National Newslist for Tuesday, February 3, 2009

AAP General News (Australia)
02-03-2009
National Newslist for Tuesday, February 3, 2009
AAP's National Newslist for today (not for publication). This is a guide only and stories
are subject to change. AAP's news editors Joanne Williamson and Nalita Ferraz can be contacted
on 02 93228611/8610.

NATIONAL
STIMULUS/ECONOMY
- Fed govt to unveil its second stimulus package (1230 AEDT - following 1030-1230 lock-up);
package expected to include greens jobs measures and free insulation for 2.7 million Australian
homes; reax to follow.

- Treasurer Wayne Swan says package will strike right balance between supporting jobs
and investing in critical …

NSW:Planking is dangerous, O'Farrell says

AAP General News (Australia)
05-20-2011
NSW:Planking is dangerous, O'Farrell says

SYDNEY, May 20 AAP - NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell has added his voice to growing concerns
about planking.

Young Brisbane man Acton Beale died last weekend after falling seven storeys from a
high-rise unit while planking.

"It is clear from episodes in recent days that planking can be dangerous," Mr O'Farrell
told reporters in Sydney on Friday.

"We've seen in Queensland one person die.

"It's about time people across the state understood that planking can and is dangerous."

Mr O'Farrell's comments come a day after federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott voiced
concerns about planking and urged youngsters to find other ways to keep themselves occupied.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has also raised concerns about the activity.

The internet-driven fad involves people lying plank-like in odd places and then taking
photos of themselves.

AAP mdg/tr/jlw

KEYWORD: PLANKING OFARRELL

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

FED:Court win won't fix policy problems: opp

AAP General News (Australia)
08-31-2011
FED:Court win won't fix policy problems: opp

Opposition immigration spokesman SCOTT MORRISON says a decision by the High Court about
the government's controversial refugee swap deal with Malaysia won't be a reflection of
the merits of the policy.

The court's full bench is expected to hand down its decision on the lawfulness of the
policy after lunch today.

Mr MORRISON'S told ABC Radio even if the government is successful, it will just be
an acknowledgement that the minister has the power to make this decision and not a reflection
of whether it's a good or a bad policy or if it provides protection to refugees.

AAP RTV ms/jcd/psm/

KEYWORD: BOAT MORRISON (CANBERRA)

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

GLEN ROCK TEEN'S 'IDOL' DREAM ENDS

VIRGINIA ROHANE-mail: rohan@northjersey.com
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
02-27-2011
GLEN ROCK TEEN'S 'IDOL' DREAM ENDS
Byline: VIRGINIA ROHANE-mail: rohan@northjersey.com
Section: BETTER LIVING
Type: News

Ever since word got out in early January that Glen Rock's Alex Ryan had made it to the Top 40 on Season 10 of "American Idol," his fans in North Jersey have been eagerly watching the Fox show, waiting to see him sing his heart out.

This past Wednesday, 18-year-old Ryan finally appeared on camera - - not just as a kid with a punkish upswept 'do in a group shot, but fully identified by name and town -- as he was being told by the judges he would not move on to the Top 24.
"I was not shown performing once," Ryan confirms, on the phone Thursday.

Did he ask anyone why?

"Well, I wouldn't really know who to ask," he says. "But at this point, people saw my face, and regardless of how much I was shown, I definitely experienced it. Nothing could take that away."

As Ryan well knows, too, making the top 40 -- out of 125,000 who auditioned -- is itself a great prize.

"When they showed me hugging everybody after I'd been cut, you didn't hear what they were saying to me," he says, paraphrasing fellow contestant Jordan Dorsey. "He said to me, 'You're a star. You did this. And it's something that you can't let go of.' I'm always going to be able to say that."

His journey began in August when Ryan, then 17, auditioned in the Meadowlands, singing "Animal" by Neon Trees. He then flew to California in December for Hollywood Week and Las Vegas rounds, and returned to L.A. by himself in January -- all the while having to keep his big news secret. "It was tough having to go back there and not be able to tell anybody why," Ryan says. "But people kind of figured after awhile, because the websites say all this stuff."

A Jersey boy all his life -- "I was born in Hoboken, which I like to say, 'cause Frank Sinatra was born there, but I moved [to Glen Rock] before I was even 2," he says -- Ryan started in music "very young" with piano lessons.

"I've obviously had a lot of support, but since about seventh grade, my drive has really been what pushed me," says Ryan, who studies with vocal coach Mark Wilson at the Ridgewood Conservatory and has performed in coffeehouses and on many stages.

"But you're never fully prepared for that stage," Ryan says of the "Idol" performances. One of the most challenging was during Hollywood Week group rounds where the sleep-deprived, vocally stressed contestants had to select from a limited number of songs to perform. His group's was "Grenade" (Bruno Mars), which "was tough, because I hadn't heard the song before," he says.

For the record, the other songs we did not get to see Ryan perform are: "Bulletproof" (La Roux); "Teenage Dream" (Katy Perry); "We Can Work It Out" (The Beatles); "I Don't Want to Be" (Gavin DeGraw) and "My Life Would Suck Without You" (Kelly Clarkson).

"I got a lot of chances to perform, which was really good," says Ryan, who also made some good friends. "You watch the show and they kind of tend to highlight people's stress and people getting angry at each other. ... But people are so, so supportive."

The Glen Rock High School senior plans to study music in college and has applied to Berklee College of Music in Boston and Drexel University in Philadelphia.

Although he had to take down videos of himself singing while he was on the show, Ryan is now in the process of rebuilding his "Internet presence," so we'll finally be able to see him perform. (You can also find online an audition video for "Glee" he did awhile back.)

Throughout "Idol," he followed a lesson from his dad: "Be a good person first and a great performer second," Ryan says. "That has been what has guided me throughout this whole thing."

2011

QLD:QLD: Main stories in Sunday's Brisbane newspapers

AAP General News (Australia)
12-05-2010
QLD:QLD: Main stories in Sunday's Brisbane newspapers

BRISBANE, Dec 5 AAP - The main stories in Sunday's Brisbane Courier Mail:

Page 1: Women of child-bearing age are in the firing line as struggling small businesses
baulk at the cost of implementing the Gillard government's paid parental leave scheme.

Page 3: A police canine super sleuth is still in the dog house after a biting incident
15 months ago.

World: Europe suffers under the big freeze, causing 60 deaths.

Finance: The cost of living is going up rapidly - especially for families in Queensland.

Sport: Cooked, hot and bothered, the Aussie cricketers facing annihilation in the second Test.

AAP lpm/jel

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS QLD

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

FED: Chronic fatigue virus link sparks ban on blood donation

AAP General News (Australia)
04-28-2010
FED: Chronic fatigue virus link sparks ban on blood donation

By Danny Rose, Medical Writer.

SYDNEY, April 28 AAP - Australia's Red Cross Blood Service has placed a two-year moratorium
on accepting blood donations from people who have ever had chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

The service said the temporary halt would 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 said the moratorium was a precautionary move based
on emerging, though conflicted, research which suggested a link between CFS and a recently
described virus known as XMRV.

"The science on this internationally is unclear," Dr Keller said.

"The recent North American research findings haven't been supported by research undertaken
in Europe, and there is currently no Australian research on XMRV.

"We will review our decision in two years' time, when further studies into the virus
have been done."

Dr Keller said the Red Cross would write to their "very few" active donors who had
recovered from CFS to explain the changes.

Before the moratorium, Australians with a history of CFS were able to donate blood
as long as they had recovered and they had a letter from their GP confirming this.

Only those with active CFS were turned away, and Dr Keller said this accounted for
about 70 intending donors in the past two years.

Earlier this month, Canadian authorities placed a total ban on taking blood donations
from people with a history of CFS.

XMRV (Xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus) was first detected in prostate
tumours in 2006, and a US study late last year found it was commonly detected in blood
taken from people with CFS.

The study took in blood samples from 101 people with CFS and 95 per cent showed evidence
of XMRV infection, though subsequent studies have not produced the same results.

AAP dr/jl

KEYWORD: BLOOD

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

Fed: Export earnings to fall for most commodities in 2009-10

AAP General News (Australia)
12-15-2009
Fed: Export earnings to fall for most commodities in 2009-10

CANBERRA, Dec 15 AAP - A higher Australian dollar and a worse than expected winter
crop in the current season mean farm export earnings are likely to fall in 2009-10, a
report from the government's commodities forecaster says.

