," Mr Workman said today.

"We're in a world where our children can play without fear, we're in a world where
our children can go to the beach without fear. So to me, to go to a benefit concert without
fear to raise funds for Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary for the retention of our Australian
wildlife heritage, goodness me, if anyone's got any complaints about that it's quite sad.

"It's been very well applauded which is good ... I feel quite comfortable."

He said more than 8,000 people were expected to attend the dawn service and "a lot
of people" to attend the concert.

But despite veterans supporting the Powderfinger concert, many had never heard of the
internationally successful rock band.

"I'm led to believe they've been acknowledged as one of the best bands over many, many
years," Mr Workman said.

"I'm an old fart, (but) a young old fart."

AAP jmm/pjo/srp/de

KEYWORD: ANZAC POWDERFINGER

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

Qld: Families of Childers fire victims continue wait for compo

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2006
Qld: Families of Childers fire victims continue wait for compo

The families of 11 people who died in the Childers backpacker hostel fire are still
fighting for compensation .. six years after the tragedy.

The blaze at the Palace Backpackers Hostel at Childers .. north of Brisbane in June
2000 .. killed 15 people .. mostly international travellers.

ROBERT PAUL LONG is serving a 20-year jail sentence for murder and arson .. after lighting
the fire.

Investigations found fire alarms at the hostel had been switched off .. there had been
no evacuation plan and fire exits were blocked.

Almost 60 survivors of the fire have just settled a multi-million dollar damages claim
against the Queensland government .. the Isis Shire Council and the owners and operators
of the hostel.

But the families of 11 of the victims continue to wait for compensation.

Their representatives say complexities of the case .. including that many of the relatives
live overseas and don't speak English .. have contributed to the length of the process
which began in 2002.

It's hoped a resolution will begin in February and an out-of-court settlement .. believed
to be millions of dollars .. will be reached.

One other victim had no relatives while families of three others have elected not to
take legal action.

AAP RTV jmm/sc/els/bart

KEYWORD: CHILDERS (BRISBANE)

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

Vic: Skydiver who saved Aussie woman 'a hero', her father says

AAP General News (Australia)
08-02-2006
Vic: Skydiver who saved Aussie woman 'a hero', her father says

A Melbourne man has praised a skydiving instructor .. who died shielding his daughter
in a plane crash in the United States.

Six people were killed when the aircraft hit a power pole and nosedived into a tree
.. soon after taking off from an airport in Missouri on Saturday.

BILL DEAR .. from the Melbourne suburb of Sydenham .. has told the Nine Network ..

skydiving instructor ROBERT COOK's a hero .. for saving his daughter KIMBERLEY.

KIMBERLEY suffered spinal injuries .. a broken pelvis and collar bone .. many cuts
and abrasions .. concussion and severe bruising.

AAP RTV jrd/gfr/ibw/jmt

KEYWORD: US PLANE AUST (MELBOURNE)

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

Qld: Man dies after car flips into cane field

AAP General News (Australia)
02-12-2006
Qld: Man dies after car flips into cane field

A 21-year-old man who's car flipped and landed in a cane field in far north Queensland
on Friday night .. has died in hospital.

The man suffered head and spinal injuries in the accident at Miriwinni .. south of
Cairns .. and died in Townsville Base Hospital yesterday.

AAP RTV nt/jmt

KEYWORD: TOLL QLD (BRISBANE)

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

SA: Adelaide company may have sold gear to al-Qaeda, Downer

AAP General News (Australia)
08-30-2005
SA: Adelaide company may have sold gear to al-Qaeda, Downer

The federal government says an Adelaide-based communications company appears to have
sold radio equipment to an al-Qaeda operative.

But Foreign Minister ALEXANDER DOWNER says Codan Limited clearly didn't deliberately
sell the equipment to an al-Qaeda operative in 2001.

Mr DOWNER says radios were exported to Mauritania and it looks as though somebody who
was listed as an al-Qaeda or Taliban operative may have obtained them.

Mr DOWNER says they could have been ordered through the use of an alias name.

ABC radio today reported it has documents that show al-Qaeda operative MOHAMEDOU SLAHI
ordered radio communications equipment from Codan Limited in 2001.

