среда, 29 февраля 2012 г.

HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 19:30, Aug 232011


AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2011
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 19:30, Aug 232011

JAKARTA - A Melbourne man facing up to 12 years in jail after being caught in Bali
with just over $30 worth of methamphetamine has told a court he used the drug three to
four times a month to relieve stress and depression. (Indon Rawson)

BRISBANE - Bob Katter's gay brother has slammed his sibling's recent comments against
same-sex couples as hurtful and damaging. (Katter Brother)

BRISBANE - Federal MP Bob Katter won't stop using The Australian Party as an abbreviation
in public for his political party despite the Australian Electoral Commission rejecting
it. (Katter)

CANBERRA - Coalition support for a bill requiring labelling of food with palm oil risked
a $150 million penalty on business, Trade Minister Craig Emerson has warned parliament.

(Palm)

SYDNEY - NRL star Benji Marshall punched a man who told him Broncos player Darren Lockyer
was better than him, the alleged victim and two of his friends have told a magistrate.

(Marshall Wrap (pix available)

PERTH - Disgraced former West Australian premier-turned-lobbyist Brian Burke is appealing
his conviction for giving false evidence to the state's corruption watchdog. (Burke)

PERTH - Nearly two weeks after West Australian Premier Colin Barnett ruled out a cabinet
reshuffle, the Liberal leader has had a change of heart. (Barnett)

PERTH - A West Australian police officer has been charged with assault over an incident
in 2009 in which a woman was forced to the ground during the Spring in the Valley festival.

(Assault)

PERTH - A man behind a protest at the APEC summit in 2007, which resulted in more than
a dozen arrests, is organising another protest for the Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting in Perth. (CHOGM)

PERTH - The redevelopment of Western Australia's premier rectangular stadium is a step
closer with the state government wrapping up negotiations with the local council. (Stadium
WA)

PERTH - West Australian teachers have rejected a 12 per cent pay rise that would make
them the highest paid in Australia because the government wants to have a separate agreement
for administrators. (Teachers WA)

BRISBANE - A north Queensland council plans to set up a partnership register that will
acknowledge gay, lesbian and transgender unions. (Marriage Cairns)

BRISBANE - Advertisements to stop people driving into floodwaters and encourage them
to stock their pantries are included in a $76 million campaign to prepare Queensland for
natural disasters. (Floods Inquiry Wrap)

BRISBANE - The Gold Coast City Council may reverse a decision to split from water retailer
Allconnex just as another council follows its lead. (Water Qld Wrap)

SYDNEY - Daily shootings continue to plague Sydney's west prompting fears an innocent
bystander may be killed, while victims and other witnesses remain too scared to assist
police. (Shots Wrap)

SYDNEY - Beleaguered NSW Environment Minister Robyn Parker has defended her handling
of Orica's Newcastle chemical leak, saying she was told "everything that should have been
done was being done". (Chemical)

SYDNEY - Seek chief executive Andrew Bassat says there are plenty of opportunities
for the company to expand rapidly overseas, but Australia still represents plenty of growth
potential. (Seek Wrap)

SYDNEY - Flight Centre is confident that low airfares and growth in its overseas operations
can boost profit this financial year. (Flight Centre Wrap)

SYDNEY - When it comes to tea, Kevin Rudd knows his leaves. The Foreign Affairs Minister
is the winner of the Twinings Australian Afternoon Tea Challenge. (Tea Rudd)

SYDNEY - A Muslim man allegedly describes a Jewish soldier as a "dirty animal" who
is "a thousand times worse" than a pig, in letters he sent to politicians and members
of the Jewish community. (Monis)

MELBOURNE - A Melbourne man found dead in a pool of blood in his backyard was known
to police. (Grey)

MELBOURNE - The union representing 160 electricians facing the sack at Victoria's desalination
plant threatened that the project would not be finished until 2013, a court has been told.