Farm exports are expected to drop six per cent to $30 billion this financial year,
after they rose significantly by 16 per cent to $32 billion in 2008-09, the report from
the Australian Bureau of Agriculture Resource Economics says.

"The forecast decline in farm export earnings in 2009-10 mainly reflects the adverse
effects of a significantly higher Australian exchange rate, especially against the US
dollar, and a downward revision to winter crop production in the current season," ABARE
deputy executive director Terry Sheales said in a statement.

However, the December issue of ABARE's Australian Commodities report predicts farm
export earnings will still be nine per cent higher than the $27.5 billion figure recorded
in 2007-08.

Commodities forecasted to rise include raw cotton, sugar, rice and peas.

However, the drop in export earnings is expected to come from a decrease in earnings
from wheat, barley, canola and livestock products.

Earnings from energy and mineral exports are also forecast to drop - by 20 per cent
to about $129 billion this financial year, revised upward from $123 billion in September.

Mine production is the only sector to rise, by seven per cent in 2009-10.

Altogether, Australia's commodity exports are forecast to decrease by 18 per cent to
$163 billion, after the previous financial year's rise of 33 per cent to $197 billion,
in 2008-09.

AAP srj/dep

KEYWORD: ABARE EXPORTS

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

FED:Claim Senate investigation is 'witchhunt' is nonsense:Evans

AAP General News (Australia)
08-06-2009
FED:Claim Senate investigation is 'witchhunt' is nonsense:Evans

Labor's Senate leader has described as absurd .. opposition claims that a Senate committee
investigation into the OzCar affair could become a witch hunt.

Senator CHRIS EVANS has told ABC radio it's nonsense .. because the upper house's privileges
committee is chaired by a Liberal .. GEORGE BRANDIS.

The RUDD government's asked the committee to investigate possible contempt for coaching
a witness or rehearsing a script before a Senate inquiry.

It's emerged that Opposition Leader MALCOLM TURNBULL and Liberal Senator ERIC ABETZ
met Treasury official GODWIN GRECH a week before he gave explosive evidence that linked
the prime minister to claims of special treatment for a Queensland car dealer.

The auditor general has cleared KEVIN RUDD and Treasurer WAYNE SWAN of any wrongdoing.

AAP RTV jcd/rl/jmt

KEYWORD: DEALERS EVANS (CANBERRA)

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

Qld: Mum questions teenage son's death in custody

AAP General News (Australia)
02-11-2009
Qld: Mum questions teenage son's death in custody

By Steve Gray

BRISBANE, Feb 11 AAP - Her teenage son was in police custody, handcuffed and lying
face-down on a busy road when he was run over and killed.

Now Helen Bornen wants answers.

Andrew Bornen, 16, died when struck by a car at around 11pm (AEST) on Saturday in the
Ipswich suburb of Brassall, west of Brisbane.

Police were responding to reports of a man waving a machete, but the unarmed teenager
voluntarily lay on the ground when threatened with a Taser.

Police say their attempts to flag down the approaching car, driven by a young woman, were futile.

Helen Bornen told AAP the death of her "lovely boy" hasn't sunk in yet, but as she
nurtures Andrew's seven siblings and receives dozens of condolence calls and cards, her
mind is besieged by questions and "what ifs".

Did police follow proper safety procedures? Was her son conscious or unconscious when
struck by the car? Why wasn't he immediately removed from the road once handcuffed? Had
he been tasered, despite police denials?

While these and many other questions flash through her mind, Ms Bornen has sympathy
for the two plainclothes officers who arrested her son, and the young driver whose car
struck him.

"I'm very cranky with the police but I don't want the whole town to hate the police
`cos this has happened," she said.

"Then I got cranky with the driver, but the reality is the police didn't kill him,
the driver didn't kill him, he didn't kill himself - it was the car that did the damage.

"But there's all these questions."

How long was Andrew on the road before the car came? Why were there no skid marks?

Why weren't the police on the lookout? Where was the police car parked?

"I'm not defending the police, but they're probably sitting at home saying `if only
I'd done this, what if, what if'. It will always be `what if'.

"The driver of the car's probably saying `what if I would have swerved, what if I didn't
go down that road that night?'"

Ms Bornen wants to meet the young driver of the car, who she has absolved of any blame.

"I don't blame her, I actually feel sorry for her," Ms Bornen said.

"If she'd like to come around and see me, do so, because I don't blame her."

The death is being investigated by the police ethical standards command.

Andrew will be buried in Ipswich next Wednesday.

"He was loved by everyone," Ms Bornen said.

"He never posed a threat to anyone. Out of all the kids he was the one with the biggest heart."

AAP stg/ahe/it/mn

KEYWORD: BORNEN (WITH PIX)

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

Oly: Swimmers keep Aussies afloat - but for how long?

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2008
Oly: Swimmers keep Aussies afloat - but for how long?

By Doug Conway, Senior Correspondent

BEIJING, Aug 24 AAP - How long can Australia's Olympians keep out-performing all but
a handful of the mightiest nations on earth?

Probably for as long as their swimmers keep them afloat, and opinions about that are divided.

The swimmers accounted for almost half of the 14 gold medals, and 46 medals overall,
won by Australia's 435-member team in Beijing.

Imagine what might have been if they hadn't under-performed.

The 2008 Olympic team was still Australia's third most successful ever, behind Athens
2004 (17 gold and 49 overall) and Sydney 2000 (16 gold and 58 in total).

It was enough for Australia to claim sixth place on the medals table - one below expectations
- behind the now fully emerged giant China, the US, Russia, Britain and Germany.

Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) boss John Coates stressed the importance of team
sports in the Australian culture, noting that 136 Australians would be going home with
medals - third behind only China and the US.

Swimmer Stephanie Rice's world record treble made her Australia's golden girl, and
Emma Snowsill wasn't far behind with an emphatic triathlon victory.

But pole vaulter Steve Hooker, kayaker Ken Wallace and diver Matthew Mitcham delivered
the most uplifting of 11th hour surprises.

Hooker's gold medal, after four times facing do-or-die attempts, was the first track
and field success for an Australian man in 40 years.

Wallace, the Gold Coast surfie, took over from Clint Robinson as Australia's premier
paddler with a bronze in the K1 1000m followed by a stunning upset to win the 500m.

And Mitcham, entering the final round of the 10m platform event a seemingly hopeless
30 points behind, chose the hardest dive in the book and nailed it with the highest scoring
dive in Olympic history to deny China a clean sweep of all eight diving golds.

It was all seat of the pants stuff.

It's worth remembering that no comparable nation punches anywhere near above its weight
the way Australia does.

But that may not last forever.

It's not so much that Australian standards are declining, but the bar is being set
higher and higher.

Other countries are getting serious about sporting success in a way that has become
second nature to Australia, and they are pouring millions into it.

Host nations, in particular, seem obsessed with churning out face-saving numbers of
Olympic champions.

Look at China this time: a whopping 49 - 17 more than in Athens.

And just wait and see what the Brits do at home in 2012.

As the AOC pressures Canberra for even greater funding of Olympic sports, it's worth
noting that the US Olympic Committee receives not a cent from Washington.

That might change, depending on how much American pride is stung by being toppled from
the highest rung of the Olympic perch by China.

If Australia's swimmers hauled in almost half of their country's gold, then Stephanie
Rice netted half of the swim team's titles.

With three gold medals and three world records - in the 200m and 400m medley and the
200m freestyle relay - the 20-year-old Queenslander was Australia's stand-out athlete
in Beijing.

Libby Trickett and Leisel Jones both bagged two each, one individual and one relay,
when they expected more.

Grant Hackett spent "every cent" of energy in his 28-year-old frame, but it was not
enough for him to complete the "impossible dream" of an Olympic 1500m treble.

Hackett was among a posse of Australian swimmers who held world records in seven events
but were unable to translate that into Olympic gold.

Sprint stars Trickett and Eamon Sullivan, in particular, failed to threaten their best
times in their respective 50m and 100m freestyle finals, returning just two silvers between
them from the four events.

"It was ups and downs all over the place," admitted head swim coach Alan Thompson of
his squad's six gold medals - two less than at Melbourne in 1956 - but 20 in all, an Aussie
record.

Thank goodness for the Aussie women, because the male swimmers failed to register a
gold medal for the first time since the disastrous 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Former greats like Shane Gould and Ian Thorpe have warned that Australia should make
the most of its successes now, because they will be fewer and further between in future.

