FED:Dumping taxes won't hurt budget, Hockey

AAP General News (Australia)
08-12-2011
FED:Dumping taxes won't hurt budget, Hockey

Shadow treasurer JOE HOCKEY says the coalition's plans to dump the carbon and mining
taxes if it wins government won't leave a hole in its budget.

Coalition documents leaked to the Seven Network showed Opposition Leader TONY ABBOTT'S
promise to axe the controversial taxes and implement other promises would leave a $70
billion shortfall.

Mr HOCKEY, while refusing to confirm the figures, told Seven this morning its budget
would not be hurt.

AAP RTV jlw/ar

KEYWORD: BUDGET (SYDNEY)

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

NT: Coroner questions police handing of fatal NT smash

AAP General News (Australia)
02-20-2006
NT: Coroner questions police handing of fatal NT smash

DARWIN, Feb 20 AAP - A coroner has questioned the police handling of a car crash which
killed a seven-year-old girl in Kakadu.

Louisa May Turner died when two vehicles collided head on in Kakadu National Park last August.

German tourist Louthar Eibofner, 55, returned to Germany following a court hearing
in which he received a six week suspended sentence for dangerous driving to which he pleaded
guilty just six days after the crash.

Northern Territory Coroner Greg Cavanagh said today the police had allowed the tourist's
lawyer to ask …

FED:Wilkie to continue pokie push

AAP General News (Australia)
04-15-2011
FED:Wilkie to continue pokie push

(Eds: Takes in Wilkie)

By Andrea Hayward

CANBERRA, April 15 AAP - Federal independent MP Andrew Wilkie has vowed to continue
his gambling reform push, saying he won't be cowered by the pokies industry that he has
accused of waging a smear campaign against him.

Mr Wilkie said it was obvious the industry had instigated a campaign against him, after
News Ltd ran a story alleging he ordered military cadets at Duntroon Military College
to salute the 50th anniversary of Hitler's rise to power.

A death threat, an email blackmailing him with supposedly compromising photos and the
Nazi allegation coincided with a $20 million advertising blitz to campaign against pokie
reform by Australian pubs and clubs.

"Three things on the very day the poker machine industry launches a $20 million campaign
to turn around these reforms," Mr Wilkie, a former intelligence analyst, told reporters
in Hobart.

"I'm not claiming to be the best analyst in the world but I don't think it takes a
very good analyst to draw some conclusions from what started last Monday."

Mr Wilkie has a deal with the Labor government to introduce gambling reforms.

He said the story had emerged at a time when he was "standing between the poker machine
industry and the $5 billion that problem gamblers lose on the pokies each year".

"I will not be cowered by the pokies industry and will keep working to drive historic
national poker machine reform to improve the lives of the 95,000 Australians with a pokies
gambling problem and the countless people they affect," he said.

Clubs Australia executive director Anthony Ball has demanded an apology from Mr Wilkie
over his claims.

"I think it's disgraceful that someone could lob that hand grenade in and really smear
an entire industry who are just going about their business," Mr Ball told reporters in
Sydney.

"That's why I'm asking for him to apologise."

Mr Ball said he had never heard of Brendan Etches, the former junior cadet behind the
allegations against Mr Wilkie, who was then a senior cadet at Duntroon, until the story
emerged on Friday.

The debate with Mr Wilkie about the reforms was an ethical one, he said.

"There's nothing underhanded about our campaign. We would never stoop to those things."

Australian Greens leader Bob Brown has accused the industry of trying to buy opinions
in the debate over the proposed reforms.

"Democracy is on trial here by powerful lobby groups," Senator Brown told reporters in Canberra.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has refused to wade into the debate except to say Mr Wilkie
was a "very, very young man" at the time of the alleged Nazi incident.

Mr Wilkie admits he was involved in bastardisation - which usually involves bullying,
and humiliation - during his time at Duntroon but said the abuse was not physical or sexual.

He said would not apologise for the alleged incident because he had no recollection of it.

Mr Wilkie helped deliver minority government to Julia Gillard conditional on support
for his pokie reforms.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he doesn't believe the Nazi salute allegation had
the potential to bring down Mr Wilkie and thus the Gillard government.

"The short answer is no, but I'll let him explain whatever it was that happened back
in the early 80s when he was a military officer," Mr Abbott told reporters in Brisbane.

AAP ah/pjo/mo

KEYWORD: POKIES WRAP

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

SA:International education grows in SA

AAP General News (Australia)
12-29-2010
SA:International education grows in SA

International education has become South Australia's second largest export .. after wine.

Premier MIKE RANN says Bureau of Statistics' figures show international education has
leap-frogged iron and copper ore in annual export earnings .. and is valued at more than
one billion dollars.

He says Adelaide has earned a reputation for providing world-class education opportunities
.. and SA wants to continue to be seen as the most supportive and welcoming state for
international students to live and study.

Mr RANN says South Australia continues to outperform much of the country.

AAP RTV lk/ajw/

KEYWORD: EDUCATION SA (ADELAIDE)

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

FED:Coalition to release costings

AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2010
FED:Coalition to release costings

CANBERRA, Aug 18 AAP - The coalition will release the independent audit of its policy
costings in Sydney at 4.45pm (AEST).

The opposition's treasury spokesman Joe Hockey and finance spokesman Andrew Robb will
detail the costings at a press conference.

Labor has criticised Opposition Leader Tony Abbott for not being at the announcement
with his team.

However, Labor campaign headquarters have not confirmed whether or not former prime
minister Kevin Rudd attended the event with his then treasury spokesman, Wayne Swan, in
2007.

AAP so/sb/mn

KEYWORD: POLL10 BUDGET RELEASE

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

AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, April 10

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2010
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, April 10
Evening Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


Home (MELBOURNE)

Three children and a man have been found dead in a home in Melbourne's far northern
suburbs .. in a suspected murder-suicide.

Police say the bodies were found in the home in Johnson Court at Roxburgh Park just
before two o'clock this afternoon.

It's reported the three children were all under the age of 12.



Cyclist (SYDNEY)

Driver fatigue may have caused a truck driver to veer into the breakdown lane and mow
down a group of cyclists .. killing one .. on the M4 in Sydney's west this morning.

Police say a group of four cyclists were struck by a B-double truck at about 7.40am (AEST).

A male cyclist died at the scene and the other three sustained serious injuries.

A WorkCover spokesman says they're conducting a preliminary investigation of the incident
to ascertain whether it was caused by driver fatigue.



Toll NSW (SYDNEY)

A man's died and another's been seriously injured in a car collision in northern NSW.

Police say it happened around 12.30 (AEDT) this afternoon .. when a northern bound
car collided with a southern bound car on the New England Highway .. about 25 km south
of Tamworth.

A person travelling in one of the cars is believed to have died in the accident ..

while the driver and only occupant of a second car suffered serious injuries.



US Mine (WASHINGTON)

Four US miners missing after a deadly blast at a coal mine in WEst Virginia have been
found dead .. following a nearly week-long search for survivors.

The grim discovery at the Upper Big Branch Mine brings the death toll from Monday's
explosion to 29 .. making it the worst coal mine accident in the US since 1984.

President BARACK OBAMA has asked officials to report back next week on the tragedy
in order to take the steps necessary to prevent such accidents in the future.



Bridge (BRISBANE)

A Brisbane shipping pilot has averted a potential disaster .. by bringing an out of
control cruise liner to a complete stop .. before it passed under the Gateway Bridge.

Brisbane Marine Pilots captain PETER LILEY says he was at the helm of the 245 metre
long Pacific Dawn this morning when it lost power and all steering .. just 700 metres
before it was to pass under the Gateway Bridge.

He says two tugboats had to bring the Pacific Dawn under control .. and it was brought
to a standstill 70 metres shy of the six-lane bridge.



Cyberbully (MELBOURNE)

New research shows one in 10 Australian teenagers are cyberbullied at least every few
weeks .. involving nasty messages .. or photos posted online or sent on mobile phones.