(Desal)

MELBOURNE - Former AFL player manager Ricky Nixon has allegedly been caught driving
while suspended. (Nixon)

MELBOURNE - A Victorian man accused of slitting another man's throat during a neighbourhood
brawl confessed his crimes to friends, a jury has heard. (Tunja Wrap)

MELBOURNE - A Melbourne man who strangled his de facto partner with a dressing gown
cord after she disturbed his sleeping dog has lost an appeal against his 14-year sentence.

(Sherna)

MELBOURNE - A study is under way on whether to reopen passenger train services between
Victoria's three biggest regional cities. (Rail Vic)

HOBART - A Melbourne man accused of murdering his housemate during a holiday in Tasmania
told police the night was a blur, but that he knew "someone got hurt", a Hobart court
has been told. (Assafiri Wrap)

CANBERRA - If Australian Greens leader Bob Brown gets his way, radio broadcaster Alan
Jones will have to apologise for comments made at an anti-Gillard government protest.

(Convoy)

CANBERRA - The federal government has unveiled a new training package designed to help
defence families cope with the stress and uncertainty caused by partners being posted
away for extended periods. (FamilySMART)

CANBERRA - Australia's prisons are filing up with older criminals, overloading prison
authorities with the same age-related health problems facing the community in general.

(Criminals )

ADELAIDE - Bad weather was not a factor in the crash of a helicopter near Lake Eyre
last week which killed three experienced ABC television newsmen, a report has found. (Helicopter

Wrap (takes in keyword Plane)

ADELAIDE - A "chilling, amoral" woman killed and dismembered an aged pensioner to steal
her house, an Adelaide court has been told. (Gavare)

ADELAIDE - Cars and trucks in Australia travelled almost 227 billion kilometres in
a single year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics says. (Driving )

ENTERTAINMENT

SYDNEY - A former sparkie has won the top honour at this year's Australian Gourmet
Traveller Restaurant Guide Awards. (Marque)

SYDNEY - Children and teenagers looking to become the next Tina Arena or Dannii Minogue
can now audition for Ten's revamped Young Talent Time. (Talent)

AAP was

KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL 2 SYDNEY

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

Vic: Terror group thought community suspicious of activities


AAP General News (Australia)
02-21-2008
Vic: Terror group thought community suspicious of activities

MELBOURNE, Feb 21 AAP - Members of an alleged Melbourne terrorist group thought their
community suspected them of committing "the forbidden and the abominable", the Victorian
Supreme Court heard today.

The group had panicked after one of the members, Shoue Hammoud, had been warned by
his father that the police were watching them.

Mohammed Hammoud urged his son to stay away from the group and its leader Abdul Nacer
Benbrika after he had been told they planned to "blow up Australia".

The court today was told that the father of …

NT:Abandoned baby returned to parents


AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2011
NT:Abandoned baby returned to parents

DARWIN, April 27 AAP - Northern Territory police have yet to determine whether charges
will be laid against the parents of a baby found abandoned in a laneway.

In a statement released on Wednesday, police confirmed a three-month-old boy was found
in bushes in a laneway in Tennant Creek, about 500km north of Alice Springs, just before
midnight on Monday.

Acting Senior Sergeant Shane Shewring said the baby had since been returned to his
parents, but that police investigations were ongoing to determine whether charges will
be laid.

A police spokeswoman said a member of the public found the baby in the alley that connects
Patterson Street and Thompson Street.

"The child was taken to Tennant Creek Hospital for a medical assessment while police
tried to locate the baby's parents," she said.

She added that at about 3am (CST) on Tuesday the baby's 22-year-old mother and 29-year-old
father visited the hospital looking for the child.

AAP lcs/nb

KEYWORD: NEWBORN UPDATE

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

FED:Coalition to closely examine COAG reforms


AAP General News (Australia)
02-12-2011
FED:Coalition to closely examine COAG reforms

SYDNEY, Feb 12 AAP - The NSW opposition says it will not sign up to a national health
reform deal that compromises patient care or leaves NSW in a worse financial position.