But many say Australia should still mount a formidable challenge at London in 2012,
with Hackett so far the only big name to call it a day.

Cycling was the sport where Australia suffered the biggest reversal of fortunes in Beijing.

Despite the presence of Tour de France big gun Cadel Evans, Australia's cyclists went
from the euphoria of six gold, two silver and a bronze in Athens to one lone silver won
by Anna Meares.

It was their worst return since failing to secure a medal at Moscow in 1980.

Aussie sailors scored a golden double, following a barren time in Athens, through 470
pairs Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page, and Elise Rechichi and Tessa Parkinson.

Rechichi in particular triumphed over adversity after losing one-third of her body
weight to a mystery illness.

Rowers matched the sailing double-gold courtesy of Drew Ginn and Duncan Free in the
men's pairs, and Scott Brennan and David Crawshay in the double sculls.

Ginn also had to battle a persistent back injury to pick up the third gold of his Olympic career.

One silver medal probably deserves mention above the rest - that won by hurdler Sally McLellan.

It was a stunning coup, and after the "lay down Sally" controversy in Athens involving
a rower who wouldn't row, this time it was "stand up Sally".

AAP dc/mo

KEYWORD: OLY08 AUST WRAP

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

Fed: Ministers to ban flavoured cigarettes

AAP General News (Australia)
04-18-2008
Fed: Ministers to ban flavoured cigarettes

By Kellee Nolan

MELBOURNE, April 18 AAP - Australia's state and federal health ministers decided today
to ban fruit- and chocolate-flavoured cigarettes, saying they were used by tobacco marketers
to lure children into smoking.

The agreement came at the Australian Health Ministers' Conference in Melbourne today,
along with an accord to step up regulation of the tanning industry.

Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said she would also ask Customs Minister Bob Debus
to ban the importation of the flavoured cigarettes.

"Each state and territory is going to take steps to make sure that these cigarettes,
which are targeted towards children, are about enticing children to smoke, will not be
available for sale," Ms Roxon said.

"We don't see that they should be in the market, there is no positive about these flavoured
cigarettes, they are particularly targeted to children."

The tobacco cigarettes, with flavours such as lemon, orange, strawberry and apple,
are currently available alongside plain-flavoured cigarettes in several states and territories.

Some governments, including NSW and South Australia, have already banned the flavoured
cigarettes.

Ministers also agreed to build on steps taken in Victoria to regulate the solarium industry.

"We have adopted some national principles that will be put in place," Ms Roxon said.

Conference chairman, Queensland Health Minister Stephen Robertson, said the Medicare
Benefits Schedule (MBS) was not discussed in detail at today's conference, despite his
call yesterday for an overhaul of the system he said was turning doctors' offices into
"turnstiles" and encouraging "six-minute medicine".

The MBS regulates doctors' payments and is accused of providing incentives for doctors
to rush consultations so they can see more patients and earn more money.

"There's a lot more work to be done, but I've certainly signalled my interest in seeing
a health care agreement that contains some fundamental reforms to the way GPs can go about
their business," Mr Robertson said today.

Ms Roxon said the Institute of Health and Welfare was looking into the issue and would
report on it.

She said health ministers could then "nut out" whether MBS reforms could be included
in a health care agreement or referred to the Health and Hospital Reform Commission for
further work.

"(That work) is progressing that debate, and I think all ministers have welcomed that
that work is being undertaken and moving forward," Ms Roxon said.

The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners later released a statement calling
for the existing fee-for-service system to remain in place.

But it did call for reforms in the system to cut red tape.

Other announcements from today's conference included $15 million in federal funding
to train 24,000 mental health workers in 1,200 workshops nationwide.

AAP kn/pmu/jl/cdh

KEYWORD: HEALTH

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

Qld: Mins should face jail over over child safety cover-up: Libs

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2007
Qld: Mins should face jail over over child safety cover-up: Libs

Queensland Liberal leader MARK MCARDLE says state government ministers should face
jail .. if claims they directed child safety officers not to report abuse cases to police
are proven.

Mr MCARDLE says the allegations raised in the The Australian newspaper today amount
to a criminal offence.

The paper's reported ministerial interference to stop Department of Child Safety officers
reporting sexual abuse cases to police in Aboriginal communities.

The Liberal leader's echoed calls for an intervention in the Cape York communities
to stop further child abuse.

Mr MCARDLE's also suggested the order not to report cases may have been an attempt
to cover up the extent of abuse in the communities.

AAP RTV ews/pjo/tm/bart

KEYWORD: GANG MCARDLE (BRISBANE)

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

VIC: Main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2007
VIC: Main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers = 2

THE AGE

Page 1: Mohamed Haneef was warned by his brother to leave Australia quickly after the
failed British bombings, according to details of an internet conversation disclosed last
night by Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews. Cuts to the University of Melbourne's prestigious
arts facility are expected to cost 120 full-time jobs, slashing its staff by a quarter,
a leaked report reveals.

Page 2: A report has found a war on global poverty is making headway, defying public
perceptions the situation is getting worse.

Page 3: Victorian primary school students get less funding than any other state, placing
new premier John Brumby under growing pressure from the powerful education lobby.

World: British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has prepared the ground for the withdrawal
of British troops from the front line in Iraq.

Finance: Television advertisements promoting property schemes may need to come with
a warning and the schemes' prospectuses assessed by ratings agencies.

Sport: Anthony Koutoufides bowed out of AFL football yesterday, officially with a hip
injury, but the Carlton champion said the rest of his body was not that far behind.

AAP jrd/srp

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS VIC 2 MELBOURNE

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

Vic: Over 1000 hoons lose their wheels

AAP General News (Australia)
02-01-2007
Vic: Over 1000 hoons lose their wheels

By Melissa Iaria

MELBOURNE, Feb 1 AAP - More than 1,000 hoons have lost their vehicles since tough new
laws cracking down on anti-social street antics were introduced by the Victorian government
last July.

Of the 909 cars and 105 motorcycles impounded across the state, half were owned by
offenders with a probationary licence and one per cent were female, police figures show.

Twenty hoons have offended a second time and another two face charges for a third offence
which could see them lose their vehicles permanently.

The state government and Victoria Police today lauded the laws, saying they were helping
to put a brake on hoon-like behaviour.

Under the laws, first time offenders have their vehicles locked up for 48 hours.

Second time offenders face losing the vehicle for up to three months while third-time
offenders face permanent loss of their vehicles.

Police Minister Bob Cameron said hoons were starting to realise the repercussions of
their actions.

"What it means is that people disperse, they go home to watch DVDs because they know
that the police are out there on the beat," he said.

"It's anti-social behaviour that people don't want and that's why these laws are designed
to put the brakes on hoons."

Mr Cameron said only a small portion of people reoffended a second time.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner of Traffic Noel Ashby said the laws had been
an "outstanding success" and allowed police to act on the spot.

"The effect we're seeing with this legislation is profound," he said.

"We're seeing young people who have been full of bravado being reduced to tears and
being absolutely shocked and that impression is absolutely important.

"It relates and resonates with their friends ... that's the beauty of this legislation
and it's also targeting that high risk area for those that are over-represented in the
road trauma."

Mr Ashby said hoons generally tended to offend outside their own communities.

Police figures show 72 per cent of the offenders were aged 25 or under and three were just 15.

The top suburbs where hoon drivers live are Dandenong, Frankston, St Albans, Hoppers
Crossing, Mill Park, Ballarat, Craigieburn, Thomastown, Broadmeadows, Melton and Werribee.

AAP mi/gfr/jt/nf

KEYWORD: HOON

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

NSW: Diamond theft happened under guard of security firm: fair

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2006
NSW: Diamond theft happened under guard of security firm: fair

One of the biggest diamond heists in the history of NSW occurred while the jewels were
being guarded by a private security company .. according to the organisers of a jewelry
fair.

The collection of more than 500 stones was to be displayed at an exhibit at the trade-only
Australian Jewellery Fair at Darling Harbour .. but the security bag containing the jewels
failed to turn up.

The bag was one of six sent to the fair from a jewellery company in Melbourne.

The Jewellers Association of Australia says five arrived on Saturday morning but one
didn't turn up and was later declared missing.

Police initially told reporters today the diamonds had arrived at the exhibition centre
.. but later would not comment about where they think the theft took place.

Australian Jewellery Fair organiser GARY FITZROY says the theft is a matter between
the Melbourne-based jewellery firm that was to exhibit the diamonds .. and the specialised
armoured transport company.

