Fed: Hicks and Habib abused: dossier

AAP General News (Australia)
08-05-2004
Fed: Hicks and Habib abused: dossier

Australian terrorist suspects DAVID HICKS and MAMDOUH HABIB have reportedly suffered
routine abuse, assaults and death threats at the Guantanamo Bay US military base.

In a 115-page dossier, former British detainees allege abuse at the prison camp in Cuba.

The Sydney Morning Herald says the statement claims HICKS and HABIB were threatened
with death and weakened by lack of food, water, sleep and medical care.

The British men have recounted the information from conversations with the Australian men.

They say HABIB was in catastrophic mental and physical shape after he was tortured
in Egypt but was denied medical help.

They say HICKS had been hooded and beaten and later denied medical attention for a
hernia unless he cooperated with captors.

The men say HICKS was treated worse than other detainees, was constantly moved, kept
in isolation and was forced to make admissions.

US authorities have consistently denied claims of mistreatment.

AAP RTV tam/lm

KEYWORD: GUANTANAMO AUST (SYDNEY)

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

NSW: Day of mourning for Hickey in Redfern

AAP General News (Australia)
02-24-2004
NSW: Day of mourning for Hickey in Redfern

SYDNEY, Feb 24 AAP - Scores of people congregated at the Block in inner Sydney Redfern
today ahead of a memorial service and vigil for teenager Thomas Hickey.

The 17-year-old, known as TJ, died when he fell off his bike and was impaled on a fence
post, sparking violent riots in Redfern on Sunday night, February 15.

Police have denied claims by TJ's family and other members of the local community that
they chased him to his death.

Mourners in Eveleigh Street gathered around …

Young consumers see no harm in racy ads

ALLIE SHAH, Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
01-04-2004

Young consumers see no harm in racy ads
By ALLIE SHAH, Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune
Date: 01-04-2004, Sunday
Section: LIVING
Edtion: All Editions.=.Sunday

Buff young bodies intertwined, suggestive slogans, and skin, skin, skin. This is the stuff of eyebrow-raising ads aimed at adolescents.

Sex sells, everybody knows, but businesses' use of it to sell to teenagers and preteens has raised more than eyebrows. It has raised a stink.

The fuss about Abercrombie & Fitch's flesh-baring Christmas "magalog" is well known. The quarterly catalog full of nude and scantily clad young men and women frolicking together was yanked from stores after several parent groups launched protests and made boycott threats.

While the preppy clothier is perhaps the most blatant example, it's not the only company pushing the boundaries. The proliferation of racy advertisements in teen magazines and on television has stoked a national backlash from parent groups.

French Connection United Kingdom came under fire for using the initials FCUK to promote its line of clothing and perfume to teenagers. An ad appearing in Seventeen magazine last fall featured a shirtless young man and a smiling young woman in her underwear in bed, with the phrase "Scent to bed" and "FCUK fragrance."

Pick up other teen magazines - there is a crop of new ones from CosmoGirl to TeenVogue to ElleGirl - and you will see ads for J.Lo Glow, Jennifer Lopez's perfume, featuring a naked Lopez in the shower, the steam strategically covering key body parts.

The way Dwayne Fisher sees it, the use of skin and sexual innuendo to sell to teenagers like him is just a fact of life.

He said he's mature enough to handle the racy images and savvy enough to recognize that it's all just part of the pitch. He's 16, but he said it's a person's maturity level and not age that's the issue.

The proud owner of a shirt that said "FCUK You 2" and an occasional shopper at A&F, he doesn't think such marketing is inappropriate. The French Connection shirts are funny, he insists, not sexual.

Fisher, who works in a clothing store, can wear what he wants, within reason, because he buys his clothes with his own money. But his mom, Laura Fisher, said he knows there's a time and a place to wear that shirt.

Joe Kelly said he is no prude, but he lobbies against "toxic messages" aimed at young girls through his non-profit organization based in Duluth, Minn., called Dads and Daughters.

"We're not anti-sex," said Kelly, whose twin daughters are 23. It's the way sexuality is marketed to teenagers that he finds objectionable.

"It takes power away from girls over their sexuality. We want girls to have power over their bodies and their sexuality," he said. "We want them to understand that sexuality is about humanness, intimacy. It's not titillation, and it's not pornography. This is not a responsible way to do business."