SLAHI is suspected of deep involvement in the September 11 attacks.

Codan Ltd managing director MIKE HEARD says company policy precludes him from confirming
whether SLAHI was a customer.

AAP RTV sl/jt/jv/drp

KEYWORD: TERROR AUST CODAN (ADELAIDE)

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

NSW: 2 killed, at least 5 more injured as NSW toll rises to six

AAP General News (Australia)
12-29-2004
NSW: 2 killed, at least 5 more injured as NSW toll rises to six

Two people have been killed on New South Wales road and at least five more have been
seriously injured, as the state's Christmas road toll climbs to six.

A woman died in a three-car pile-up near Merimbula on the south coast this morning.

Police say five others, including two children, were rushed to hospital.

The woman, who is yet to be formally identified, was found dead at the scene by ambulance
workers.

A 55-year-old man also died after two cars collided in Wollongong early today.

Police say one car crashed into the side of another near the corner of West and Auburn streets.

The man died from his injuries while the driver of the second car was treated for shock.







(Eds: NSW road toll figures are for the period 0001 December 23 to 2359 January 3.

This differs from the NSW Police road toll period.)

AAP RTV bk/nf/ved/gjr

KEYWORD: TOLL NSW (SYDNEY)

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

antedependence

antedependence The dependence of the value of a quantity at time t on its value at one or more previous times. See also autocorrelation.

Heart Beat.(Suburban Living)

Single at the holidays - it's not so bad

As if going to weddings single isn't bad enough, the holidays can be real pressure cookers for unattached folks. Relatives wanting to know when you'll bring a significant other to the festivities - not to mention a passel of progeny. No one special to buy for - or receive from. No one to smooch under the mistletoe.

But the holidays can be bearable, even enjoyable, for singles, says Jeffrey Ullman founder of Greater Expectations dating service.

His five solutions:

- Get out. Go to those holiday parties. You never know who you'll meet. Check out singles events, the local coffeehouse. Active, positive folks attract people, he notes. Mopes don't.

- Join a not-for-profit or social organization. You'll be giving and getting at the same time.

- Say hi. Not making eye contact is the number one reason people don't get asked out. Set out to meet one new person a day (at the mall, the Laundromat, etc.).

- Make a change. Pamper yourself once in a while: attend a self-help seminar, get a makeover, buy a new outfit. Your self-confidence will theoretically improve and people will theoretically find you radiant.

- Be spontaneous. Break those habits. Take a cruise, join a gym, sign up for a walk to raise money for the homeless.

And tell Aunt Martha to take a hike.

Computer love - isn't it romantic?

If actually getting out doesn't do the trick, why not get into your PC? For some romantic advice and the like, check out the Incurable Romantix Magazine's Love and Romance Master Page (at http://www.autonomy.com).

Check out advice from "Miss Lonelyhearts," the Love Surfers Forum - currently cute kids' quotes about amour - poetry and letters and a forum for married folks.

As with many Web sites, there's lots of pointless babbling (Lemuel Cohen talking about his cousin, Sherri, and her too-high expectations), but hey, it wouldn't be the Internet without it, would it?

Date a coworker? Why the heck not?

You're tired of looking for love at the grocery store and coffee shop. And bars? Come on.

How about the office? Not a bad bet, but before you take the leap, there are some considerations, notes Glamour.

For starters, you should be confident that this one could work out. Flings and short-term affairs are not good ideas. Keep work and personal life separate - no arguing over the water cooler about who did the dishes last night. And be prepared for an uncomfortable period at work after the breakup.

If you break up.

Another shirt and tie? Please, no!

My gosh, it couldn't be December already, could it? And you, without a great gift idea for your guy.

Haya Gil Lubin to the rescue. She's the author of "Show Him Your Love: More than 101 Gift Ideas for the Man in Your Life."

How about renting him the car of his dreams for a day or two? A 'vette, perhaps, or at least a convertible?

How about Playboy underwear and satin sheets? Perhaps a new business card you've designed for him, or a bath towel version of it?

Or try your own version of the 12 Days of Christmas. Start with one gift of your choice and end with 12 pairs of socks. After all that, however, we're guessing the socks would be sort of a comedown.