AAP RTV kjd/klw/sp/bart

KEYWORD: DIAMONDS (SYDNEY)

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

QLD: Four weeks after Larry hard slog continues - Beattie

AAP General News (Australia)
04-17-2006
QLD: Four weeks after Larry hard slog continues - Beattie

By Chris Herde

BRISBANE, April 17 AAP - The "hard slog" of rebuilding homes has begun, four weeks
after Cyclone Larry tore through north Queensland, Premier Peter Beattie says.

The category five cyclone crossed the coast in the Innisfail area early on March 20
before moving westward through the Atherton Tablelands.

Early estimates put the damage bill at $1.5 billion.

Thousands of homes and properties were damaged along with infrastructure and crops.

Mr Beattie described the immediate relief effort over the past four weeks as a "brilliant
job" of restoring power, water, sewage and other essential services.

"Clearly there is still a lot more work to be done," the premier said.

"Now comes the really hard slog of rebuilding people's homes."

Mr Beattie said the rebuilding process would take time and victims would feel "depressed
and unhappy".

"The reality is that doesn't happen overnight," he said.

More than $70 million in federal and state assistance has been distributed among victims
of the cyclone.

The Cyclone Larry Appeal has climbed to more than $15.8 million.

Brisbane Markets Ltd and fresh fruit and vegetable wholesaler J E Tipper Pty Ltd today
donated $102,580 to the appeal, while the Australian Workers' Union donated $25,000.

The appeal has received 52,528 individual donations, including 39,189 through the Commonwealth
Bank and another 13,339 through the appeal hotline.

AAP ch/rj/nf

KEYWORD: LARRY

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

stockjobber

stockjobber (jobber) A market maker on the London Stock Exchange prior to the Big Bang (October, 1986). Stockjobbers were only permitted to deal with the general public through the intermediary of a stockbroker. This single capacity system was replaced by the dual-capacity system of market makers after the Big Bang.

Better warheads. (Technology Update).

The US Office of Naval Research (ONR) has reported that it is developing a missile warhead that incorporates advanced composites for improved impact performance.

The warhead is being developed as part of ONR's Reactive Materials Enhanced Warhead Program, which seeks to demonstrate missile warheads that achieve catastrophic structural destruction of cruise missiles and manned aircraft.

The warhead works by enhancing the kinetic energy of inert fragments with the chemical energy released when reactive fragments hit the target, combining both effects to increase the odds of destroying the target. It promises potential lethality improvements of up to 500%, ONR states.

The reactive fragments are composed of an advanced composite made of powdered metal embedded in a plastic matrix. The composite was recently incorporated into a prototype warhead and used in a live-fire explosive static arena test against real and threat-representative targets. The demonstration showed that the new warhead has twice the lethal radius of its predecessors and improved structural target damage.

ONR says that the test results and engineering tool sets developed from this programme are now being used to prepare the warhead for transition into US Navy missile programmes, including the Standard Missile, the High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM), the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), the Sidewinder, and the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM).

The new warhead has been designated the Reactive Material Enhanced Warhead.

For further information, contact: Office of Naval Research, Ballston Centre Tower One, 800 North Quincy Street, Arlington, VA 22217-5660, USA; tel: +1-703-696-5031; fax: +1-703-696-5940; Internet: www.onr.navy.mil

NewsRx Announces Launch of Stem Cell Week as Part of Healthcare Database and Information Offerings.

2001 APR 27 - (NewsRx Network) -- NewsRx, the leading provider of life science databases and daily and weekly health news, announced April 11, 2001, the launch of Stem Cell Week, a new database product.

Stem Cell Week is available as a print or electronic weekly report and will be published beginning in May. The company already publishes other reports on stem cell research.

The NewsRx announcement came a day after a major scientific study on stem cells was published in the journal Tissue Engineering. That study showed that human fat can be a source of stem cells, which researchers hope will grow organs and assist in treating diseases.

Stem Cell Week joins the other NewsRx offerings of custom health news and information to health professionals. On April 1, 2001, at NewsRx.net, the company published the latest issue of NewsRx Quarterly Report on Stem Cell Research, joining seven other reports on that topic, including NewsRx Yearly Report on Stein Cell Research.

Topics in the current stem cell quarterly report include breast cancer, cord blood banking, diabetes, and transplantation, as well as articles on the following:

* Researchers turn fat cells into cartilage

* Stem cell transplantation may be superior to bone marrow for cancer treatment

* Stem cell transplants offer hope of brain repair

* Stem cell transplantation enables move towards a diabetes cure

Companies and universities mentioned in the report include Stem Cell Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Duke University Medical Center, PPL Therapeutics, Inc., University of Texas, Cryo-Cell International, Inc., Harvard University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Over 10,000 medical and life science reports are available at NewsRx.net, also a major source for daily medical and biotech news. For the therapeutic area of hematology, which includes stem cell research, NewsRx has the five-star excellent rating as one of the "Best Medical Sites" in the "Latest Medical Literature & News" category, according to WebHealthSearch.com, which provides unbiased, third party ratings of health and medical sites.

Physicians, pharmaceutical, and healthcare professionals accessing another company website at NewsRx.com are able to receive specialized information in more than 24 medical reports such as AIDS Weekly, Cancer Weekly, Vaccine Weekly, Women's Health Weekly, and Biotech Week.

Both NewsRx.net and NewsRx.com subscribe to the HON Code of Conduct for medical and health websites of the Health on the Net Foundation, Geneva, Switzerland. NewsRx has been a Cool Medical Site of the Month, SciWeb Site of the Week, Times Pick by the Los Angeles Times, Pick of the Web by Scientific American magazine, and an American College of Physicians Top Ten Site for Hot Medical News.

Through databases, special news reports, research, and Internet services, Atlanta, Georgia-based NewsRx[TM], NewsRx.com[TM], and NewsRx.net[TM] publish business and clinical information relating to drugs, chemicals, biotechnology, science, medicine, and health to 1,000 health and pharmaceutical companies in 40 countries, including the top 10 pharmaceutical and biotech companies and most worldwide health agencies.

The company's 16-year-old health news network produces more medical news than any other company; it is the world's largest provider of weekly health information. Among the 24 well-known NewsRx special reports are Angiogenesis Weekly, Blood Weekly, Health & Medicine Week, Drug Week, Hepatitis Weekly, Virus Weekly, Gene Therapy Weekly, Obesity, Fitness & Wellness Week, Diabetes Week, Genomics & Genetics Weekly, Heart Disease Weekly, Immunotherapy & Immunology Week, Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA, Medical Device & Surgical Technology Week, Pain & Central Nervous System Week, TB & Outbreaks Week, and Vector & Zoonosis Week.

Stem Cell Week can be ordered at NewsRxOrders.com, the NewsRx company URL at www.NewsRx.com, and at the NewsRx Special Report URL: www.NewsRx.net. The ordering URL is www.NewsRxOrders.com. NewsRx's mailing address is PO Box 5528, Atlanta, GA 31107, USA.

In-Flight Network Takes the Internet to New Heights With Live Air-To-Ground Demonstrations.

Venture Providing Aircraft Passengers and Airports With Broadband Internet,

E-Mail & Live TV Access to Launch in Early 2001;

Live Demonstrations Showcase This Milestone in Technology

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 14 /PRNewswire/ --

In-Flight Network LLC (IFN), a News Corporation and Rockwell Collins joint venture, conducted live, air-to-ground demonstrations during a press conference today, previewing a new technology that will provide airline passengers with broadband Internet, e-mail and live television services by early 2001. The air-ground sneak preview demonstration took place today at the Mercury Air Center in Burbank, California, following an earlier test in June 2000, when a prototype was flown and successfully operated over parts of North America. Passengers were able to access a wide variety of Websites and on-line services, including the popular American Online, Inc., using standard laptop PCs and browsers. For the first time, Webcams inside the IFN aircraft enabled those connected via the Internet around the world to see and hear the demonstrations on-board, as they happened.

In another first, the IFN system's high-speed in-flight Internet connection will also enable streaming video delivery of live television, including news, sports, business/finance information and entertainment. The IFN system will interface with passengers' laptops and PDAs, in addition to existing aircraft in-flight entertainment systems.