Every month, Kelly posts a message about a troubling ad and the company involved on his Web site (dadsanddaughters.org). Then he urges Web site visitors to write a father-to-father letter to the company's CEO, who almost always is a man, explaining why the ad is harmful to girls and asking the executive to picture his own daughter's face in the ad. His efforts have paid off. Federated Department Stores, the Cincinnati-based chain that owns Macy's, dropped French Connection's fragrance and clothing line after corresponding with Dads and Daughters.

Examples of using sexuality in advertising date back to the 17th century, but sexuality is creeping into the under-18 market, said Tom Reichert, an advertising professor at the University of Alabama and author of "The Erotic History of Advertising."

The motive, of course, is profit.

"They're trying to get hold of that billion-dollar, 13- to 19-year-old buying business," Reichert said.

In some ways, the increase in sexual advertising to a younger audience is a natural progression from the increase of sexual images on television, the Internet, and in the larger society.

But young people are at a greater disadvantage than adults exposed to the same highly sexualized images, because kids generally lack the critical skills necessary to know that they are being taken advantage of, Reichert said.

Consider when Calvin Klein was the undisputed leader of provocative ads. In 1995, a series of TV commercials and magazine ads showed underage models in their CK underwear in sexually suggestive positions.

"Parents and media critics went crazy over those ads, but the kids didn't. They really did not see that these images were pornographic," Reichert said. "So in a lot of ways, they're vulnerable and susceptible."

Illustrations/Photos: * * *
Keywords: YOUTH, ADVERTISING, SEX

Copyright 2004 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.

WA: Man dies in Perth car crash

00-00-0000
WA: Man dies in Perth car crash

PERTH, Aug 24 AAP - A 20-year-old man died when a car driven by his friend crashedinto a traffic light in the Perth suburb of Como early today.

A police spokesman said the man was sitting in the back seat of the Holden Commodorestation wagon when it crashed at 2.20am (WST) and died at the scene.

The driver and two other passengers are all in hospital with serious injuries.

"Early investigations indicate speed and alcohol are involved," the spokesman said.

The spokesman said it appeared the group of friends had been returning home from anight out when the car smashed into the traffic light.

The force of the crash dragged the vehicle several metres down the road where it thenslammed into a brick wall, the spokesman said.

This morning's death takes the road toll to 117, down five from the same period last year.

AAP ajm/apm

KEYWORD: TOLL WA

Fed: Weapons could be destroyed, buried or in Syria - Butler

00-00-0000
Fed: Weapons could be destroyed, buried or in Syria - Butler

CANBERRA, April 13 AAP - Australia could make a more legal contribution to the warin Iraq by participating in a peacekeeping force, former chief UN weapons inspector RichardButler said today.

Mr Butler said an interim authority in Iraq needed a peacekeeping component to keep order.

"There needs to be an urgent discussion about that (an interim authority), I suggestwithin the UN context," Mr Butler told the Seven Network.

"If Australia were invited to, or asked to be consider to be a part of that, it wouldbe consistent I think with good Australian foreign policy to make such a contribution.

"I think that would look a bit better and more legal than the contribution we're makingat the moment to the US-led coalition."

Meanwhile, Mr Butler, an Australian, said if weapons of mass destruction were not foundin Iraq they could have been destroyed, buried or taken to Syria.

"If weapons are now not found it is either because A, they don't exist but they didpreviously, so that means they've been destroyed," Mr Butler said.

"They need to find people who can give an account of that destruction.

"Or B, as I used to say to the inspectors, they're somewhere else.

"In other words, they've been taken out of the country or they've been deeply buried somewhere.

"I think that's possible."

When asked where weapons could have been taken, Mr Butler said Syria.

"I saw evidence in the past of smuggling of some of the weapons across the border intoSyria," he said.

AAP lm/sek/jlw

KEYWORD: IRAQ AUST BUTLER

SA: Main stories in today's Adelaide Advertiser

00-00-0000
SA: Main stories in today's Adelaide Advertiser

ADELAIDE, Feb 1 AAP - Main stories in today's Adelaide Advertiser:

Page 1 - Nine killed and 45 hurt in Sydney train derailment.

Page 2 - Contents.

Page 3 - Asian families are paying thousands of dollars to have their primary school-agedchildren educated in Adelaide public schools; Three hi-tech libraries expected to openthis year; Extra $2 million allocated for the construction of an additional two overtakinglanes on the Sturt Highway between Truro and Blanchetown.

World - US federal judge sentences would-be shoe bomber Richard Reid to life in prison(Boston); British police spied on Wallis Simpson and her alleged secret lover while shewas being courted by the future King Edward VIII, who abdicated to marry her in 1936 (London).