- Cheryl terHorst

ReceiptCity Teams With VeriFone to Bring Retailers Receipt-Based e-Services.

Business Editors, High-Tech Writers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 24, 2000

Alliance Offers Point-of-Sale Payment with One-to-One Marketing,

Receipt Management and Means to Reach In-store Shoppers Online

ReceiptCity, the leading provider of receipt-based infrastructure and services to retailers, today announced a strategic alliance with VeriFone, a division of Hewlett-Packard Company, to provide retailers with a comprehensive interactive solution that combines e-payment at the point of sale (POS) with e-services such as the storage and management of digital receipts.

In addition to providing receipt services, the integrated offering allows retailers to present personalized ads, promotions, and surveys on a Web-enabled payment terminal while shoppers complete their payment transactions. The ads and promotions, which can reflect a shopper's current purchase and purchase history as well as demographic criteria, give retailers opportunities to generate additional sales and gain a new revenue channel from advertisers seeking to reach in-store customers. Ad presentation does not extend payment transaction time; the number of ads a shopper will see is determined by the time it takes to complete the transaction.

VeriFone will provide the terminals, the Omni 5200 Interactive Customer Display Appliance, whose technology has been licensed from its developer, @pos.com, Inc. VeriFone will integrate the Omni 5200 with its payment software. The company will also provide implementation and deployment services, financing and leasing options, and network consulting.

ReceiptCity will provide various e-services. These include the point-of-sale ads, promotions, and surveys. In addition, ReceiptCity offers an electronic receipt service for retailers and a Web site where consumers can access and manage their own receipts from participating retailers. Retailers' use of digital receipts reduces the costs associated with storing and retrieving paper receipts for chargebacks, limiting retailers' exposure to fraud. A Web site where shoppers can find their own receipts will further reduce retailers' customer service costs for receipt retrieval.

"The alliance with VeriFone means that retailers will be able to purchase state-of-the-art interactive payment terminals and receive support from the world leader in secure electronic payment solutions," said Aziz Valliani, president and CEO, ReceiptCity. "We will work closely with VeriFone to accelerate the deployment of the terminals and our services."

"VeriFone, in alliance with ReceiptCity, now offers retailers the most comprehensive payment and e-service solutions available," said Pierre Francois-Catte, general manager, VeriFone. "We believe that these e-services, which begin on the retail countertop and extend to the back office and over the Internet to shoppers worldwide, will revolutionize retailing by connecting in-store commerce with e-commerce."

About ReceiptCity

ReceiptCity is a pre-IPO Silicon Valley Internet infrastructure company that uses patented, Web-based technology to provide, securely store, and retrieve electronic receipts and present personalized e-messages at the point-of-sale and online. ReceiptCity services help merchants generate incremental revenue, reduce operating costs, build real-time intimacy with shoppers, and enhance Web site stickiness. The company was formed by @pos.com as a new venture in January 2000. For additional information, see www.receiptcity.com, send an email to information@receiptcity.com, or call 408/468-5500.

About @pos.com, Inc.

@pos.com (OTCBB:EPOS), a pioneer in Web-enabling the point of sale, bridges the gap between the Internet and the physical, brick-and-mortar point of sale. @pos.com POS technology is designed to help increase sales, reduce the costs associated with fraud; and enhance overall customer satisfaction. The company was previously MobiNetix Systems, Inc., which developed PenWare iPOS(TM) (interactive point-of-sale) terminals. For additional information, see www.atpos.com, send an email to info@atpos.com, or call 408/468-5400.

Except for historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release are forward looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including price and product competition, design acceptance by customers, financing constraints, the ability to manufacture new products in sufficient volume, general economic conditions, and other risks as detailed from time to time in SEC reports and filings by @pos.com.

PenWare, iPOS TC(TM), ReceiptCity.com, and eReceipts are trademarks or service marks of @pos.com. All other products or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

How Will Market Fare in the Electronic Age? Final Chapter Has Yet To Be Written, Most Say.

So, have you printed any good books lately?

Metropolitan area shops that specialize in bound materials ranging from traditional hard and softcover works to smaller publications such as guides and manuals offer mixed opinions about the future of the market. Printing News recently interviewed a number of book printers throughout its reporting region who insist that despite the increasing widespread use of electronic information devices, books are, and will remain, indispensable reference tools.