Opposition health spokeswoman Jillian Skinner said the NSW coalition would "closely
examine" any proposals for further health reform put forward by the federal government
at Sunday's Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting.

"There is now potentially more money on the table, thanks largely to the state Liberal
governments in Western Australia and Victoria standing up for patients," Ms Skinner said
in a statement on Saturday.

"The NSW Liberals and Nationals are happy to sit down with the Commonwealth to continue
reforming the health system, but we will not sign up to a deal that compromises patient
care or leaves NSW in a worse financial position."

Ms Keneally's health promises had collapsed, Ms Skinner added.

"Kristina Keneally has no plan to reform the health system and she doesn't understand
which questions she needs to ask about this new federal offer."

Earlier on Saturday, Ms Keneally indicated she was optimistic a deal on national health
reform could be reached, once NSW was allowed to keep the funding it was promised at last
year's meeting.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Friday proposed a 50-50 public hospitals funding arrangement
with the states and territories.

Ms Gillard was forced to come up with the new health deal, ahead of a meeting with
state and territory leaders in Canberra on Sunday, after coalition governments in Western
Australia and Victoria rejected an agreement proposed by former prime minister Kevin
Rudd in 2010.

AAP ih/msk

KEYWORD: HOSPITALS SKINNER

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

QLD:Crackdown on troubled party precincts


AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2010
QLD:Crackdown on troubled party precincts

Eds: Reissuing to adjust abstract, intro



By David Barbeler and Lisa Martin

BRISBANE, Aug 29 AAP - Extra cops, bans on troublemakers and safe drinking zones will
spearhead a crackdown on alcohol-fuelled violence in Queensland's most troubled nightclub
precincts.

Premier Anna Bligh has announced three `Drink Safe Precincts' will be set up - in Brisbane's
Fortitude Valley, the Gold Coast and Townsville - from December 2010.

"We've been grappling with this issue for the past 12 months, we've had a parliamentary
inquiry into it and we've accepted 58 of the 68 recommendations," she said.

Under the $4.2 million plan, police numbers in the precincts will be boosted by 39
per cent through paid overtime during peak times and troublemakers will be banned from
the areas.

"These new banning powers will mean that (troublemakers) will be prevented, by a court
order, from turning up in these precincts," she said.

"These are regular troublemakers. Police and the venue owners largely know who they are."

Ms Bligh said taxi zones will also be better supervised during peak times and it will
become mandatory for pubs and clubs to offer patrons free drinking water.

"The new precincts will have special safe zones where people can go if they have had
too much to drink, are experiencing harassment, violence or simply need a safe place to
clear their heads," she said.

The Bligh government rejected recommendations to change lockout times or wind back trading hours.

"We will give this new strategy a two-year opportunity," she said.

"If it does not see a reduction in violence then we will revisit the opening hours
of these venues."

Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson said the plan was one of the best measures that had
been implemented in a long time.

"It's going to be treated like a major event like Schoolies, fully co-ordinated across
the board," he said.

Mr Atkinson rejected claims that police were already overworked and wouldn't work the
overtime shifts.

"I think we can find the right balance there," he said.

"No one is going to force them to if they don't want to... but I'm quietly confident
that it will be okay."

Opposition leader John Paul Langbroek said the proposed new measures didn't go far enough.

"There is trouble at nightclub areas all over Queensland," he said.

"What about Cairns, the Whitsundays, Mackay? This plan ignores those areas."

Ms Bligh said the three precincts were chosen because they had the highest concentration
of late-night venues where trouble occurred for police.

"If it does have a demonstrable improvement, then we will look to spread this idea
into other precincts," she said.

Queensland Hotels Association CEO Justin O'Connor welcomed the new initiative despite
the $4.2 million pricetag.

"I'm sure these measures will work," he said.

"When it comes to personal safety and the reputation of Queensland's hospitality and
licensing industry, it's really not about money."