However most of those being cyberbullied are also being bullied face-to-face .. according
to the research from Edith Cowan University in Western Australia.

Professor DONNA CROSS has told the National Centre Against Bullying Conference in Melbourne
today that strategies to tackle cyberbullying can't be isolated .. and must address other
forms of bullying.

She says her team has started a three-year trial of ways to prevent and deal with cyberbullying
.. which it's hoped will provide schools with proven solutions.



PollTas (HOBART)

Tasmanian Premier DAVID BARTLETT and Greens leader NICK MCKIM have gone on a two-hour
bike ride together .. as Labor prepares to form a minority government.

Governor PETER UNDERWOOD decided this week that Labor should retain government following
the split result from last month's election.

The Greens decided on Thursday to back a minority Labor government.

Mr BARTLETT says the pair spent this morning's mountain bike ride up Mount Wellington
discussing the future .. but has stressed no deals were made.



Weather Vic (MELBOURNE)

Melbourne's record-breaking run of 20 degree days could be close to an end .. as a
cold front tracks eastwards across the state.

The city's topped 20 degrees for 123 days straight .. the longest stretch of its kind
since such temperature readings began over 150 years ago.

The summer heat record began on December 9 .. and has continued to smash the previous
record stretch of 78 days set in 2001.

But the approaching cold front could plunge temperatures below the 20 degree threshold
.. with tomorrow's forecast predicting a high of 19.



Randwick Scene (SYDNEY)

Celebrities have partied at Sydney's Randwick Racecourse for Derby Day.

Test Cricketer MICHAEL CLARKE .. actor MATHEW NEWTON and his American actress girlfriend
RACHEL TAYLOR and the late businessman RICHARD PRATT's mistress SHARI-LEA HITCHCOCK were
among the guests at the Emirates marquee which has brought a little bit of India to the
racetrack.



Briefly in other news ..



Venezuela Bus (CARACAS)

At least 11 people are dead and 18 injured after a bus plunged into the sea in Venezuela.



Speeding (SYDNEY)

The NSW opposition says hoons should have their cars taken away and crushed .. instead
of the government's plan to only confiscate speeding drivers' licence plates.



in Sport ..



AFL Saints (MELBOURNE)

St Kilda skipper NICK RIEWOLDT will be missing from the side for two months or longer
after scans today revealed he suffered a serious hamstring injury.

The star forward has a high grade muscle tendon injury to his right hamstring, which
happened as he leapt for a mark during the Saints' win over Collingwood at Etihad Stadium
last night.

St Kilda would not say when RIEWOLDT was expected to return as they will now seek further
specialist opinion on his condition.



AFL Port (ADELAIDE)

Port Adelaide have lost senior ruckman DEAN BROGAN to a shoulder problem ahead of this
afternoon's AFL match against Brisbane at AAMI Stadium.

His place has been taken by the former Carlton tall CAMERON CLOKE, who was elevated
off the rookie list during the week.



Derby (SYDNEY)

Queensland gelding Shoot Out has maintained his perfect record at Randwick and has
given trainer JOHN WALLACE his first Group One win in almost 30 years with a gritty victory
in the 1.3 million dollar AJC Australian Derby.



League Warriors (WELLINGTON)

The New Zealand Warriors have signed second-rower LEWIS BROWN for two more NRL seasons
.. keeping the 23-year-old at the club until at least the end of 2012.

BROWN broke into first grade as a backrower last season after arriving at the Warriors
as a hooker .. scoring three tries in 15 games and earning himself a call-up to the Kiwis'
train-on squad for last year's Four Nations tournament.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP

Broadcast Desk inquiries 24 hours: 02 9322 8714

AAP RTV sw

KEYWORD: EVENING ROUND-UP

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

NSW: Rees says he's staying, Keneally says she doesn't want it

AAP General News (Australia)
08-27-2009
NSW: Rees says he's staying, Keneally says she doesn't want it

New South Wales Planning Minister KRISTINA KENEALLY has arrived back in Sydney after
a holiday in the US and immediately denied rumours she's in line to become the state's
first female premier.

Ms KENEALLY's denied holding talks with right faction powerbrokers EDDIE OBEID and
JOE TRIPODI about becoming premier.

She says she has no leadership aspirations nor has she cut short her ten-day trip to
Ohio to come back ahead of a leadership spill.

Ms KENEALLY says any speculation that someone other than NATHAN REES is going to be
premier of New South Wales is a product of an overactive imagination.

AAP RTV nr/hn/crh

KEYWORD: LEADERSHIP NSW (SYDNEY)

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

NSW: O'Farrell critical of electricity slug for consumers

AAP General News (Australia)
04-19-2009
NSW: O'Farrell critical of electricity slug for consumers

The New South Wales opposition has slammed a move to slug electricity customers the
cost of a much-needed infrastructure upgrade in these tough economic times.

The REES government's electricity infrastructure renewal and upgrade program will cost
an estimated 18 billion and will reportedly see consumers charged an extra 100 dollars
a year.

The five-point plan includes upping the penalty for damaging cables after it was revealed
a recent CBD black-out was caused by the failure of a cable hit by a backhoe years ago.

Opposition leader BARRY O'FARRELL says the work's needed as a result of 14 years of
Labor government incompetence and neglect .. and privatising electricity wouldn't have
helped.

AAP RTV ad/kd/jmt

KEYWORD: ELECTRICITY OFARRELL (SYDNEY)

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

VIC: Shooting victim's mum speaks out

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2008
VIC: Shooting victim's mum speaks out

The mother of a 15 year old boy .. who was shot and killed by police in Melbourne ..

has pleaded for people to show restraint in commenting on the events leading up to his
death.

TYLER CASSIDY was shot and killed by three officers in a Melbourne skate park on Thursday
night after allegedly threatening them with knives.

SHARNI CASSIDY says her son was fragile and needed protection .. and not a violent person at all.

Ms CASSIDY's also revealed how she called the police 30 minutes before the shooting
and gave a description of her son's appearance .. age .. and the direction he was heading
in.

She told police he was clearly distressed and asked to be phoned when he was found safely.

TYLER is believed to have been upset over the anniversary of his father's death from
cancer two years ago.

AAP RTV kb/it/srp/crh/ka

KEYWORD: SHOT MOTHER (MELBOURNE)

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

Bkb: Opals cruise past first hurdle

AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2008
Bkb: Opals cruise past first hurdle

By James Dampney

BEIJING, Aug 9 AAP - The Opals are expecting rapid improvement as the Beijing Olympics
unfold after brushing aside Belarus 83-64 in their opening game today.

After an extended build-up that included a slanging match with arch-rivals the United
States over perceived dirty tactics in a warm-up game, Australia showed some rust against
a Belarussian side playing in its first Olympics.

The task will get considerably harder over the next fortnight for an Opals outfit hungry
for gold, starting with old foes Brazil on Monday night.

The world champion Australians also have to deal with the schedule, which had them
suiting up at 9am local time today, while they will tackle the Brazilians at 10.15pm in
two days' time.

Australian point guard Kristi Harrower knows the Opals will have to make plenty of
adjustments throughout the tournament.

"A lot of us play in Europe and play at 8.30 at night," she said.

"I felt a little bit flat today and I think the team did as well and I think it was
the 9am start.

"Once you get the first game out of the road and people start to get a little bit settled,
hopefully it'll get easier in time."

Lauren Jackson overcame an indifferent start today to lead all scorers with 18 points
and added 10 rebounds in front of more than 11,000 fans at the plush new Beijing Olympic
Basketball Gymnasium.

Suzy Batkovic provided a solid inside presence and finished with 14 points and 12 boards,
while Yelena Leuchanka and Tatyana Troina each had 13 points for Belarus.

The two nations had never met before today and Australia had all the answers as they
eased their way into the tournament.

"We always say the first game is the hardest and I've been in the Opals team for 15
years and I've never, ever played Belarus," Harrower said.

"It was a difficult game for us. We were a little bit worried because we'd never played them.