Finance - Southcorp's earnings hangover is expected to continue until at least mid-year.

Sport - Cricket's World Cup is on the brink of a split along racial lines followingNew Zealand's decision yesterday not to play its match against Kenya in Nairobi.

AAP la/tnf

KEYWORD: FRONTERS SA

Fed: 75 per cent of farmers faced driest weather in century

00-00-0000
Fed: 75 per cent of farmers faced driest weather in century

The national forecaster says three-quarters of the nation's farmers have faced theirdriest year in almost a century.

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) says in most casesfarmers have recorded some of the lowest rainfall figures on record.

The bureau says in its latest crops forecast the rankings indicate rainfall receivedthis year in around 75 per cent of the mainland crop growing regions ranks in the bottom10 per cent of observations.

It says the states with the most serious rainfall deficiency this year are New SouthWales followed by Victoria.

ABARE says in most regions, crop development is also hindered by low subsoil moisture,particularly in the northern crop areas.

Statistically, it says the worst hit area is the upper north region of South Australiawhich has had its driest year on record.

It says there's little chance of good rains for summer crops, while the low rainfallalready means irrigation water will be scarce for crops such as cotton and rice.

AAP RTV sw/rsm

KEYWORD: CROPS RAIN (CANBERRA)

NT: More than 1,000 gather at Dili dawn service

00-00-0000
NT: More than 1,000 gather at Dili dawn service

More than 1,000 Australians, New Zealanders and United Nations personnel have gatheredat the giant Jesus statue outside Dili for a moving Anzac Day dawn service.

Soldiers gathered with expatriate civilians east of Dili at the gift from Indonesiabuilt when that country was under international pressure for occupying East Timor.

Smaller services have been held at the Australian border post at Moleana and at theNew Zealand base at Suai.

Australians and New Zealanders have commemorated three Anzac Days in East Timor sincethe UN mission began to keep the peace during the transition to independence next month.

AAP RTV rmg/sal/rp

KEYWORD: ANZAC DILI (DARWIN)

Fed: Labor mealy-mouthed on asylum seekers - Stott Despoja

00-00-0000
Fed: Labor mealy-mouthed on asylum seekers - Stott Despoja

Australian Democrats leader NATASHA STOTT DESPOJA has challenged Labor to scrap itspolicy on the mandatory detention of asylum seekers.

She says Labor leader SIMON CREAN and his party should put aside their mealy-mouthedtalk and first of all, visit Woomera and other detention centres, then scrap mandatorydetention.

Senator STOTT DESPOJA says Labor introduced mandatory detention, and is too scarednow to accept that that policy is not only inhumane, but it's not working.

Labor yesterday backed the mothballing of Woomera, returning the operation of detentioncentres to the government, and giving the media greater access to the centres.

It also backed extending the relocation allowance proposed for Afghanis in detentioncentres, opening the door to using the payment system for all refugees.

Senator STOTT DESPOJA is predicting a cross-party turn-out at a rally on the issueoutside Parliament House in Canberra today.

AAP RTV dep/jmt/rt

KEYWORD: BOAT LABOR DESPOJA (CANBERRA)

NSW: Australians approve of embryo research

AAP General News (Australia)
12-13-2001
NSW: Australians approve of embryo research

SYDNEY, Dec 13 AAP - The majority of Australians approve of cloning an embryo from
a patient's own genetic material for use in therapy, a poll revealed today.

The approval was measured against a backdrop of recent controversy over cloned human embryos

An American company caused controversy worldwide when it confirmed it had developed
a number of human embryos through cloning.

A Bulletin-Morgan poll published today found 55 per cent of Australians would approve
of using a patient's own genetic material to clone an embryo to be used as a stem cell
source.

Stem cells can be grown into any kind of tissue in the body and are the basis for so-called
"therapeutic cloning" which is hoped will lead to advancements in treating a variety of
ailments, including Parkinson's disease and diabetes.

Thirty-two per cent of Australians disapproved of therapeutic cloning, while 13 per
cent were undecided.

The survey of 617 people over the age of 14 found 70 per cent of Australians believe
couples with excess embryos after infertility treatment should be able to donate them
to research.

Seventy (70) per cent also approved of extracting stem cells from such embryos to treat
disease and injury.