"In-Flight Network's breakthrough capabilities represent a milestone in delivering high-speed global wireless connectivity," said Jeffrey Wales, CEO, In-Flight Network LLC and Senior V.P., News Corporation. "In this digital age, Internet access and e-mail services aren't a luxury, they're a business necessity. IFN's worldwide ability to deliver targeted programming content, together with unlimited broadband Internet access, guarantees that airline passengers will receive the widest possible range of entertainment and information content, while providing marketers with a powerful new global advertising medium."

IFN affiliate airlines will be able to provide passengers with flight- specific, co-branded digital programming in multiple languages. IFN's targeted ad insertion capabilities enables global, national, regional and local advertisers to deliver full-motion broadcast video spots to aircrafts in flight throughout the world. Web-based video spots and banner ads will also be delivered to PC users on targeted aircrafts and airport premises.

In-Flight Network LLC is a joint venture entity formed by News Corporation (NYSE: NWS, NWS.A), one of the world's leading media companies, and Rockwell Collins (NYSE: ROK), a world leader in aviation electronics. Globalstar and QUALCOMM also have long-term participation in the development of the IFN system. For more information about In-Flight Network, visit their Web site at www.inflightnetwork.com.

Media contact: Jeff Rose, jrose@bwr-la.com, or Jennifer Mellios, jmellios@bwr-la.com of B|W|R Public Relations, 310.550.7776

The Netflix question.(News)

Byline: Cecilia Kang Washington Post

By any measure, Netflix is having a marquee year.

It has 20 million subscribers, way up from 12 million just a year ago. Its stock has tripled in that time. During periods of peak Internet use, a full fifth of all American bandwidth consumption is people watching movies on Netflix.com.

But the more that consumers embrace the movies-at-home ethos of Netflix, the more uncomfortable major players in the entertainment industry have become. Now Netflix, a secretive company known more for the laid-back attitude of its founder than for sharp elbows, has emerged at the center of a titanic clash over the future of television.

Because if Netflix can bring movies straight to your living room through the Internet, it can bring a full slate of TV shows, too. Pretty soon, who needs cable?

On the other hand, if cable companies can bring you movies and TV directly over high-speed Internet lines, who needs Netflix?

Multibillion-dollar corporations are fretting over those questions and fighting to influence the outcome.

"No one can deny that Netflix has become a huge player in the industry," said Deana Myers, a research analyst at the investment firm SNL Kagan. "But there are big questions surrounding the company, and they have big obstacles ahead."

Netflix has been disruptive since its inception in 1997. That year, Reed Hastings, a former Peace Corps volunteer and MIT engineering graduate, received a $40 video late fee and thought, "There has to be a better way."

So he built a website with partner Marc Randolph for Internet users to sign up for seven-day DVD rentals. Two years later, the mail-order service copied the health-club business model and offered unlimited DVD rentals for monthly memberships.

People liked it. No more late fees. No lines. You didn't have to go any farther than the mailbox to get your movies.

For Blockbuster, not so good. Netflix almost single-handedly wiped out the retail video rental business. Blockbuster went bankrupt last fall.

But even faster than the business model could go from storefront rentals to mail-order rentals, it changed again. The spread of broadband Internet service led to the rise of online movie-watching. And this is where it gets messy.

Netflix has concentrated more of its business on streaming movies straight to your home and mobile gadgets. A lot of other powerful corporate interests, though, are converging on this spot -- a fundamental change in the way people consume entertainment.

If you think it through, you wind up with TV and Internet merging. Much of the telecom industry thinks that in a few years, people will watch TV and movies and surf the Web all with the same gear.

So who brings you that service? It could be cable companies. Comcast just bought NBC Universal, which makes it a one-stop shop for cable TV, Internet service and movies.

Or it could be phone companies. Verizon has a huge mobile Internet operation, plus fiber optic cables into more and more homes.

Or it could be Netflix, which has the advantage of its relationship with an enormous subscriber base and a total stock-market value of $11 billion.

"There is every reason to believe that between their market cap and public access to funds, Netflix is a buyer of content with big dollars," said John Calkins, executive vice president of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Some in the industry think that is ridiculous. Time Warner Cable's chief, Glenn Britt, said in an interview Netflix is just a middleman -- that it will soon go the way of Blockbuster when consumers realize they can get all they want directly from the big telecoms.

Others in the industry fear Netflix. They worry it will dominate the marketplace and make content less valuable by imposing a low-cost Internet business model (how's the music business doing these days?). Investors in cable companies fear TV subscribers will flee, leaving them with Internet access businesses that simply manage traffic created by Netflix customers.

"There are many incentives to create hurdles for online video firms like Netflix," said Parul Desai, policy counsel for Consumers Union, parent of Consumer Reports magazine. "They are going up against powerful media and Internet service providers who are trying to come up with their own Internet video strategies and could limit access to content and access to their consumers."

So far, Netflix is last on Hollywood's schedule. Movies first hit theaters and then DVD services such as Red Box. Last to receive "Inception" and other blockbusters are on-demand cable services and Netflix.

That's partly because Netflix doesn't pay as much, and partly because the big studios don't want to undercut their DVD and cable licensing deals.

"What Netflix and other broadband distributors mean for us is another avenue of distribution for our content and brand," said Philippe Dauman, president of Viacom, in a phone interview.

He said he had viewed Netflix with skepticism until last year, when it began offering more money for licenses to stream Viacom programming. But he also wants to proceed slowly with partnerships online. Delays and access to only certain, mostly older, content are key. Want to watch the previous four seasons of "Friday Night Lights"? It's easy on Netflix, but you'll have to watch the fifth and final season through NBC. The Super Bowl and Academy Awards won't make it to Netflix, Hulu or YouTube for a long time.

That dynamic doesn't look to change any time soon, Barclays analyst James Ratcliffe said. About 90 percent of TV viewers pay about $70 a month for cable or satellite TV. The networks that create shows get about $30 a month from those subscriptions.

Many of the telecoms have also mounted a campaign in Washington to establish regulatory roadblocks to a Netflix takeover of the American living room. They've helped shape a federal policy on Internet billing that could make it more costly for consumers to watch streaming videos.

"There is no such thing as free TV or a free lunch," said Kyle McSlarrow, president of cable trade group the National Cable and Telecommunications Association. "It's expensive to run a broadband network, and I wanted to make sure my companies were able to experiment with new business models."

In January, Netflix responded by hiring its first Washington lobbyist, Michael Drobac. He has told lawmakers and Federal Communications Commissions officials that allowing Internet service providers to charge based on how much bandwidth people consume is unfair and poses risks to online video services.

And Netflix is continuing to expand aggressively, offering service on gaming consoles, smartphones and tablets. It is also working to snare more top-rated video content. In the past year, it bought rights from MGM, Paramount, Sony Pictures, Viacom and CBS.

Next year, the company is expected to renegotiate a contract with Starz, a major distributor with extensive movie rights, in a test of how far the company is willing to go to meet Hollywood's pricing demands.

Netflix is also having to deal with unconventional new competitors. Last month, Amazon announced its own streaming video service. Since then, Netflix's stock has pulled back from a high of $247.55 to $203.37 on Friday.

Back at Netflix headquarters in Los Gatos, Calif., Reed Hastings told shareholders in a January letter that he wasn't worried about finding a place in the Hollywood firmament.

Basically, he wrote, there is enough business to go around. And alluding to the rise of the Fox network 20 years ago, Hastings said that people always fear new competition.

"Some consternation about Netflix success is natural," he said.

WASHINGTON POST-BLOOMBERG--03-05-11 1940ET

Sew in style.