"To come out with that sort of win is good for us."

The Opals led 19-12 at quarter time and by the main break had opened up a 16-point advantage.

Belarus managed to win the third quarter by one point, but the Opals still strolled
to victory without playing anything like their best basketball.

"Australia is one of the great teams and they can play 40 minutes on the same level,"

Snytsina said.

"Instead we go up and down having good and bad moments.

"We know we can't win against Australia so it was a good warm-up for our next game
against Latvia."

The Opals now have a day off, as they will in between games throughout the tournament,
before taking on Brazil.

AAP jd/jds

KEYWORD: OLY08 BKBW AUST NIGHTLEAD

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

Fed: Mal Brough has no place in commission, says CLC boss

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2008
Fed: Mal Brough has no place in commission, says CLC boss

By Tara Ravens

DARWIN, Feb 15 AAP - The head of one of the Northern Territory's most powerful Aboriginal
land councils says former indigenous affairs minister Mal Brough has no place on a commission
to address indigenous disadvantage.

Central Land Council director David Ross called Mr Brough "punitive, autocratic and
arrogant" and warned that politics threatened to hijack a new direction for Aboriginal
people.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he supported a bipartisan approach to indigenous disadvantage
when he said sorry to all members of the stolen generation earlier this week, ending more
than a decade of federal government resistance to the move.

He called for a joint policy commission to focus on developing and implementing an
effective housing strategy for remote communities during the next five years.

Mr Ross today said he supported that idea and urged politicians to maintain the spirit
of goodwill in which the federal government had made its apology.

"It's extremely disappointing that controversy has already overshadowed the process
before it's begun," Mr Ross said.

"It's important that the possibility of a new way forward is untainted by the mean-spirited
aspects of the last government's policy."

Mr Ross was a vocal critic of the Howard government's intervention into Territory Aboriginal
communities to combat child sex abuse.

Mr Brough, the chief architect of the radical reforms, spoke out yesterday on ABC radio,
saying a bipartisan commission to address indigenous disadvantage would be ineffective
unless the states were involved.

"You don't need a program, therein lies your problem. That's a good bureaucratic answer,
let's have a program," he said.

"We could sit and talk and talk, but every day we do, a child doesn't get fed, another
child starts to suffer from all sorts of things that don't need to happen.

But Mr Ross dismissed the former politician's remarks.

"Asking for Mal Brough's inclusion is just provocative and puts the entire process
in jeopardy," he said.

"Brough's approach was punitive, autocratic and arrogant.

"He deliberately excluded the people who were most affected by his changes, and he
completely ignored any evidence which didn't support his views

"There is no place for him on any committee."

AAP tr/jl/de

KEYWORD: COMMISSION CLC

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

NSW: Paramedics meet again over pay dispute

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2007
NSW: Paramedics meet again over pay dispute

The New South Wales ambulance service says it will be business as usual today .. despite
a pay dispute which may spark strike action during APEC.

It says it expects all its officer to perform their duties .. and people should continue
to call triple-0 in an emergency.

But MICHAEL WILLIAMSON .. general secretary of the Health Services Union .. says meetings
with delegates yesterday decided on administrative bans .. which will start at 8am (AEST)
.. and will be discussed again at a mass meeting on Saturday.

He says the mood of members at the meetings was ugly.

The New South Wales government and the union are currently before the state Industrial
Relations Commission.

AAP RTV kd/ibw

KEYWORD: PARAMEDICS (SYDNEY)

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

Vic: Four dead in nursing home after food poisoning=2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-14-2007
Vic: Four dead in nursing home after food poisoning=2

Melbourne Radio 3AW says 30 people have been affected by the food poisoning at the
Broughton Home in suburban Camberwell .. believed to have been caused by a food-borne
bacteria.

Among them is a woman over 90 years who is recovering.

AAP MORE wz/cdh/wz

KEYWORD: POISON MELBOURNE 2

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

SA: Truck driver arrested after Ghan crash

AAP General News (Australia)
12-13-2006
SA: Truck driver arrested after Ghan crash

ADELAIDE, Dec 13 AAP - The truck driver involved in the crash of the Ghan passenger
train has been arrested.

Darwin police have confirmed that the 57-year-old man, who is in Royal Darwin Hospital,
was arrested last night.

But a spokeswoman said he had yet to be charged with any offence and would only be
interviewed when he was considered well enough.

"He will be interviewed when he is in a fit state," she said.

The truck driver was one of four people hospitalised after the Ghan collided with a
road train about 130km south of Darwin yesterday.

The force of the impact derailed two locomotives and 11 carriages.

A 50-year-old female passenger was in a critical but stable condition while the three
others were listed as satisfactory.

There were 82 people on board the Ghan, including 65 passengers, at the time of the crash.

Most were bussed back to Darwin last night while the rail line was closed until further notice.

Northern Territory Police major crash investigators and officers from Australian Transport
Safety Bureau have begun their inquiries into the cause of the incident.

AAP tjd/drp/bwl

KEYWORD: GHAN ARREST

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

NSW: Residents to decide state government priorities, says Iemma

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2006
NSW: Residents to decide state government priorities, says Iemma

Thousands of people around NSW will be selected to advise the state government on what
its top priority should be for the next decade.

Premier MORRIS IEMMA has released a draft plan to guide government policy making and priorities.

Goals will be set including reducing violent crime .. getting more students to complete
Year 12 .. improving public transport and health services .. and boosting business investment.

Mr IEMMA says it gives people the chance to shape the way they live their lives.

Anyone can comment on the draft plan by going to the NSW government website.

AAP RTV pj/cj/hn/es/bart

KEYWORD: PLAN IEMMA (SYDNEY)

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

Fed: Aust team heads to Iraq to secure wheat deal

AAP General News (Australia)
02-16-2006
Fed: Aust team heads to Iraq to secure wheat deal

CANBERRA, Feb 16 AAP - An Australian team led by Deputy Prime Minister Mark Vaile is
heading to Iraq to save a multi-million dollar wheat export contract.

The Iraq Grain Board has suspended dealings with wheat exporter AWB until the outcome
of the Cole inquiry into kickbacks to former dictator Saddam Hussein.

Australian growers fear a one million-tonne tender of wheat could go to American farmers.

Prime Minister John Howard has backed his deputy, despite Mr Vaile being under sustained
pressure for a fortnight over when the government first knew about allegations AWB had
paid $300 million in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's regime.

Mr Howard has also raised the possibility of AWB voluntarily giving up its veto of
exports of bulk quantities of wheat if the Iraqis continued to refuse to deal with the
organisation.

But the AWB says such a move would only be used as a last resort and it is confident
the delegation will find a way through the impasse.

Opposition Leader Kim Beazley says Mr Vaile has presided over Australia's worst scandal.

The Cole inquiry will sit in Sydney today.

AAP pjo/evt

KEYWORD: AWB DAYLEAD

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

Fed: QC says more could have been done more to save Nguyen

AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2005
Fed: QC says more could have been done more to save Nguyen

Prominent Victorian QC ROBERT RICHTER says more could've been done by the Australian
government and lawyers .. to save the life of NGUYEN TUONG VAN.

Mr RICHTER was part of a vigil held by members of the Victorian Criminal Bar Association
.. who gathered outside Melbourne's County Court to mark the moment when the 25-year-old
was executed in Singapore.

He's told the Today show the American and French governments had both successfully
intervened when their citizens were about to be executed in Singapore.

But he says the Australian government had failed to apply pressure.

Mr RICHTER also says the government should've sought NGUYEN'S extradition from Singapore
to Australia weeks ago.

And he's described Justice Minister CHRIS ELLISON'S remarks that Australia was unable
to intervene for extradition as absurd.

He says it was a federal offence and the Melbourne man was only in transit in Singapore.

AAP RTV hmg/ce/goc/bart

KEYWORD: NGUYEN RICHTER (MELBOURNE)

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

antimatter

antimatter See antiparticle.

bolster eddy

bolster eddy An eddy that sometimes forms to windward of a steep rise, such as a vertical cliff, and which gives rise to a surface wind blowing away from the obstruction
.