Depends Whom You Ask

Tom Kemnitz, president of Royal Fireworks Press, Unionville, N.Y., agrees that technology is changing the way information reaches the masses. He disagrees, however, that the printed book will disappear entirely. At Royal Fireworks which manufactures one- to four-color books, run lengths presently average between 500 and 7,000 books per job.

Although growing dependence on electronic tools has not yet cut into the number of volumes Royal Fireworks manufactures, Mr. Kemnitz concedes that the form books eventually will take is bound to change dramatically--and in the not-too-distant future. "We live in times where two years is a long time," he says. "With the way technology is going, it's hard to know where a company will be."

Representatives of other book manufacturing firms say a balance can be achieved between books and electronic message systems. In a recent survey conducted by Bowne Business Communications of Secaucus, N.J., stockholders were asked how they wished to receive financial information. The overwhelming preference was for printed matter.

Says Kim Freeman, director of corporate communications for Bowne, "We don't think (book) printing will diminish. We firmly believe that there is a place for all of it." For example, she says, "we publish the Red Box, which contains all the instruction books a public company needs to carry out its corporate reporting." However, she points out, Bowne also issues materials on CD-ROM and presents seminars as part of its goal to "inform people in creative ways." Financial and legal journals remain important information tools for executives and attorneys, she insists.

Ironically, Bowne recently produced a 1,000-page book titled "Securities Law in Cyberspace," which reviews the legal ramifications relating to the Internet. Documenting the rules of the Federal Communications Commission is another example of how Bowne satisfies customers' need for information in regulatory issues.

"Public companies always are interested in finding out what they must do in order to comply with regulations," she says. "It's important that we provide the information to our audience in order to help them do their job better, whether it's done through traditional printing or variable data. We try to accentuate their needs."

Frederick K. Moss, vice president of Galvanic Printing and Plate Co., Moonachie, N.J., expects the volume of his book printing business to remain constant. Book printing currently represents 15 to 18 percent of Galvanic's work, he estimates, with run lengths averaging between 3,500 to 15,000 copies per job.

Despite "all this fancy-dan stuff" responsible for the way the work is done, Mr. Moss credits an all-inclusive workflow for keeping Galvanic's book publishing business strong. "Right now, we are doing a series on Vietnam," he says. "At present, the first book is being printed and the graphics are being worked on. We design and format everything from start to finish."

Some May Need It, Others May Not

In the realm of education reliance on such new media tools as the Internet and the CD-ROM eventually may lead to a decline in the need for textbooks, says Mr. Kemnitz. In addition, domestic book printers must deal with competitive pressure from markets outside the U.S., which reportedly can produce all kinds of books more cheaply. Indeed, it was just this sort of competitive pressure that prompted one local business--Barton Press of West Orange, N.J.--to drop this niche recently, in favor of commercial printing.

"It's even being done in places Mexico, where the labor is much cheaper," explains Ken Marino, Barton's chief operating officer, adding that Barton's book labor costs averaged around $1 million per year.

Book printing accounted for 5 percent of Barton's business for about a decade, says Mr. Marino. Primarily, he says, the company manufactured children's books for two or three accounts.

Mr. Marino states that Barton Press, which is experiencing annual sales growth of from 20 to 25 percent, henceforth will concentrate on commercial printing. The company's capabilities range from sheetfed and web offset work to the manufacture of commemorative postal stamps and maps. "Ours was strictly a business decision," Mr. Marino reiterates. "We want to do other business."

Search for Skilled Laborers

Most companies with book production capabilities eventually run into difficulty when attempting to hire experienced workers. Technicians skilled in computer-to-plate (CTP) and electronic file transfer are heavily in demand, says Arnold N. Kahn, president of PrintLink, a graphic arts employment staffing agency based in Rochester, N.Y. "Finding good CTP employees, in particular, is hard because the technology is relatively new and book printers are just beginning to get involved," he notes.

Case binders and finishers, along with bindery supervisors possessed of strong managerial and production skills, are among the workers book printers need most urgently to man their postpress divisions, says Mr. Kahn. Customer service representatives well-versed in book printing and press supervisors round out the list of most sought-after positions.