AAP djb/jl

KEYWORD: BOOZE WRAP (REISSUING)

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

WA: Fed Court rules on WA air conditioning cartel case


AAP General News (Australia)
04-21-2010
WA: Fed Court rules on WA air conditioning cartel case

PERTH, April 21 AAP - The largest trade practices case ever run in Western Australia
has ended with nearly $9.3 million in penalties handed out to members of an air conditioning
cartel.

The Federal Court in Perth has handed down its final orders in the case which involved
bid-rigging and price fixing on commercial and industrial air conditioning projects valued
at more than $100 million.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) began proceedings in December
2004 against 17 companies and 22 individuals and imposed penalties totalling $9,272,000.

The matter came to the ACCC's attention after a trade practice law compliance review
of Tyco and its subsidiaries, following its involvement in a Queensland fire protection
price-fixing case.

The ACCC alleged the Tyco companies breached the Trade Practices Act 1974 by entering
into arrangements or understandings for a company to submit the lowest tender price for
a project.

Price fixing and bid rigging from the early 1990s to 2003 affected tenders for air
conditioning projects totalling about $129 million, the ACCC said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The ACCC is pleased these proceedings have been concluded," chairman Graeme Samuel said.

"This is a timely reminder to businesses who may be tempted to engage in illegal cartel
conduct that the ACCC will not hesitate to investigate and prosecute those involved in
such conduct.

"Furthermore, given recent amendments to the law, individuals who are involved in serious
cartel conduct of the type subject to these proceedings now face the prospect of criminal
prosecution and the risk of imprisonment for up to 10 years."

To finalise the case, the Federal Court handed down orders, including declarations,
injunctions and costs, on Martin Roche, a former senior employee of Haden Engineering
Pty Ltd.

The allegations against all the respondents, including Mr Roche, were resolved by consent
between the parties.

AAP ldj/maur/mn

KEYWORD: CARTEL

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

NSW: New ministry will show Keneally's true colours


AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2009
NSW: New ministry will show Keneally's true colours

SYDNEY, Dec 8 AAP - The people of NSW will find out on Tuesday how much influence the
Labor party powerbrokers have over new premier Kristina Keneally, when she announces the
members of her ministry.

So far only Treasurer Eric Roozendaal has been confirmed as a member of Ms Keneally's
government, but the whole ministry is due to be sworn in on Tuesday afternoon at 3.15pm
(AEDT).

The premier has not yet announced the list of ministers but there's widespread speculation
that Tony Kelly and Ian Macdonald will return to senior positions.

Mr Macdonald was sacked by former premier Nathan Rees last month for plotting against
him and Mr Kelly was demoted to a junior ministry for the same reason.

Both men are favoured by powerbrokers Joe Tripodi and Eddie Obeid, who Mr Rees said
last week would be the puppet masters of the new premier.

Former planning minister Frank Sartor, dropped from the ministry when Mr Rees came
to power in 2008, is also expected to return to the front bench.

Ms Keneally has said she will offer Mr Rees a ministry, but after his comments last
week that any new premier would be a puppet of Mr Tripodi and Mr Obeid, it seems unlikely
he will accept.

Ms Keneally insisted on Friday that she would be her own woman and nobody's puppet.

AAP wjf/maur

KEYWORD: LABOR NSW

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

WA: Four injured boat people released from hospital


AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2009
WA: Four injured boat people released from hospital

The Department of Immigration says four asylum seekers released from a Perth hospital
will be held in immigration residential housing in Perth while they undergo oupatient
treatment.

Seven of the 19 who remain in hospital have been processed and formally detained.

The other 12 remain too ill to undergo departmental checks.

They were all among 23 asylum seekers treated .. following a fatal boat explosion off
Western Australia earlier this month.

Five people died in the April 16 explosion aboard the vessel carrying 47 Afghan asylum
seekers and two Indonesian crewmen .. after it was apprehended in Australian waters near
Ashmore Reef.