IRS Awards New Electronic Tax Collection Contract to Official Payments.

Business Editors

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2002

Official Payments Corporation (NASDAQ:OPAY) (www.officialpayments.com), the leading provider of electronic payment options to government entities, announced today that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has awarded the company a new contract to collect and process individual income tax payments by credit card.

The contract contemplates a five-year period: an initial one-year term in 2003, with the IRS having four one-year renewal options through 2007.

The contract is a continuation of the agency's existing relationship with Official Payments, in which the company provides a service enabling taxpayers to make a variety of personal income tax payments with their Visa, American Express, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards. Consumers can make these payments by visiting www.officialpayments.com or calling 1-800-2PAY-TAX(SM). The IRS has informed Official Payments that as in 2001 and 2002, the company is one of two vendors that received this contract award.

"Official Payments has provided our proven and trusted credit card tax payment systems to the IRS since 1999, and we are gratified and pleased that they have decided to continue this relationship," said Thomas R. Evans, Chairman & CEO of Official Payments.

About Official Payments Corporation

Founded in 1996, Official Payments Corporation (Nasdaq: OPAY) is the leading provider of electronic payment options to more than 1,200 government entities in all 50 states. The company has agreements to collect and process credit card payments with the IRS, 21 state governments (AL, AR, CA, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, MD, MN, MS, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, RI, VA, WA, WI, and WV), the District of Columbia, and more than 1,200 counties and municipalities. The company's principal business is enabling consumers to pay their government taxes, fees, fines, and utility bills by credit card, via Internet and telephone. In 2001, Official Payments collected and processed more than one million transactions totaling $1.2 billion in federal, state and local government payments.

NOTE: Official Payments Corp. and the Official Payments Corp. logo are service marks of Official Payments Corporation.

Special Session on Social Media Warfare at the Strategic Communications Conference on June 23-24, 2011 in Beverly Hills.(Conference news)

New York, NY-Ticonderoga Ventures, Inc. announces that a special session on social media warfare will be discussed at the Strategic Communications Conference (StratCom Conference) taking place on June 23-24, 2011 at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills.

Peter McGreevy, Attorney at McGreevy & Henle and an expert on social media strategies will discuss how the internet group 'Anonymous' utilized social media in its campaigns against the church of Scientology.

Executives from the following industries will be attending the event: Government, Military, Intelligence, Social Networking, Social Media, Strategic Communications, Enterprise & Venture Capital, Software, Mobile Telecommunications, and others. An list of companies that attended previous events can be found on the website.

Keywords: Defense, Finance, Investing, Investment.

This article was prepared by Telecommunications Weekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Telecommunications Weekly via VerticalNews.com.

Meet the brains of Two Mile Vegas; If plans for a resort casino in Tipperary go ahead, the Quirke family will be in charge. But peek inside their glitzy world and you might just question their suitability...(Features)

Byline: by Warren Swords

THE family name is emblazoned on an O'Connell Street attraction that has become somewhat iconic in its own right, Dr Quirkey's Good Time Emporium.

Every Dublin teenager knows the bastion of slot machines and videogames, the name Quirke now synonymous with gaming.

But while the name is recognisable, very little is known about the Quirke family themselves.

The founder of the Quirkey empire, former garda Richard Quirke, is intensely private and rarely gives interviews.

Two of his children have spent their 20s on the vague periphery of the Dublin social scene. Wesley, in particular, on the arm of former Miss World Rosanna Davison.

Many will have known that the Quirkes are rich, and some might have gleaned that they lived in a sprawling Cabinteely mansion marked by 15-foot-high, gaudy gates decorated with golden sea creatures.

But the true lifestyle behind the gates was anyone's guess - until esley's brother, Andy, in an attempt to fashion himself as an entertainer, posted a video online that gave a tour of the property.

The video, meant to be a satirical take on MTV-style celebrity shows such as Cribs, instead laid bare the uirkes' ostentatious lifestyle - and questionable tastes.

Andy and his friends controversially appeared 'blacked-up', presumably imitating black rap stars and athletes who throw open the doors of their homes for reality shows.

With the Quirke family behind the uch-publicised Tipperary Venue, which could bring hundreds of jobs and significant tourist revenue to the county, a review of Andy's video offers insights into the life of a family managing a serious venture.

The Quirke children are expected to be heavily involved in the running of the planned venue, despite their apparent lack of professional experience. And based on the brief public glimpses into their lives - such as the video which garnered an internet backlash labelling them 'overindulged' and 'obnoxious' - it raises questions about how this generation is equipped to handle a multibillion-euro venture.

The Cribs-style video clip that Andy posted on Youtube lasts just a few minutes - but shows astonishing wealth. The enormous mansion behind the gates is reminiscent of the Dallas Southfork ranch, with four massive Greek-style columns supporting an extravagant arch.

Spacious manicured lawns surround the house, with a tree-lined avenue, complete with its own roundabout, leading to the Beverly Hills-style mansion. Stone balustrades surround the pile, with a bronze sculpture standing atop at the entrance to the house. It has two adjoining wings, each bigger than a typical family home.

A silver Mercedes is shown in the driveway with the registration, 'Bling Bling'.

Andy then opens a set of double doors to reveal a grand, tiled entrance room with a bottle of champagne placed on a single table. The hall is dominated by an impressive double staircase. A 'blacked-up' friend is hown gyrating against a pillar.

The home movie then reveals a fleet of luxury vehicles, including convertibles, in which Andy, 26, and his friends pose. To hammer home the family's wealth, he shows a helicopter hovering above the lawn saying: 'You ain't a big dog until you got one of these'.

It's unclear who owns the helicopter but it opens up the possibility that the Quirkes own two of them.

According to Irish Aviation Authority filings, the firm behind the family's arcade business, the Dublin Pool and Juke Box Company Limited, has a Bell 222 twin-engine helicopter. But that model, best known from the Eighties series Airwolf and worth up to [euro]1 million, is a different type of to the one filmed landing in their back yard.

RTE's Prime Time programme on the proposed casino in Tipperary in April showed some of the video in its broadcast - and, following the show, Andy's film was quickly removed from numerous websites.

The video was heavily criticised online, with viewers describing Richard Quirke's youngest son as an 'overindulged brat'.

One said: 'I literally thought I was seeing things. Wanted to wash my eyes with soap afterwards.

Literally encapsulates all the obnoxious behaviour of the Celtic tiger cubs.' Yet that didn't stop Andy from producing another attempt at satire with the music video, Everybody's Drinkin, which premiered on RTE's Republic Of Telly, parodying both southside and northside stereotypes. Everybody's Drinkin was one of the most-watched videos in Ireland and headed straight to the top of the iTunes chart.

But Andy's attempts at satire are somewhat undermined by suggestions he seems to embody the extravagance he parodies.

Both he and Wes have dated models -Wes now shares a home with former Miss World Rosanna Davison - and the pair took part earlier this month in a rally from Dublin to Monaco in which they drove their 2006 Ferrari to the Mediterranean coast and back.

Wes has a well-documented passion for expensive vehicles and is known for his souped-up sports cars, which he would buy and have modified with flashy extras. One particularly distinctive car was a lime green Peugeot 206 GTI, which he sent to Ecosse Peugeot Specialists in Scotland to have outfitted with Tox I and Toxic II bumpers, quad headlights, a custom-made grille, smoothed Vella fibreglass bonnet and a polished Ecosse boot button.

He was rumoured to have spent as much as [euro]100,000 on the car in 2006 - and later came under fire for his alleged reckless driving after he was filmed zooming along an English road, weaving in and out of lanes, at 120km/h. He also appeared in court on speeding charges in Wicklow after gardai clocked him doing more than 40km/h above the speed limit on the N11 - but a judge threw out the charges because he never received a fine in the post.