Mr. Kahn does not believe that increased reliance on electronic media will hurt the book publishing industry, at least for the short term. "I think book printing will remain strong for at least three to five years," he says.

Conexant's Selection of HP 94000 CMOS Imaging Test System Underscores Increasing Need for Time-to-Volume Solutions.

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 27, 1999--

Major Commitment to CMOS Imaging Will Benefit Consumers by

Accelerating an Extremely Cost-effective Shift Away From CCDs

Hewlett-Packard Company today announced that Conexant Systems Inc. has taken delivery of a second HP 94000 automated test system for verifying high-quality CMOS imaging solutions. Conexant's CMOS imaging chips enable emerging digital-image communications applications, such as PC-based video cameras, videophones, digital cameras, multimedia-capable cellular telephones and personal digital assistants.

"Building leading-edge megapixel CMOS image sensors requires an ally that can provide a quality production test solution to handle both the sensor and embedded processing in a single pass," said Ed Han, director of Test Engineering. "That ally is HP, with its 94000IP. No one else can provide this superior performance."

"CMOS imaging is now one of the most volume-intense technologies, driven by strong consumer demand for multimedia-capable products," said John Scruggs, vice president and general manager of HP's Automated Test Group. "Because the consumer's sharp eyes are the ultimate test system for imaging products, HP and Conexant are committed to the delivery of imaging ICs in high volume. By providing an automated platform optimized for testing mixed-signal CMOS devices at high throughput and low cost, we're helping Conexant gain a stronghold in the exciting emerging market for integrated, end-to-end communications solutions."

"Digital imaging is one of the fastest-growing markets in the world and the key is the on-chip mixed-signal flexibility of the CMOS image sensor," said Conexant's Kevin V. Strong, senior vice president and general manager, Personal Imaging. "Conexant's solutions leverage decades of development of CMOS technology for aerospace imaging applications. Our low-cost chips are changing the landscape of personal communications. Our selection of the HP 94000 is a major commitment and investment in superior test equipment that enables the production of high-volume, high-quality CMOS image sensors at affordable prices."

"The perfection of low-cost, low-power CMOS as an imaging chip is the clear enabler of the exploding imaging market, which is passing a compound growth rate of 83.3 percent between 1998 and 2002," said Hirano Atsushi, image test product marketing manager for HP's Silicon Systems Test Division. "With cell phones and toys targeted to add single-chip cameras to their feature set, time-to-volume manufacturing solutions are required. Winning companies will put products on the shelves without delay. Test systems for the wafer and packaged chip level are the pacing factor in this hot marketplace."

Conexant said it selected the HP 94000 test system because it offers a high level of automation, an integrated light source and test processes specifically designed for CMOS imaging and "camera on a chip" devices. The HP 94000's mixed-signal capabilities fulfill system requirements such as A/D converters, timing chips and sync signal generators, all integrated onto the same device. HP's solution allows Conexant to test both wafers and packaged devices on the same platform. This has streamlined quality procedures and increased test throughput and capacity while reducing test costs. Conexant estimates that using the integrated "total test cell" system has increased throughput fourfold over the previous method.

The HP 94000 test system cost-effectively validates high-resolution imaging devices at high-frame and clock rates, enabling use of CMOS imagers in high-quality, low-cost video applications. Conexant can also build and test larger CMOS imaging devices for OEMs, based on the HP 94000 test system's scalability to test imagers of up to 16 megapixels with up to 40MHz data rates.

Additional information on HP's Semiconductor Test solutions can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com/go/semiconductor.

About HP

Hewlett-Packard Company -- a leading global provider of computing and imaging solutions and services for business and home -- is focused on capitalizing on the opportunities of the Internet and the proliferation of electronic services.

HP plans to launch Agilent Technologies as an independent company by mid-calendar 2000. Agilent consists of HP's test and measurement, semiconductor products, chemical analysis and healthcare solutions businesses, and has leading positions in multiple market segments.

HP has 123,500 employees worldwide and had total revenue of $47.1 billion in its 1998 fiscal year. Information about HP, its products and the company's Year 2000 program can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.