AAP RTV was/wz/crh

KEYWORD: BOAT PERTH (PERTH)

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

Fed: Shark victim was loving husband, father who loved the water


AAP General News (Australia)
12-27-2008
Fed: Shark victim was loving husband, father who loved the water

The search for a 51-year-old man feared taken by a shark off a West Australian beach
has so far failed to find him.

BRIAN GUEST was snorkelling for crabs with his son off their local beach near Rockingham
.. south of Perth .. when he suddenly disappeared from view shortly after 7am (WDT) this
morning.

His 24-year-old son .. identified by Perth Now website as DANIEL .. swam to shore and
raised the alarm.

Witnesses have told police they saw flashes of fins in the area and the water was coloured
by blood.

The beach was immediately closed as police .. marine rescue patrols and three helicopters
mounted a huge search for the missing man.

The 10 kilomtre beach is a popular swimming location .. and many people were at the
beach because of the early morning warm weather.

AAP RTV cdh/apm/wz

KEYWORD: SHARK (PERTH)

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

Fed:Banks' rate stance "serious issue" for economy:Swan


AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2008
Fed:Banks' rate stance "serious issue" for economy:Swan

Federal Treasurer WAYNE SWAN says the retail banks will be putting the economy at risk
.. if they don't match any interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank.

The RBA will release minutes from its August 5 board meeting tomorrow .. after clearly
indicating it intends to cut its key cash rate because of a rapid slowdown in economic
growth.

But the retail banks are refusing to guarantee they'll be able to follow suit .. drawing
a series of threats and warnings from the government.

Mr SWAN has told Fairfax Radio there's absolutely no excuse for banks not to pass on
an official rate cut from the Reserve Bank in full.

AAP RTV cb/sw/ibw

KEYWORD: ECONOMY (CANBERRA)

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

SA: New laws ban the bong in SA


AAP General News (Australia)
04-11-2008
SA: New laws ban the bong in SA

The South Australian parliament has passed legislation banning the bong .. with new
laws making it illegal to sell any drug paraphernalia.

Until now it was illegal to use equipment to take drugs .. but not necessarily illegal
to sell it.

Attorney-General MICHAEL ATKINSON says shops selling drug paraphernalia in South Australia
will now either have to shut up shop or find another line of business.

AAP RTV tjd/bart

KEYWORD: BONG (ADELAIDE)

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

Qld: Premier Bligh appoints Mike Kaiser as chief of staff


AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2007
Qld: Premier Bligh appoints Mike Kaiser as chief of staff

By Gabrielle Dunlevy

BRISBANE, Dec 7 AAP - Former state Labor MP and Shepherdson inquiry figure Mike Kaiser
is to make a high-profile return to the Queensland political scene as Premier Anna Bligh's
chief of staff.

Mr Kaiser resigned from Queensland parliament in 2001 after admitting during the Shepherdson
inquiry to involvement in vote-rigging in Labor Party ballots in the 1980s.

He is now NSW Premier Morris Iemma's chief of staff, but has always intended to return
to his home state.

Mr Iemma announced today Mr Kaiser would finish working in his office at the end of the year.

In a statement, Mr Kaiser said it would be hard to leave but the calling of his home
state was "too strong to resist".

Ms Bligh said she had been trying to lure Mr Kaiser back for some time, and was delighted
he would be starting work with her in January.

"Mike Kaiser is someone who I've known for a very long time in the Labor Party, someone
who has played a very key strategic role, not only for Morris Iemma but in the national
campaign," Ms Bligh said.

"I am very pleased to have him come and join my staff.

"We have many challenges in front of us in Queensland.

"As the new premier, I want to have a team of very smart people around me, and Mike
as the chief of staff will certainly be a great addition to that team."

Ms Bligh defended Mr Kaiser's past and said she would support his return to politics
in future if he was to choose that path.

"Mike Kaiser in the past has admitted that he did something wrong and stupid when he
was very young, he paid a very, very high price for that and I think most people accept
that he's learned from that mistake," Ms Bligh said.

Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney said the appointment sent all the wrong messages to honest
and hard-working public servants.

"I'm sure there are any number of hard-working, decent people who could perform all
the duties required as chief of staff, so why does the premier need to hire a self-confessed
vote-rorter?" Mr Seeney said.

He said it was a bad look for the government, particularly on the same day as former
WorkCover Queensland director Harold Shand appeared in court charged with paying a $60,000
secret commission to ex-minister Gordon Nuttall.

"What does Anna Bligh owe to Mike Kaiser?" Mr Seeney said.

"She needs to show better judgment, especially at a time when former ministers are
before the courts on official corruption charges."

Mr Kaiser, who begins work in late January, said he was pleased to be returning to Queensland.

"I am keen to play a significant role for a leader I have long admired and a government
that is doing great things for the people of Queensland," he said in a statement.

AAP gd/pjo/sp

KEYWORD: KAISER NIGHTLEAD

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

NT: NT remembers Anzac Day


AAP General News (Australia)
04-25-2007
NT: NT remembers Anzac Day

The Last Post sounded across the cliffs overlooking Darwin Harbour this morning ..

as the Top End paused to remember Anzac Day.

About four thousand people gathered to watch the sunrise and commemorate the sacrifices
made by Australia's servicemen and women .. 92 years after the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign
in Turkey.

Northern Territory Administrator and bush balladeer TED EGAN told the crowd .. Anzac
Day makes everyone recall the best of the human spirit.

Chaplain RUSSELL SMITH said it's a time to remember with gratitude those who made the
supreme sacrifice so the world could be a better and happier place .. and to support those
currently serving our nation.

Cyclone Monica's howling winds forced the cancellation of last year's dawn service.

AAP RTV tr/jlw/jmt

KEYWORD: ANZAC DAWN NT (DARWIN)

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

Diary Events for Sunday, December 24, 2006


AAP General News (Australia)
12-24-2006
Diary Events for Sunday, December 24, 2006

EVENTS LISTED IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER AND LOCAL TIME UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED:

ADELAIDE
No items listed.

BRISBANE
1715 - Carols followed by Christmas Eve Service with Archbishop Phillip Aspinall. The
Lakes Anglican Church, Lakes College, cnr College St and Discovery Dve, North Lakes. Contact:
3835 2218.

1800 - Christmas Eve Vigil Mass. St Stephen's Cathedral. Contact: 0419 027 769.

2000 - Christmas Eve Mass. St Stephen's Cathedral. Contact: 0419 027 769.

2300 - First Eucharist of Christmas with Archbishop Phillip Aspinall. St John's Cathedral.

Contact: 3835 2218.

2400 - Midnight Mass. St Stephen's Cathedral. Contact: 0419 027 769.

CANBERRA
No items listed.

DARWIN
No items listed.

HOBART
No items listed.

PERTH
No items listed.

MELBOURNE
Sunset - The Dream Seed Shower of Lights, containing wishes and dreams of children from
across the state, will be released from giant balloons flying over Federation Square.

Contact: Fiona Macrae 0412 693 182 or 9658 8426.

2000 - Christmas Eve service of readings and carols; 2345 - Procession with Blessing of
the crib and Choral Eucharist. St Paul's Cathedral, Flinders St. Contact: Rev Anne Wentzel
9653 4311 or David Richardson 0419 851 668 or 9653 4315.

SYDNEY
No items listed.

SPORT
GALLOPS -
Mudgee
Cranbourne
Sunshine Coast
Horsham
Pinjarra
Devonport
TROTS -
Terang
Hobart
GREYHOUNDS -
Warragul
Gawler

AAP RTV cj/evt/nf/wz

KEYWORD: DIARY EVENTS SUNDAY DECEMBER 24, 2006

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

Vic: House gutted by fire in suspicious blaze


AAP General News (Australia)
08-17-2006
Vic: House gutted by fire in suspicious blaze

MELBOURNE, Aug 17 AAP - Authorities are treating a fire that gutted a house in Melbourne's
western suburbs overnight as suspicious.