But the spotlight isn't always just on the sons. Richard Quirke himself has admitted to questionable business practices.

In a rare interview in 1992, the garda-turned-impresario gave some insights into his early business career - and explained how his outlook changed following a decision to become a Buddhist.

He said: 'I was probably 80% dishonest in my dealings with other people. I mean, if I did a deal with you, and it was on a 50-50 basis, I wouldn't be happy unless I got the lion's share of 80-20 in my favour. I had no conscience. It didn't bother me in the slightest.

'I would be at Mas s on Sunday and I would stand up and sit down, stand up and sit down, as need be. But I would be plotting and scheming as to how I could rip off people during the rest of the week.'

There is no suggestion that the next Quirke generation would be in any way dishonest - but there has also been no indication to date that they share any of their father's shrewdness or business acumen. All that anyone really knows is that they live extravagantly, love cars, Andy wants to be an entertainer and Wes is living with Rosanna.

When asked to talk about himself, Andy only offered to speak in character. Despite the willingness to display the family home online, he said; 'I never like to talk about my private life. I'm really enjoying what I'm doing at the moment, becoming a comedic actor and I'm delighted with the success of Everybody's Drinkin.'

Whether the Tipperary Venue will be a success, though, is anyone's guess - and the snippets of the Quirke lifestyle so far have not been encouraging. It has been viewed as extravagant, tacky and over-the-top - but the jury is still out on whether the family has a solid enough foundation to support a venue reflecting those exact same qualities.

warren.swords@mailonsunday.ie

CAPTION(S):

SLOTS KING: Richard Quirke says his outlook on business changed completely when he converted to Buddhism

TASTELESS: Wesley Quirke, above left, dressed as a suicide bomber

MODEL GIRL: Rosanna Davison lives with Wes Quirke

GRANDIOSE: The ostentatious Quirke family residence in Cabinteely, south Co. Dublin

CLASS ACT: Andy Quirke does his skanger impression in a sketch for RTE's Republic Of Telly show

FTC Charges Online Marketers With $450M Card Scam.(News)

Byline: Darren Waggoner

The Federal Trade Commission has brought a legal action against an online operation that allegedly scammed more than $450 million from consumers in five countries.

Jesse Willms and several companies he controls obtained consumers' credit or debit card account numbers by enticing them with bogus "free" or "risk-free" trial offers that supposedly required only small shipping and handling fees - and also promised "bonus" offers just for signing up, according to the FTC's complaint.

The FTC charges Willms and his companies used deceptive tactics in offering various products online - including acai berry weight-loss pills, teeth whiteners and health supplements containing resveratrol (the supposedly healthful ingredient in red wine) - as well as for a work-at-home scheme, access to government grants and free credit reports. The FTC seeks to stop the operation's practices and make the defendants repay fraud, injured consumers.

Consumers lured into the scam were located in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.

The defendants allegedly contracted with affiliate marketers whose banner ads, pop-ups, sponsored search terms and unsolicited e-mail led consumers to the defendants' Web sites, and the defendants paid the affiliates for each consumer whose credit or debit card was charged.

The defendants allegedly made false claims about the total cost of products, recurring charges and the availability of refunds. They also buried important terms and conditions in fine print, the FTC alleged.

The defendants named in the complaint are Willms, Peter Graver, Adam Sechrist, Brett Callister, Carey L. Milne, 1021018 Alberta Ltd., also doing business as Just Think Media, Credit Report America, eDirect Software, WuLongsource, Wuyi Source, 1016363 Alberta Ltd. - also doing business as eDirect Software, 1524948 Alberta Ltd. - also doing business as Terra Marketing Group, SwipeBids.com, SwipeAuctions.com, Circle Media Bids Limited - also doing business as SwipeBids.com, SwipeAuctions.com, and Selloffauctions.com, Coastwest Holdings Ltd., Farend Services Ltd., JDW Media LLC, Net Soft Media LLC - also doing business as SwipeBids.com, Sphere Media LLC - also doing business as SwipeBids.com and SwipeAuctions.com, and True Net LLC - also doing business as Selloffauctions.com.

Willms could not be immediately reached for contact.

Consumers had no reason to believe they would be charged for the trial product or the extra bonus products, but they were often charged for the trial plus a monthly recurring fee, typically $79.95. Consumers also were charged monthly recurring fees for the so-called bonus offers.

Although the defendants offered a money-back guarantee, consumers were often unsuccessful in canceling the charges or obtaining refunds, and the process involved time-consuming phone calls and other steps that made the deals far from risk-free, the FTC complaint alleged.

"The defendants used the lure of a free offer to open an illegal pipeline to consumers' credit card and bank accounts," says David C. Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. " 'Free' must really mean 'free' no matter where the offer is made."

The FTC worked with Canadian law enforcement, including the Alberta Partnership Against Cross Border Fraud, in investigating this international scheme. Most of the defendants are located in Alberta.

"Internet fraud is a global problem that requires an international enforcement response," says Lisa Campbell, deputy commissioner of Competition for the Competition Bureau of Canada. "International cooperation ensures that fraudsters can't hide behind borders."

The FTC further alleged that the defendants provided merchant banks with false or misleading information, in order to acquire and maintain credit and debit card processing services from the banks in the face of mounting chargeback rates and consumer complaints.

Willms and his companies also allegedly violated the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and Regulation E (issued by the Federal Reserve System's Board of Governors) by debiting consumers' bank accounts without their signed written consent and without providing consumers with a copy of the written authorization.

VISA UNVEILS NEXT GENERATION ELECTRONIC PAYMENTS AND SERVICES.

(Full text of a statement. Contact details below.)

(BW)(CA-VISA)(V.NYSE) Visa Unveils Next Generation Electronic Payments and Services

North American Launch of New Digital Wallet with Click-to-Buy Functionality Scheduled for Fall 2011

Business Editors

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE) - May. 11, 2011-- Visa Inc. (NYSE:V), a global leader in electronic payments, today announced the next generation of payments solutions that will replicate the ease, reliability and security of Visa point-of-sale payments within traditional and digital eCommerce, mobile commerce and burgeoning social networking commerce environments. New offerings are expected to include a secure cross-channel digital wallet and a range of customized mobile payments services that address the specific requirements of geographic markets around the world.

"Our new solutions deliver greater consumer choice, convenience and control while helping our clients grow their businesses. By helping to reduce abandoned online shopping carts and bringing new account holders into the Visa network, we create a win-win-win for merchants, consumers and financial institutions," noted Joseph W. Saunders, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Visa Inc. "In addition, we believe Visa's new payments products and services will help expand financial inclusion to the billions of mobile subscribers today who currently lack access to traditional financial services."

Simplifying Commerce in Complex Economies In certain countries with established electronic payments infrastructures, expansive Internet usage and broad mobile network penetration, Visa will be introducing a digital wallet and services platform. The digital wallet will store Visa and non-Visa payments accounts, support NFC payments through the innovative Visa payWave application and deliver a wide range of transaction services to accommodate multiple commerce scenarios including eCommerce, mobile commerce, micropayments, social networks and person-to-person payments.

Visa is working with leading payments card issuers, community banks, credit unions, acquirers, payments processors and merchants to launch the digital wallet. Among the financial institutions and organizations supporting Visa's wallet strategy are: Barclaycard US BB&T Corporation Card Services for Credit Unions (CSCU) ICBA Bancard First Financial Bank of Ohio Nordstrom fsb Pentagon Federal Credit Union PNC Bank PSCU Financial Services Regions Bank Royal Bank of Canada Scotiabank TD Bank Group (US and Canada) US Bank Visa expects to launch the digital wallet in the U.S. and Canada in fall 2011.

Key features of the wallet are expected to include: Click-to-buy: Shop conveniently and securely by simply entering an email address, alias or online ID and password, instead of a billing address, account number and expiration date. In addition, Visa is exploring dynamic authentication technologies that will bring added layers of security to online purchases.

Cross-channel payments solution: The wallet consolidates multiple Visa and non-Visa payments accounts and can be used in mobile, eCommerce, social network and retail point-of-sale environments.