After turning heads at Delhi Fashion Week, the best of India's designers hope to wow Dubai fashionistas, writes Jane Plunkett Colours were bright, materials were luxurious and accessories were to die for; Delhi Fashion Week (DFW) recently showcased the most creative of talent handpicked by fashion experts in India. And now, fresh off the catwalks, some of DFW's top designers have their sights set high on Dubai. In a bid to bring exquisite Indian-made designs to the streets and glamourous parties in the UAE, The people behind Delhi Fashion Week have organised '12' - a two-day business to business platform that will exhibit the collections of twelve leading designers. Taking place on Sunday, January 18 and Monday, January 19 in the Bastakiya area, designers showcasing collections will include, Rohit Bal, Tarun Tahiliani, Malini Ramani, Raghavendra Rathore, Alpana Neeraj, Monisha Jaising, Vineet Bahl, Varun Sardana, Gaurav Gupta, Preeti Chandra, Abhijeet Khanna and Anamika Khanna. I caught up with some designers due to fly in this weekend, to find out more about why Indian fashion gurus have their eye on Dubai. It's no secret that India has a rich textile culture boasting elaborate fabrics and embroidery techniques. So is this where designer Vineet Bahl gets his inspiration? "India has been an inspiration to global fashion for a long time. Her rich history, architecture and vibrant colours have been inspiring generations of designers in India and abroad," says Bahl. "For me, my country inspires me in terms of textiles, weaves, heritage and culture. But to say that my designs are always inspired by my land would be incorrect. "There is no 'Indian' look to my creations and they cannot be bracketed as 'east' or 'west'. "I like to believe that the entire world is my stage, and I can get inspiration from anywhere in the globe." Agreed, inspiration can come from anywhere, but are outfits from Indian designers always relevant to western or Arabic tastes? How much crossover is there in fashion, and will Indian designs be successful in Dubai, I asked designer Alpana Neeraj Azara? "I think that we are at a very exciting point as far as fashion is concerned," says Azara. "Continuous globalisation is leading to a fusion of cultures. While the western influences have evidently caught on in India in a big way, Indian influences are crossing over too. "For example, Elizabeth Hurley picked Indian outfits from our store that included saris and kurtas for her wedding. There are so many examples where international celebrities have made appearances in Indian outfits," says Azara. Designer Vineet Bahl adds that he sees a cultural similarity between the Arab world and India in terms of clothes and social values, and that's a big reason why Indian designers do so well in Dubai, he says. Not every designer I spoke to however, agrees that traditional designs cross over from one culture to another with ease. "Until I came to this part of the world I did think fashion was universal. But now I know it is still very much influenced by each country's roots and traditions," says Alecca Carrano, a Greek/Lebanese designer who lives and works in India. "A western woman in a sari will never look as graceful as an Indian woman," says Alecca. "And vice versa, an Indian woman is not as comfortable wearing a sexy and revealing gown. But these are extreme examples, because much of the ready-to-wear designs nowadays, cross over very well." Fashion at the end of the day, however, is completely down to individual taste, and pulling off wearing an Indian, American, Italian, Arab or French design, is ultimately down to confidence, and knowing how to mix and match with style. It's likely we are going to see many Indian designs popping up in fashion outlets throughout the region in the near future, so here are some fashion tips from the experts to keep in mind. "My clothes are simple designs in comfortable fabric, because I feel that the wearer's personality shouldn't be overwhelmed by the threads they are sporting. Remember simple is beautiful," advises Vineet Bahl. "It doesn't have to be a big brand name to be beautiful. Small designers and workshops do exquisite things and need to be discovered!" advises Alecca Carrano. Pay a visit to delhifashionweek.com for a closer look at the best India-based designers have to offer.

2007 Al Sidra Media LLC

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

Jobs4Bahrainis.com wins top honours.

Jobs4Bahrainis.com, the first private sector initiative dedicated exclusively to getting more locals into the workforce, has won the Bahrain eContent Award 2011 in the eInclusion category.

Jobs4Bahrainis is a joint venture between Gulf Connexions, Bahrain's leading recruitment company and Al Hilal Group, a top publishing organisation in the region.

Against strict evaluation criteria, the website won the accolade for, among other reasons, its support for steps to integrate IT into the information society in Bahrain; its commitment to reducing the 'digital divide' and content gap between technology-empowered and technology-excluded communities and groups; and bridging society through multimedia.

Supported by Gulf Air and other top organisations in the Kingdom, Jobs4Bahrainis.com has since its June 2010 launch rapidly established itself as a vital careers resource for Bahraini job seekers, graduates and/or experienced professionals.

Jobs4Bahrainis.com business development manager Ali Daylami said: 'This prestigious award, coming so soon after our launch, recognises the efforts of the various parties involved in the initiative: from our committed staff and specialist IT support teams from Al Hilal Group to the Bahraini nationals who benefit from the resource.'

'The accolade is also fitting reward for the unwavering support of our principal sponsor, Gulf Air, which has ensured the success of Jobs4Bahrainis.com,' he noted.

Gulf Air CEO Samer Majali congratulated the Jobs4 Bahrainis.com team for winning this recognition in such a short time.

'As the national carrier of the Kingdom and as one of the largest employers in the country, we are pleased to have partnered with Jobs4 Bahrainis.com - a pioneering effort by the Bahrain private sector in addressing the employment issue in the Kingdom,' he remarked.

'Gulf Air not only works with several community initiatives in the government sector but also extends its full support to private sector organisations that are dedicated to getting more Bahrainis into the nation's workforce,' he added.

Held under the patronage of Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Supreme Committee for Information and Communication Technology, Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, the Bahrain eContent Award 2011 is organised by the eGovernment Authority and Bahrain Internet Society.

In addition to eInclusion, award categories comprise eGovernment, eEntertainment, eHealth, eLearning, eScience, eInclusion, eBusiness, eCulture, eBanking and eMedia.- TradeArabia News Service

Copyright 2011 www.tradearabia.com

Copyright 2011 Al Hilal Publishing & Marketing Group

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

Liberty Media Posts First Quarter 2011 Financial Results.

Liberty Media Corp. reported first quarter results for Liberty Capital group, Liberty Interactive group and Liberty Starz group.

"We are pleased with QVC's results, particularly in light of the challenging economic environment for consumers and the tragedies in Japan," stated Greg Maffei, Liberty President and CEO. "At Starz, we posted strong financial results with robust subscriber growth and continue to execute on our original content strategy with solid viewership for both Spartacus: Gods of the Arena and Camelot. We were extremely gratified to receive a favorable ruling from the Court regarding our split-off of Liberty Capital and Liberty Starz and plan to have our shareholder vote on May 23rd. Pending a final, non-appealable ruling from the Court, we expect to complete the split-off this summer."

In a release on May 6, the Company noted that highlights include:

-Received favorable ruling from Delaware Court of Chancery on proposed split-off of Liberty Capital and Liberty Starz

-Proxy statement declared effective and set shareholder vote for May 23rd

-Grew consolidated QVC revenue by 4 percent with particular strength in Germany and the UK

-Adjusted OIBDA(2) decreased less than 1 percent, but excluding the effects of the new agreement with GE Money Bank and Italy launch, adjusted OIBDA grew 4 percent

-Operating income decreased 3 percent

-Set a premiere viewership record for STARZ original series Camelot

-Increased STARZ and ENCORE subscriptions by 10 percent and 6 percent, respectively

-Value of Liberty's stake in SiriusXM increased to $5.5 billion as of May 5,

-Repurchased $31 million of Liberty Capital stock, from February 1st through April 29th,

Liberty Interactive group's revenue increased 7 percent to $2.2 billion and adjusted OIBDA decreased 1 percent to $378 million, while operating income decreased 2 percent to $213 million. The decrease in adjusted OIBDA and operating income was primarily due to the impact of the earthquake and related disasters in Japan on QVC's business during the quarter, QVC's new agreement with GE Money Bank and the launch of QVC Italy.

QVC's consolidated revenue increased 4 percent in the first quarter to $1.8 billion and adjusted OIBDA decreased less than 1 percent to $363 million.

"QVC drove solid revenue growth of 4 percent against a challenging prior year comparison," stated Mike George, QVC President and CEO. "While our consolidated adjusted OIBDA declined slightly from the prior year, this was driven by three extraordinary events: our Italy start-up, the change in our QCard program with GE Money Bank and the impact of the tragedies in Japan. In the US, our 3 percent revenue growth in the first quarter contributed to a 14 percent two year growth rate, placing us among the faster growing large retailers in the US. Exceptional revenue growth from new customers and eCommerce, inclusive of mobile, in the US, Germany and the UK, are the leading factors in this quarter's performance. We are committed to creating highly immersive shopping experiences with differentiated products, engaging personalities, high levels of community involvement and simultaneous engagement over multiple platforms - an experience that cannot be replicated by either store based or internet retailers. A perfect example of this was March's Red Carpet event celebrating the Oscars, where we engaged our customer over multiple platforms through the creation of behind the scenes video blogs, contests on Facebook and QVC.com and live streaming tweets."