Police say a passer-by alerted firefighters to the blaze in Mayne Street, Sunshine
West, at about 2am (AEST).

The fire was contained to the property which was unoccupied.

AAP cmb/ks

KEYWORD: GUTTED

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

SA: Villawood detainees to be moved after asbestos find


AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2006
SA: Villawood detainees to be moved after asbestos find

ADELAIDE, April 10 AAP - All detainees at Sydney's Villawood immigration detention
centre will be relocated tomorrow after asbestos was found at the site.

The relocation coincides with a protest expected to be held at the centre over the
Easter weekend.

Immigration Minister Amanda Vanstone said detainees would not (not) have been exposed
to the asbestos, which was found in a buffer zone around the detention facility.

However, NSW Police could be at risk if weekend protesters went into the buffer zone
and had to be pursued by officers.

Relocating the detainees would minimise such risks, Senator Vanstone said.

"While our expert advice is that the asbestos is of low risk, we are relocating detainees
as a precautionary measure that will ensure there is no risk to the safety or health of
staff, detainees, visitors, police or local residents," she said.

Senator Vanstone said detainees would be moved to detention and correctional facilities
in NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

Detainees would be returned to Villawood after the completion of remediation work,
which is expected to take about two weeks.

AAP la/rr/jnb/tnf

KEYWORD: VILLAWOOD

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

понедельник, 27 февраля 2012 г.

Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas Teams with TSMC for Volume Manufacturing of System-on-Chip and Microcontroller Designs.

Business Editors/Technology Writers

CAMAS, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 11, 2001

Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas (SMA), a U.S.-based division of Sharp Electronics Corporation, announced today that it has formed a relationship with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (NYSE:TSM) for volume production of SMA's latest microcontroller (MCU) and System-on-Chip (SoC) designs.

These advanced products are being designed by engineers at SMA's new North American Design Center based in Camas, Wash., and will be manufactured in production volumes using TSMC's 0.35 and 0.25 micron CMOS logic and EmbFlash(tm) processes. Future SMA products will be targeted towards TSMC's production-proven 0.18 micron logic and EmbFlash(tm) processes, which are slated for production in the 3Q01 timeframe.

"We selected TSMC because it is also a leader in embedded Flash technology and can provide the additional production capacity that we are looking for," said Terry Thomas, SMA's director of marketing for microcontroller and System-on-Chip products/designs. "Embedded flash provides our customers with a powerful tool for system-on-chip designs because it is production-proven and shortens their time to market."

"TSMC's leading edge technology is ideally suited to Sharp Microelectronics' market focus -- Internet-enabled appliances, home and office automation, and industrial applications," said Sam Chu, director of TSMC's advanced technology product marketing group. "By combining SMA's engineering and applications expertise with TSMC's advanced SoC process knowledge, we can help SMA deliver highly integrated SoCs for fast-time-to-volume."

The decision to operate a design center in North America was a notable departure for Sharp, which previously designed all products in Japan. The Camas, Washington-based team of engineers is now responsible for the design of all new 8-, 16-, and 32-bit MCU / SoC products based on market- and customer-driven requirements.

SMA has completed licensing agreements for the ARM 7TDMI-S, ARM 720T and ARM 922T, as well as the 8051 E-Warp to provide the foundation for MCU / SOC development.

About TSMC

TSMC is the world's largest dedicated semiconductor foundry, providing the industry's leading process technology, library and IP options and other leading-edge foundry services. TSMC operates two six-inch wafer fabs and nine eight-inch wafer fabs in three countries, including its two joint ventures fabs -- Vanguard and SSMC -- and its North American subsidiary, WaferTech. In 2000, TSMC produced the foundry industry's first 300mm customer wafers and began constructing two dedicated 300mm fabs. TSMC's corporate headquarters are in Hsin-Chu, Taiwan. More information about TSMC is available through the World Wide Web at http://www.tsmc.com.

About Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas

Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas (SMA), Camas, Washington, is a U.S.-based company and a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation which is a subsidiary of Sharp Corporation, Osaka, Japan. Sharp is a worldwide developer of core digital technologies that are playing an integral role in shaping the next generation of electronic products for consumer and business needs. SMA offers breakthrough memory, LCD, opto, CCD, RF/IR, microcomputer and system-on-chip components, along with packaging and integration skills that help design engineers throughout North and South America bring their ambitious ideas to market. SMA is dedicated to improving people's lives through the use of advanced technology and a commitment to innovation, quality, value and design. More information about SMA is available through the World Wide Web at http://www.sharpsma.com.

Note: all trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective companies. ARM7TDMI(TM) ARM 7TDMI-S, ARM 720T, ARM 922T are trademarks of Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) Ltd. 8051 is a trademark of Intel. M8051 E-Warp is a trademark of Mentor Graphics.

GE Capital IT Solutions Launches GEExpressTraining.com.

New IT training site offers both e-learning and classroom options

NEWPORT, Ky., Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ --

GE Capital IT Solutions (GECITS), announced today the launch of www.geexpresstraining.com , a new IT Education Services web site.

GEExpressTraining.com brings together industry leaders in training to provide a single customer interface for purchasing classroom and e-learning programs and services. The initial site launch includes web-based courses, tutorials, and online texts as well as traditional classroom courses.

"GEExpressTraining.com exemplifies GECITS' commitment to helping our customers achieve a greater and faster return on their technology investments. We have created a site where the IT manager, the technical professional and the end user can comfortably purchase and access training," said Greg Blackmore, President of GE Managed Service Solutions. "This unique approach gives students an opportunity to meet all of their training needs in one location."

Training partners for GE Education Services were selected for their complementary offerings and for their strategic alignment. SmartForce was chosen as an e-learning partner not only for its comprehensive technical course library but also based on positive student feedback regarding course quality, accuracy, and relevancy. Teach.com's user friendly approach to training made its online end user PC skills and other libraries a natural fit in the GE Express Training portfolio. Productivity Point International (PPI) was a vendor of choice for technical classroom instruction due to its high quality courseware, wide geographic coverage and competitive pricing. GEExpressTraining.com also features a comprehensive 24x7 technical reference library from Element K, formerly known as Ziff-Davis Education.

"We are excited to launch our site with such valuable partners," explains Beth Kamradt, Vice President of GE Education Services. "Our initial site release is the first in a multigenerational plan to provide comprehensive coverage of IT learning content in a broad array of training formats based on the precision learning paths required to meet the needs of IT professionals. Our goal is to provide customers with the quality service and job-focused guidance we provide our own IT professionals."

GEExpressTraining.com is a complementary site to GEExpress.com, which provides spare and replacement parts for out-of-warranty and obsolete computer and printer equipment.

About GE Education Services

GE Education Services uses the company's Six Sigma approach to bring high quality, cost effective training and development programs to IT professionals including end users, technicians, IT project managers, IT managers, IT business analysts and IT sales professionals.

Education Services brings a wide range of best of breed IT training providers together in a single location at a discounted price.

About GE Capital IT Solutions

GE Capital IT Solutions is an independent, IT Solutions integrator, providing technology and quality based growth opportunities for its customers. Headquartered in Newport, Ky., GE Capital IT Solutions is segmented into three businesses, GE IT Product Solutions, GE Managed Service Solutions and GE Net Solutions. Each business is designed to complement and advance its focus on infrastructure services and build on its core capabilities to provide products, services and network planning, all delivered with Six Sigma quality. GE Capital IT Solutions is a GE Capital Company.

As part of the GE family of companies, GE Capital IT Solutions is a valued member of an organization FORTUNE magazine votes as "The Most Admired Company in America" for the third consecutive year in 1999. To learn more about GE Capital IT Solutions, its strategic solutions and its products, visit its Internet Site at http://www.gecits.ge.com.