Preference management: A menu that enables consumers to set preferences for how their wallet will work, allowing them to customize and control the features of their personal wallet from privacy settings to designating which account will be accessed based on merchant type or purchase amount.

Merchant offers: A service that allows consumers to personalize their shopping experience by opting-in to receive money-saving discounts or promotions from participating merchants.

"The widespread adoption of Internet and mobile technology is changing the way people connect and transact across the globe, so we're focused on delivering locally-tailored payments products and services," said Saunders. "We are introducing new solutions for eCommerce and mobile devices that provide the same ?Visa-quality' experience?convenience, reliability and security?people enjoy when using their Visa cards at a retail location. In doing so, we are accelerating the global shift to digital payments by harnessing our brand, products, network and 50-plus years of payments experience."

Mobilizing Payments in Emerging Economies In certain emerging geographic markets with significant mobile penetration, Visa will work with financial institutions and mobile-network operators to provide consumers with a secure, reliable and globally accepted form of payment and the ability to transfer and receive funds, manage financial accounts or top-up wireless air time using their mobile handset. The wide range of features and functions being developed for the digital wallet will allow Visa to pursue a number of strategies to tailor or bundle services to local needs.

In countries like India and Russia, where card issuance and mobile subscriptions are high, but card usage is relatively low, Visa will help drive account activation and usage by working with financial institutions and mobile operators to link existing card portfolios with mobile devices to give handsets payments functionality.

In countries within Africa and the Middle East where mobile device usage is high and traditional electronic payments infrastructure is less developed, Visa will work with mobile network operators to link new virtual mobile prepaid Visa accounts to mobile phone numbers to enable cash-in, cash-out, personal payments and mobile payments ?including bill payments and wireless airtime top-up. Visa also intends to connect existing "closed loop" mobile money services that today provide basic mobile banking and payments services to unbanked and under-banked consumers to its global, open loop network?VisaNet.

The integration will open closed loop systems, and provide consumers and merchants with unprecedented scale, functionality and acceptance beyond their existing local geographic footprints.

Across all emerging geographic markets, Visa's sophisticated payments technology and significant work in establishing global payments standards will aid in navigating the complexity of the myriad of network operators, handset models and operating systems in use globally, helping to enable millions of new and existing Visa account holders to simply use mobile technology for payments services.

Innovation, Acquisitions and Partnerships Expand Capabilities of Visa Network Visa is developing its next generation services by integrating VisaNet, its global processing network, leading credit, debit, prepaid and commercial product platforms, new capabilities it has acquired through its subsidiaries CyberSource, Authorize.net and PlaySpan, and the unique expertise and services of key commercial partners. In deploying flexible solutions that are locally relevant and globally interoperable, Visa aims to attract more participants to its network and better enable them to connect and transact.

"Our build, buy and partner approach puts Visa in a unique position to deliver the speed-to-market and scalable solutions needed to stay ahead of new demands created by the convergence of Internet, mobile and electronic payments technologies," said Saunders. "Visa and our subsidiaries are working with financial institutions, merchants, mobile network operators, and innovative technology providers to bring new ways to pay and be paid to more consumers and merchants around the globe."

Management Webcast Visa's management team will host a live audio webcast beginning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time (8:00 a.m. Pacific time) today. The dial-in information for the call is 888-790-4410 (within the United States) or 773-756-0127 (international). The conference passcode is 092075. A replay of the call will be available until May 26 and can be accessed by dialing 866-501-8774 (within the United States) or 203-369-1854 (international). The live call and replay, along with supporting materials, can also be accessed through the Investor Relations section of Visa's website at www.investor.visa.com.

About Visa Visa is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable digital currency.

Underpinning digital currency is one of the world's most advanced processing networks VisaNet that is capable of handling more than 20,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and guaranteed payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, ahead of time with prepaid or later with credit products. For more information, visit www.corporate.visa.com.

Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

These statements can be identified by the terms "will," "expected,"

"intends," "aims," "accelerate," expand," and similar references to the future. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the timing, impact, content, reliability, acceptance, implementation and overall success of the new digital wallet and mobile payment, the offerings. By their nature, forward-looking statements: (i) speak only as of the date they are made, (ii)?are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees of future performance and (iii)?are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict or quantify. Therefore, actual results could differ materially and adversely from those forward-looking statements because of a variety of factors, including: the impact of new laws, regulations and marketplace barriers, particularly those affecting, eCommerce, mobile payments, consumer privacy, and data use and security; macroeconomic factors, such as global economic, political, health environmental conditions; a decline in the growth of e-Commerce and mobile payments activity; inability to keep pace with the innovations of competitors in the eCommerce and mobile payments areas; industry and systemic developments, such as: competitive pressure on pricing; bank and merchant consolidation and their increased focus on costs; adverse changes in our relationships and reputation; disruption of our systems or the inability to process transactions efficiently; account data breaches and increased fraudulent and other illegal activity involving our systems; and issues arising at Visa Europe, including failure to maintain interoperability between our systems; and the other factors discussed under the heading "Risk Factors" in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on such statements. Unless required to do so by law, we do not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statement because of new information or future developments or otherwise.

Visa Inc.Ryan Donovan, +1-415-932-2564 globalmedia@visa.com

KEYWORD: United States North America California

INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Technology Data Management Internet Software Mobile/Wireless Social Media Professional Services Banking Finance Communications

CATEGORY KEYWORD: Product/Service Webcast

Source: Visa Inc.

Copyright Business Wire 2011

ASIA PULSE cg 12-05 1039

Acer Unveils New All-in-One Desktop - A Picture-Perfect Holiday Gift.(Company overview)

Acer Now Offers Two Svelte AIO Models; Newest Boasts a Compact Modern Design and 21.5-inch HD Display

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Acer is aiming to top holiday wish lists with the expansion of its sleek and stylish all-in-one (AIO) desktop line. Its newest model, the Acer Aspire Z3100 features a 21.5-inch HD display and contemporary aesthetics. Acer has also pumped up the performance on its stylish, state-of-the-art Aspire AZ5700 with an intuitive 23-inch HD multi-touch display.

The new Acer Aspire AZ3100-U3072 all-in-one desktop with an integrated 21.5-inch LCD display provides solid performance in a simple design that's ideal for areas where space is a premium. (Photo: Business Wire)

The new all-in-one desktops flaunt a refined design and the speed needed for efficient multitasking, social networking and high-def entertainment, including the enjoyment of HD movies and immersive audio. Both models are designed for users who appreciate clean aesthetics and want a PC that will eliminate clutter and maximize limited desktop real estate.

"The elegance and convenience of the all-in-one desktop is becoming increasingly popular with consumers," said Steve Smith, senior business manager of consumer desktops for Acer America. "We're pleased to offer our customers more choices for this practical form factor, which is appealing for its unique blend of features and modern architecture. In addition to our premium system with a 23-inch HD display, touch panel and TV tuner, we also offer a smaller, budget-friendly version with a host of features and ample power, ideal for dorm rooms, office nooks and lofts."

Acer Aspire AZ3100-U3072 - Space Maximizer, High-Def Fun

The Acer Aspire AZ3100-U3072 with an integrated 21.5-inch LCD display provides solid performance in a simple design that's ideal for areas where space is a premium. The contemporary look and feel encompasses a gray and black bezel and an illuminated blue accent strip with four brightness settings for lighting the wireless keyboard. Contributing to the crisp aesthetics is a compartment on the side of the chassis for managing cables as well as ample room under the elevated chassis for hiding the keyboard when not in use.

Created for multimedia enjoyment, the combination of the HD display's true 1080p resolution and NVIDIA([R]) GeForce([R]) 9200 graphics enrich entertainment with sharp, lifelike images, smooth video transitions and vibrant colors. It's a beautiful screen for viewing movies, streaming video and digital photography.