QVC's US revenue increased 3 percent in the first quarter to $1.2 billion and adjusted OIBDA was relatively flat. Sales of electronics, beauty and accessories increased while jewelry sales declined. The average selling price for the first quarter increased 7 percent from $51.16 to $54.83 while total units sold decreased 3 percent to 24 million. Returns as a percent of gross product revenue decreased from 18.6 percent to 18.2 percent for the quarter. QVC.com sales as a percentage of US sales grew from 32 percent in the first quarter of 2010 to 36 percent in the first quarter of 2011. Overall, US adjusted OIBDA was negatively impacted by $10 million for the quarter due to the change in terms of our arrangement with GE Money Bank for our QCard that was effective in August 2010 as previously disclosed. Excluding the negative impact of this arrangement, US adjusted OIBDA increased 3 percent for the first quarter. The US adjusted OIBDA margin decreased 77 basis points to 21.8 percent for the quarter primarily due to the previously disclosed change in our QCard arrangement and a decrease in initial margins due to growth in electronics.

On March 11, there was a significant earthquake and related disasters in Japan. As a result, QVC Japan experienced an interruption of its business and was off-air for 12 days. The distribution center suffered moderate damage. QVC maintains insurance coverage for property damage and certain business interruption circumstances, subject to approximately a $12 million deductible. QVC has not yet determined the complete financial impact of the property damage, the impact to its future operations or the value, if any, of a related insurance claim. Due to the nature of the events that caused QVC Japan to suspend their operations for a time in March, we estimate that approximately $24 million in revenue was lost based on prior year revenue during the same period. Since QVC Japan has resumed its broadcast, sales have been running approximately 10 percent below prior year sales, due to the disruption in the country. We cannot determine at this time when QVC Japan will return to sales levels we were experiencing before the earthquake and related disasters in Japan. Additionally, management enacted a temporary employee pay policy to continue to pay employees during the off-air period, effectively causing QVC Japan's variable labor costs to be fixed for a period of time. These events described above negatively impacted QVC Japan's and QVC's consolidated adjusted OIBDA margin.

Despite this event, QVC's international revenue increased 7 percent in the first quarter to $643 million including the impact of unfavorable exchange rates in Germany and Italy and favorable exchange rates in the UK and Japan. International adjusted OIBDA decreased 2 percent to $103 million for the quarter. Included in QVC's international first quarter results is $10 million of adjusted OIBDA loss compared to $4 million in the prior year, related to QVC Italy operations that launched as planned in October 2010. Excluding the effects of Italy, international adjusted OIBDA would have increased 4 percent for the quarter. International adjusted OIBDA margins decreased 145 basis points for the quarter due primarily to the negative impact of QVC Italy's early stage operations and the temporary suspension of QVC Japan operations. Excluding Italy, international adjusted OIBDA margin would have decreased 45 basis points.

QVC UK's revenue grew 5 percent in local currency due primarily to the increased sales of electronics. QVC UK's average selling price in local currency increased 3 percent and units sold increased 4 percent for the quarter. QVC UK's adjusted OIBDA increased 11 percent in local currency for the quarter with the adjusted OIBDA margin increasing 26 basis points due primarily to lower obsolescence expense and freight savings.

QVC Germany's revenue grew 13 percent in local currency for the quarter through increased sales in apparel, health and fitness and accessories. QVC Germany's average selling price in local currency increased 3 percent for the quarter with units sold increasing 13 percent. QVC Germany's adjusted OIBDA increased 18 percent in local currency and the adjusted OIBDA margin increased 78 basis points for the quarter due primarily to lower inventory obsolescence expense.

QVC Japan's revenue and adjusted OIBDA decreased 9 percent and 19 percent, respectively, in local currency for the quarter due to the suspension of operations related to the earthquake and related disasters. In addition, the results were impacted by QVC's decision to pay all employees during the off-air period and the negative leverage impact of QVC's fixed fee broadcasting distribution arrangements. QVC Japan also contributed close to $2 million to local charitable restoration efforts.

QVC Italy continues to ramp up its operations with its sales coming primarily from the beauty and home product categories. QVC Italy's revenue for the quarter was $4 million with an adjusted OIBDA loss of $10 million as mentioned above.

QVC's outstanding bank and bond debt was $2.8 billion at March 31.

In the aggregate, the eCommerce businesses increased revenue 21 percent to $324 million for the quarter as each company reported an increase in revenue for the three-month period. Adjusted OIBDA increased 61 percent to $29 million for the quarter and operating income increased 100 percent to $8 million. The three months ended March 31, 2010 included the results of a start-up that was deconsolidated in the third quarter of 2010. Excluding the results of the start-up for the three months ended March 31, 2010, adjusted OIBDA increased 32 percent, and operating income was flat due to the revenue increase and leveraging of fixed costs.

There were no repurchases of Liberty Interactive stock from February 1, through April 29. Liberty has approximately $740 million remaining under its Liberty Interactive stock repurchase authorization.

The businesses and assets attributed to Liberty Interactive group are engaged in, or are ownership interests in companies that are engaged in, video and on-line commerce, and currently include Liberty's subsidiaries QVC, Provide Commerce, Backcountry.com, Bodybuilding.com, Celebrate Interactive, CommerceHub, and The Right Start, and its interests in, HSN, Tree.com, Interval Leisure Group, Expedia and Lockerz. Liberty has identified wholly-owned QVC as the principal operating segment of the Liberty Interactive group.

Results for Liberty Starz group primarily represent results of Starz, LLC. The following discussion regarding the results of Starz, LLC include the legacy Starz Entertainment and the legacy Starz Media businesses for the three months ended March 31. The historical results for Starz for the three months ended March 31, 2010 only include the historical results for the legacy Starz Entertainment business, as the change in attribution of Starz Media from Liberty Capital to Liberty Starz became effective as of September 30, 2010.

Starz, LLC's revenue increased 28 percent to $391 million for the first quarter, an increase of $86 million. The additional revenue from the legacy Starz Media businesses contributed approximately $65 million of such increase. The remaining increase in the period can be attributed to the legacy Starz Entertainment business as a result of a $4 million increase due to higher effective rates for the channels and $6 million due to growth in the average number of subscriptions. Additionally, there was approximately $11 million in additional ancillary revenue related to television rights and home video for STARZ original content. Revenue associated with the legacy Starz Media businesses was significantly less than the corresponding prior year period primarily due to the wide release of two theatrical films in the first quarter of 2010 and no theatrical releases in the current period along with the release on home video of three significant theatrical films in the prior year as compared to only one in the current period.

Starz, LLC's adjusted OIBDA increased 24 percent to $131 million, a $25 million increase and operating income increased 25 percent to $124 million. Approximately $15 million of the adjusted OIBDA increase was contributed by the legacy Starz Media businesses. As discussed above, the reduced theatrical and home video releases resulted in lower revenue which was more than offset by no current period spending on marketing, advertising, production and acquisition costs associated with the theatrical exhibition of such productions. STARZ' subscription units increased 10 percent and ENCORE subscriptions increased 6 percent compared to the first quarter of 2010.

"The first quarter marked another period of solid results and new highs in subscriptions to the STARZ and ENCORE flagship channels," said Chris Albrecht, Starz, LLC, President and CEO. "Performance of our current original dramatic series, Camelot, has surpassed expectations and continued our momentum with successful original programming. The legacy Starz Media businesses had positive results in the first quarter, with Anchor Bay benefitting from improved operational performance. Anchor Bay is positioned for the future to benefit from a home video distribution pipeline that now includes content from The Weinstein Company, Starz Originals, and such titles as The Walking Dead, which we are distributing for AMC."

There were no repurchases of Liberty Starz stock from February 1, through April 29. Liberty has approximately $447 million remaining under its Liberty Starz stock repurchase authorization.

The businesses and assets attributed to Liberty Starz group are primarily engaged in the production and distribution of video programming and related businesses.

Liberty Capital group's revenue increased to $581 million while adjusted OIBDA and operating income increased to $358 million and $343 million, respectively, for the first quarter. The increase in revenue is primarily due to the impact of a one-time recognition of previously deferred revenue and cost at TruePosition, partially offset by the change in attribution of Starz Media from Liberty Capital to Liberty Starz which was effective September 30, 2010. The increase in adjusted OIBDA is primarily due to the one-time recognition of previously deferred revenue and cost at TruePosition.

From February 1, through April 29, Liberty repurchased approximately 430,000 shares of Series A Liberty Capital common stock at an average cost per share of $72.34 for total cash consideration of $31.1 million. Since the reclassification of Liberty Capital on March 4, 2008 through April 29, Liberty has repurchased 50.9 million shares at an average cost per share of $25.35 for total cash consideration of $1.3 billion. These repurchases represent 39.4 percent of the shares outstanding. Liberty had approximately $310.6 million remaining under its Liberty Capital stock repurchase authorization on April 29.