An AMD Athlon[TM] II 170u (2.0GHz) processor and 3GB DDR3 SDRAM provide plenty of power for surfing the web, email and casual games. A large 500GB hard drive(1) is big enough to store a vast library of digital media, personal files and software applications. The system has 5.1 channel audio and two built-in speakers for dynamic sound quality as well as an optical drive for enjoying CD music and DVD movies. It also provides an integrated webcam and microphone, HDMI and six USB 2.0 ports for connecting to an array of peripherals and digital devices.

The AZ3100 also comes with Windows([R]) 7 Home Premium, 802.11 b/g/n wireless, Gigabit LAN and a wireless keyboard and mouse. The Aspire AZ3100-U3072 is available at leading retailers with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $599.

Acer Aspire AZ5700-U3112 - Striking Design, Intuitive Entertainment

The Acer Aspire AZ5700 all-in-one with a stunning 23-inch HD display is a beautiful blend of visual elegance, best-of-breed technology and superb performance. A seamless integration of a desktop PC with the usability of a multi-touch LCD display and a TV tuner makes it an appealing choice for those wanting an easy-to-use entertainment hub for the home.

The AZ5700 boasts chic styling. The sleek, chrome structure accented with a black strip will enhance any room or office. Designed to streamline the workspace, tidy cable management and keyboard storage eliminate clutter.

At the heart of the feature-rich functionality is multi-touch technology, which enables users to intuitively interact with the PC using multiple fingers as they would a mouse. They can open and close programs, browse online newspapers, flick through photo albums and shuffle files and folders, using nothing but their hands.

Fueled by an Intel([R]) Core[TM] i5 650 processor (3.2GHz), 4GB DDR3 SDRAM and Intel([R]) HD graphics, this desktop has enough power for speedy multitasking and realistic imagery for movies, digital video, social networking and casual games. Digital media lovers will appreciate the dynamic high-def 5.1 channel audio, optical drive and 1TB SATA hard drive(1)that can accommodate a huge collection of movies, music, photos and more. In addition to a wireless keyboard and mouse, the system provides HDMI and six USB 2.0 ports.

In addition to Windows([R]) Home 7 Premium, the Aspire Z5700 comes with the Acer TouchPortal, a suite of applications designed to synchronize life, the PC and Internet with all-in-one touch control. These applications include TouchMusic, TouchPhoto, TouchVideo, TouchBrowse, TouchCam, TouchMemo, TimeGadget, WeatherGadget and TouchFriends.

The Acer Aspire Z5700-U3112 is available at leading retailers with a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $1099.

About Acer

Since its founding in 1976, Acer has achieved the goal of breaking the barriers between people and technology. Globally, Acer ranks No. 2 for total PCs and notebooks.(2) A profitable and sustainable Channel Business Model is instrumental to the company's continuing growth, while its multi-brand approach effectively integrates Acer, Gateway, Packard Bell, and eMachines brands in worldwide markets. Acer strives to design environmentally friendly products and establish a green supply chain through collaboration with suppliers. Acer is proud to be a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Movement, including the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter and London 2012 Olympic Games. The Acer Group employs 7,000 people worldwide. 2009 revenues reached US$17.9 billion. See www.acer-group.com for more information.

[c] 2010 Acer America Corp. All rights reserved. Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other trademarks, registered trademarks and/or service marks, indicated or otherwise, are the property of their respective owners. All offers subject to change without notice or obligation and may not be available through all sales channels. Prices listed are manufacturer suggested retail prices and may vary by retail location. Applicable taxes extra.

1. Accessible capacity varies; MB = 1 million bytes; GB = 1 billion bytes

2. Source: Gartner data, FY 2009

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6445241&lang=en

Prudential Securities and Quote.com Offer New Online Financial Information Service

              Stock Quotes Now Available Through Prudential Online 

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Prudential Securities and Quote.com announced today that they will jointly offer financial market data to customers of Prudential Online, the "account access" portion of Prudential Securities' "Virtual Branch Office" Internet site at http://www.prusec.com. Effective immediately, the site will offer price quotations on 15,000 securities. The Dow Jones Industrials, Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500, and other market indices will be included.

The quotes, which will be subject to a 15-minute delay, will be offered through Quote.com, a leading provider of online financial market information (http://www.quote.com). They will include the opening price, high, low, last, price change, volume, bid, ask, exchange, number of ticks, and the four most recent prices.

Stock quotes will also include balance sheet data, including price/earnings ratio, yield, dividend and 52-week price range. The service will be available free to Prudential Online customers who register for it.

"We chose to partner with Quote.com because they are a proven, brand-name provider of quality online financial news and information," said Stanley Witkowski, executive vice president of Prudential Securities. "This alliance brings Quote.com's content-rich financial offering to our customers, providing them with timely information about their investment decisions."

"We are delighted that Prudential Securities has chosen Quote.com as a partner," said Chris Cooper, president of Quote.com. "This alliance moves forward our mission to be the standard offering for online financial market news and information. Working with Prudential Securities helps us build a powerful network of partnerships that help business and individual investors make sound decisions."

One of the most successful subscription services on the Internet, Quote.com's subscriber base has grown steadily to more than 150,000. Quote.com has continually increased the number of features and offerings for its users, and partners, and recently enhanced its content-rich news with QNews, delivering personalized news from 500 leading sources through e-mail, or directly to the screen, live on the Web site (subscribers choose the method they prefer, and indicate a choice of full text, summary news article, or headlines only).

Prudential Securities introduced Prudential Online in January 1996. The site allows clients to review the daily status of their accounts, including their cash balances, the total net worth of their portfolios, and the market value of their securities, their transaction history, portfolio allocation and the funds available for withdrawal.

The web site includes a Virtual Branch Office for web browsers, featuring daily market updates, information on investment products and services, and a Financial Advisor Locator, where browsers find the nearest branch by selecting a state or entering a zip code.

About Prudential Securities

Prudential Securities, Incorporated is a fully diversified, global securities firm based in New York City, serving clients in the U.S. and overseas through approximately 6,000 Financial Advisors. The fifth-largest brokerage firm, Prudential Securities is a subsidiary of The Prudential Insurance Company of America.

About Quote.com

Quote.com, Inc., founded in 1993, is the leading Internet provider of sophisticated financial information for individual, professional and institutional investors. The company delivers a one-stop premier service for stock quotes; detailed market data on options; commodity futures; mutual funds, bonds; real-time business news, market analysis; fundamental financial (balance sheet) data, and company profiles.

Quote.com, Inc. is a privately-held company that is venture funded by Sequoia Capital Corp., of Menlo Park, Calif. Quote.com is based in Santa Clara, Calif., and its services can be accessed via the World Wide Web at http://www.quote.com, by sending a blank e-mail to info@quote.com or by calling 408-327-0700.

SOURCE Quote.com

     -0-                             10/28/96 

/CONTACT: Nola Armijo of the Jona Group, 415-552-1515, or nola@jonagroup.com, for Quote.com; or Susan Atran of Prudential, 212-214-3846, or susan_atran@ccmail.prusec.com/

CO: Quote.com Inc.; Prudential Securities Inc. ST: California IN: MLM FIN SU: PDT

DC-GZ -- SFM037 -- 8971 10/28/96 06:00 EST http://www.prnewswire.com

LETHAL WEAPON; EXCLUSIVE Kids can buy this machete for just pounds 1.47 on Amazon.(News)

Byline: By STEVE SMITH

THIS fearsome machete can be bought for less than pounds 1.50 from online store Amazon.

And the deadly 38cm blade can be snapped up by anyone...even children.

The trade makes a nonsense of new laws brought in last month banning the sale of weapons to under-18s.

It exposes shocking loopholes that allowwebsites to keep selling blades without adequate age checks.

Our investigator managed to buy a machete from Amazon for pounds 1.47 without being asked any questions about age.

We also picked up a serrated hunting knife and a crossbow from the Yin Yang Martial Arts site and knives from Debenhams and John Lewis website.

The weapons were bought weeks after the Government banned their sale to anyone under the age of 18.