The businesses and assets attributed to Liberty Capital group are all of Liberty's businesses and assets other than those attributed to the Liberty Interactive group and Liberty Starz group and include its subsidiaries Starz Media (through September 30, 2010), TruePosition, Atlanta National League Baseball Club (the owner of the Atlanta Braves), its interests in SiriusXM, and minority interests in Live Nation, Time Warner, and Viacom.

Liberty Media Corp. operates and owns interests in a broad range of video and on-line commerce, media, communications and entertainment businesses.

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

Saxo Bank is First to Offer Direct Online Trading in Brazilian Market.

HELLERUP, Denmark, April 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Saxo Bank Launches Four Futures Contracts for Online and Direct Trading, Tracking the Bovespa Index and USD/Brazilian Real Currency Cross.

- Brazil is Considered the Most Attractive Latin American Market for Investors.

Saxo Bank, the specialist in online trading and investment, has launched four futures that will, for the first time, offer investors who are not residents in Brazil direct access to the Brazilian market. The products include the Bovespa Index and USD/BRL cross and enable investors to gain exposure to one of the currently most buoyant economies and hedge risks in their portfolios.

With this launch, Saxo Bank provides investors with four futures investment instruments -the BOVESPA Index, IBOVSPA Index Mini, BMF US Dollar Future and Mini BMF US Dollar- that are available from 15 April on all of the bank's platforms (SaxoTrader, SaxoWebTrader and SaxoMobileTrader).

Moreover, Saxo Bank expands its coverage to over 20 futures markets and more than 80 trading venues which can be accessed via a product range comprising more than 22,000 financial instruments.

In a statement, Pedro Brigham, director of the Latin region for Saxo Bank, says:

"The rise in commodity prices has put Brazil on investors' radars. Its excellent economic growth, political stability and a liquid market where over 3.5 billion US dollars are traded on a daily basis have made the country the clear leader in Latin America at a time when investors increasingly demand greater access to emerging markets".

Claus Nielsen, Executive Vice President and Head of Markets at Saxo Bank, adds:

"The launch of futures trading in Brazil marks a significant milestone for Saxo Bank, and we are proud to be able to offer our global client base access to this vibrant economy. We look forward to expanding the list of available instruments in Brazil and to further add trading venues in emerging countries to our platform."

Read more: http://www.tradingfloor.com/posts/alan-plaugmann/product-news-saxo-bank-adds- brazilian-futures-exchange-3394

About Saxo Bank

Saxo Bank is a leading online trading and investment specialist with a worldwide client base. The three specialised and fully integrated trading platforms; the browser-based SaxoWebTrader, the downloadable SaxoTrader and the SaxoMobileTrader application are available in over 20 languages. Saxo Asset Management accommodates high-net worth private clients and institutional investors. In 2010 Saxo Bank continued the diversification of its business with acquisitions of Saxo-E*Trade Bank, a specialist in online investment, and Br0rup Sparekasse, a Danish savings bank. The Saxo Bank Group is headquartered in Copenhagen with offices throughout Europe, Asia, Middle East and Australia.

(Due to the length of the URLs, it may be necessary to copy and paste the hyperlinks into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the space if one exists.)

SOURCE Saxo Bank

Renovations at Indian River High to start year early.(Local)

By Alicia P.Q. Wittmeyer

The Virginian-Pilot

CHESAPEAKE

The School Board voted unanimously Monday to move up plans to renovate Indian River High School by a year.

L ast fall, the board had decided to put off working on the school until the 2010- 11 school year. On that schedule, the school wouldnAEt have been completed until the 2013- 14 school year.

But on Monday, the board voted to begin asking companies now for their proposals to modernize the school, the first step in securing an architecture firm to handle the project.

Indian River, which is more than 30 years old, needs to be brought up to the standards of new schools such as Grassfield, or recently renovated schools such as Western Branch, board member Jay Leftwich said.

oIf we donAEt, I think people will avoid that district,o he said. oThe one way to keep that neighborhood a strong and vibrant is to keep that school state of the art.o

The modernization is estimated at about $35 million, although school officials said those numbers could be adjusted in the fall. Plans include installing new lighting, ceilings, white boards and classroom furniture; redoing the track facilities; and adding new technology such as wireless Internet and smart boards.

The money would come from the school divisionAEs construction fund.

Also at MondayAEs meeting, board members got their first look at last yearAEs Standards of Learning scores. According to preliminary results, all of the divisionAEs schools will be fully accredited for the third year in a row.

Two high schools u Grassfield and Great Bridge u scored 90 percent pass rates or better on all four core areas of testing: English, math, history and science.

Three middle schools u Deep Creek , Great Bridge , and Greenbrier u had pass rates of higher than 90 percent in math, an area where middle-schoolers across the state have struggled .

Alicia Wittmeyer, (757) 222-5216, alicia.wittmeyer@pilotonline.com

Company and Industry Analysis Report for the European IT & Technology Sectors.

M2 PRESSWIRE-9 October 2008-Research and Markets: Company and Industry Analysis Report for the European IT & Technology Sectors(C)1994-2008 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:09102008

Dublin - Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/830a13/europe_it_techno) has announced the addition of the "Europe IT & Technology Sectors : A Company and Industry Analysis (August 2008)" report to their offering.

This report updates the previous European IT and high technology report, focusing on the markets in France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom

Current Environment

- Key Points

- The European IT industry started to face stresses in the first half of 2008 in the midst of the escalating global equity market slowdown and waning investor enthusiasm for most stocks

- The region was given a boost in July with a major initiative announced by the European Commission (EC) to build procurement infrastructure that covers the public sector in all EU member states

- Semiconductor sales in Europe for the first six months of 2008 were US$20.38 billion, an increase of 1.95% from US$19.99 billion recorded in the same period a year prior

- Sales of notebook PCs grew in the first three months of 2008 in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), with their share of total computer sales reaching 70%

- The downturn in world equity markets in the first half of 2008 had serious effects on most European IT companies- share prices In the three months from May 1, 2008, to August 1, 2008, European IT companies sustaining the most declines were looking at double digit negative percentages

- The credit crunch in the US failed to dampen the hunger for IT merger or acquisition deals in Europe in the first six months of 2008

Industry Profile

- Key Points

- Information technology is regarded by the European Union as a key driver of growth and innovation and is hence promoted by all EU member states in their national policies

- More than half of Europeans, or approximately 250 million people, are now regular internet users, with 80% of them having broadband connections

- In the EU, ICT use accounts for 26% of research efforts, 20% of business investment and almost 50% of all productivity growth

- In line with efforts to expand the spread of high-speed internet across Europe, on June 25 the EC outlined a strategy to boost investment in broadband infrastructure for next-generation access networks

- Research and innovation are at the top of the EU agenda for economic reform Although 22 of the 27 member states have identified these as key challenges to their national reform programs, the target of 3% of GDP spent on research by 2010 may not be unattained

Market Trends and Outlook

- Key Points

- The use of information technology is opening the door to computer simulation, a breakthrough that could mean fewer medical complications and better outcomes for certain types of surgery

- The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) market is picking up, driven by uses in a wide range of industries, including supply chain sectors such as logistics, food manufacturing and retail

- The internet is increasingly changing business models in the software market, with service and service-oriented software such as SaaS (software as a service) and SOA (service oriented architecture), now a significant driver of growth

- Europe continues to make progress in the ICT sector However, there is a variation of around 50 percentage points between the most and least advanced countries in terms of ICT implementation and use.

Key Topics Covered:

- Current Environment

- Sector Overview

- Key Market Segments and Leading Companies

- Semiconductors

- Personal Computers

- Software and IT Services

- Sector Performance

- Mergers

- Acquisitions and Alliances Industry Profile

- Industry Overview

- Sector Investment

- Research and Development Market Trends and Outlook

- Current Trends in the Healthcare Sector

- Radio Frequency Identification Markets Picks Up

- Software Market Business Models Change

- Market Outlook Country Profiles

- France

- Germany

- Italy

- Netherlands

- Sweden

- United Kingdom Currency Conversion Table

- Scope of this Report

- Key References

- Comparative Data

- Reports Coverage

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/830a13/europe_it_techno

CONTACT: Laura Wood, Senior Manager, Research and MarketsFax: +1 646 607 1907 (US)Fax: +353 1 481 1716 (Rest of World)e-mail: press@researchandmarkets.com

((M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data prepared by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).