But neither Amazon nor the martial arts website asked for any proof of the buyer's age.

The policeman leading Scotland's crackdown on knife crime last night admitted forces were struggling to police the internet.

Detective Chief Superintendent John Carnochan, head of Scotland's Violence Reduction Unit, said: "We try to limit access to weapons as much as possible but policing the internet is fraught with difficulties."

The Amazon machete was delivered to a Scottish address the day after we ordered it.

The online firm - better known for selling books and DVDs - said: "We state clearly in our terms and conditions that our site is for over-18s.

"We also clearly message that this product is not for sale to anyone under the age of 18.

That message, due to an oversight on our part, was missing and we apologise for that."

We bought a razor-sharp 10cm blade for just pounds 12 from the John Lewis website.

It warned that knives could not be sold to anyone under 18.

Yet all they demanded was the buyer enter their date of birth. We used false details and the knife was posted out.

Debenhams sent out an pounds 8 knife - again with no age checks.

Their website simply warns: "It is an offence to sell this item to anyone under the age of 18. Only add this item to basket if you are over 18."

Yin Yang Martial Arts - who sold us a knife and crossbow - warn on their site: "No weapons will be sold to persons under the age of 18 or to anyone not able to supply a M.A.C. licence or a registered club card."

We were asked for neither and the weapons arrived within days.

SUNDAY EMAIL

reporters@sundaymail.co.uk

mailfile Violent Scotland

Scotland's streets have never been more dangerous with violent attacks rocketing. Assaults and muggings have shot up by more than a third.

A three-week campaign to rid Scotland's streets of lethal weapons was launched by police earlier this month.

Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill last month announced the Scottish Government were spending an extra pounds 1million to make town and city centres across the country safer.

Proposals for the extra cash include employing late-night marshals to oversee taxi queues and more high-visibility policing.

Officers are carrying out stop-andsearch operations all over the country using airport-style hand-held metal detectors to spot hidden blades.

During a three-week crackdown this year more than 1700 knives were handed in to police and 239 seized during stop-searches.

CAPTION(S):

Horrifying: pounds 1.47 machete can be bought by kids 38cm (14.96inches); Deadly haul: The cache of weapons we bought on the net

Analysys International Says China's Middleware Market Reached RMB 289 Million in Q1 2006.

BEIJING, May 9 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Analysys International, a leading Internet based provider of business information about technology, media and telecom industries in China, says China's middleware market reached RMB 289 million in the first quarter of 2006, representing an increase of 20.6% over the first quarter of 2005 but a decrease of 20.2% over the fourth quarter of 2005, in its recently released report ''China Middleware Market Quarterly Tracker Q1 2006.''

According to the report, IBM, BEA and Chinese domestic player Tongtech continued to be the top 3 middleware vendors in China, with market share accounting for 65.8% of the total in Q1 2006. With strong market development, IBM exceeded BEA in the first quarter with a leading market share of 25.6%. Among Chinese domestic firms, Tongtech achieved the best performance, with market share reaching 15.3%.

   Figure 1 China Middleware Market Breakdown by Vendor Q1 2006    ( http://english.analysys.com.cn/UserFiles/watered/1680.jpg )   

Middleware applications mainly concentrate on industries where business systems are complicated and require simultaneous processing. The telecom industry, finance industry, government, energy and transportation industries accounted for 85.5% of the total middleware market in China.

Integrated development is still the major sales model in China, accounting for 59.3% of the total market. Sales of integrated middleware products accounted for 34.2% of the total.

This subject is further discussed in Analysys International's research report ''China Middleware Market Quarterly Tracker Q1 2006.'' For more information, please check the website: http://english.analysys.com.cn/ .

About Analysys International

Analysys International is the leading Internet based provider of business information about technology, media and telecom (TMT) industries in China with the mission to help their clients make better business decisions. They provide data, information and advice to 50,000 clients worldwide, representing 1,500 distinct organizations; they also deliver over 150 consulting engagements a year, and hold more than 20 events that draw in over 8,000 attendees. Their clients include executives from companies like technology vendors, vertical information technology users, as well as professionals from professional service companies, the investment community and government agencies. For more information, please visit the website at http://english.analysys.com.cn/ .

   For more information, please contact:     Jessica Wang    Overseas Media Manager    Analysys International    Tel:   +86-10-6466-6565 x394    Fax:   +86-10-6466-7102/7103    Email: jessica_wang@analysys.com.cn  

CONTACT: Jessica Wang, Overseas Media Manager of Analysys International, +86-10-6466-6565 x394 or fax +86-10-6466-7102/7103, jessica_wang@analysys.com.cn

Web Site: http://english.analysys.com.cn/

NEW SERVICE MAKES BUYING REGISTERED DOMAIN NAMES EASY.

(Full text of a statement, contact details below)

HERNDON, Va., June 4 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/-- Network Solutions, the first and largest registrar of domain names, today announced the launch of its patent-pending Certified Offer Service, an innovative approach to helping Internet users quickly obtain already-registered domain names. There are approximately 39 million domain names registered using the extensions of .com, .net, .org, .info, .biz and .us; therefore, Network Solutions is giving new hope for those still yearning for a name from among the millions that registrants might want to sell.

In fact, Certified Offer Service changes the whole dynamic of registering a domain name. The majority of those searching for a domain name find that someone else has already registered their first choice. Once a domain name search reveals the name is not available, Certified Offer Service allows someone to make an instant offer for that domain name.

"This is another first-to-market solution which again signals our focus on practical, easy tools for businesses and individuals," said Network Solutions CEO Champ Mitchell. "For buyers, Certified Offer Service compresses the search process, and for sellers Certified Offer Service provides a simple and trusted way to sell a domain name. In short, we have developed a secure service that makes it virtually as easy to buy an already-registered domain name as it is to register a new domain. Anyone in the online community can make a Certified Offer on a .com, .net, .org, .biz or .us domain regardless of their current registrar."

With Certified Offer Service, Network Solutions provides buyers with an exclusive Free Value Assessment to help them determine an offer price. For $19.00, the company presents the buyer's offer to the seller, while the buyer remains completely anonymous. Once an offer is made, the buyer will know within seven days if the current registrant is willing to sell. The seller can accept the original offer or make one counter offer. When an offer or counter offer has been accepted, Network Solutions charges the buyer's credit card for the sale price and applicable processing fee, and manages the domain name transfer. The seller will be paid directly by Network Solutions for the entire accepted offer amount, with no fees or commission.

"The secondary market for domains has historically been extremely confusing for the average registrant seeking to purchase a domain in an efficient and secure way," said Dr. Matthew Zook, president of Zooknic Internet Intelligence. "Certified Offer Service presents a simple, straightforward mechanism that allows any Internet user a chance to quickly obtain the domain name that they seek. It also provides an opportunity to help reallocate existing domains not being used to those that have a specific use for the name."

"Certified Offer Service creates a unique marketplace within a marketplace, benefiting both buyers and sellers," added Mitchell. "We've taken the proven, secure systems already in place at Network Solutions and opened them up to the entire Internet community for fair and secure secondary market transactions."

Network Solutions has created a plain and simple three-step process to manage the sale of the domain name and facilitate the transfer of the name.

This allows buyers to acquire the names they really want quickly and gives sellers a simple and secure way to transfer their names and receive 100 percent of the selling price. Network Solutions processes the transaction and all payments, manages the transfer of the domain name and adds an additional year to the registration.

About Network Solutions

Network Solutions, the first and largest registrar of domain names, offers a full range of Web-related services, including domain names, Web sites and e- mail. We make it simple and affordable for customers to build and manage a Web presence through a single, experienced provider. Network Solutions manages more than seven million domain names. Additional information about Network Solutions' offerings is available at http://www.networksolutions.com

SOURCE: Network Solutions

CONTACT: Jane-Linn Vincent,

+1-202-835-9417,

for Network Solutions

Web site: http://www.networksolutions.com

ASIA PULSE 07-06 1347