AAP rcg/arb/mjm/de

KEYWORD: EMBRYO RESEARCH

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

AP Top Technology Headlines At Noon EDT

AP Online
05-07-2001
AP Top Technology Headlines At Noon EDT

3Com Plans to Cut 3,000 Jobs

Price War Has PC Makers Fighting

Lucent CFO Replaced After 1 Year

Writers Seek Internet Payments

Online Visitation New in Divorce

Hackers Attack White House Web Site

Hoover's Names New CEO

The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

Copyright 2001 The Associated Press All Rights Reserved

SA: Main stories in today s Adelaide Advertiser

AAP General News (Australia)
02-16-2001
SA: Main stories in today s Adelaide Advertiser

ADELAIDE, Feb 16 AAP - Main stories in today's Adelaide Advertiser:

Page 1 - The South Australian government has one week to improve a pay offer to nurses
or face widespread industrial action throughout public hospitals.

Page 2 - A serious division within one of the state's biggest unions, the Australian
Workers Union, has emerged in the lead-up to its election; Nick Grono, the chief of staff
who allegedly warned a female federal ministerial adviser for "sleeping with the enemy",
had a lengthy affair with a woman working for the Australian Democrats; Mitsubishi Motors
Australia boss Tom Phillips has returned from Japan optimistic about the Adelaide car
company's prospects for future growth.

Page 3 - A father was trying to kill himself and his four children when he deliberately
drove his vehicle over a 26m cliff at Crafers, a lawyer acting for his teenage daughter
told the Coroners Court yesterday; South Australia's natural resources, such as the River
Murray, will be brought under the control of three senior ministers to ensure their increased
protection.

World - The killing of eight Israelis by a Palestinian in the worst attack in Israel
in years has sparked fears the violence that has escalated since Ariel Sharon was elected
Prime Minister could worsen (Jerusalem); The father of James Bulger was yesterday asking
the High Court to overturn a decision which could see the toddler's killers freed in the
near future (London); Educators reinstated the theory of evolution in the Kansas state
curriculum yesterday, reversing a decision 18 months ago and thwarting religious conservatives
who want students to learn the biblical theory of creation (Overland Park, Kansas).

Finance - Australian companies face a difficult six months but the worst is almost
over for weaker earnings, according to analysts; Investors had fallen in love with the
greenback all over again, Macquarie foreign exchange dealer Jo Masters said yesterday.

Sport - AFL clubs and their players are on a collision course over the management of
abuse on Internet sites from fans.

AAP scl/jas

KEYWORD: FRONTERS SA

2001 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

What Australian papers are saying today, Dec 18, 2000

AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2000
What Australian papers are saying today, Dec 18, 2000

SYDNEY, Dec 18 AAP - The Daily Telegraph identifies in its editorial today a new divide
between public education's haves and have-nots: those in selective or single sex schools,
which dominate the HSC honour rolls released today, and those in regular co-ed high schools.

"The federal and state governments should convene an education policy forum in which
teachers, parents, principals, and students themselves can examine the existing and emerging
challenges to our schools... most of all... the disturbing new tiers of opportunity within
public education itself".

The Australian Financial Review says before the government can legitimately promote
its credentials as a sponsor of innovation, it should remove regressive taxes it placed
on exports and on import-competing products.

"Sadly, the retention of the 3 per cent Tariff Concession Scheme looks set to occur,"

says the Review.

The scheme serves to remind the public the Howard government has a "very patchy" record
in dismantling residual tariff protection.

Its whole record on industry policy should be borne in mind when the Coalition unveils
its innovation statement next month, says the Review.

The Australian finds "regrettable" the lack of details on dollars and a timetable for
implementation of the McClure report on welfare reform.

But it notes one positive aspect of the government's response to the McClure report:
the setting up of a "welfare reform consultative forum", which will detail a new welfare
system before the next Budget.

The Age says the government's failure to cost its welfare changes is disappointing.

By choosing not to release the budget details, the government runs the risk of creating
anxiety and uncertainty among welfare recipients.

Sole parents and people on disability benefits must wait five more months to learn
whether they are winners or losers.

"Welfare recipients are vulnerable; they deserve certainty," it says.

The Sydney Morning Herald voices the concern that the government, working through the
National Health and Medical Research Centre (NHMRC) and its strategic research development
committee, is failing to support some of the most promising lines of inquiry into mobile
phone use and cancer or other harm.

The Herald calls on the government to provide details of research being funded and
give full and sufficient reasons why promising lines of inquiry are not supported.

"The drive for knowledge in this area must be open and concerned solely with scientific
truth, unaffected by commercial considerations of the mobile phone industry," says the
Herald.

The Canberra Times says last week's summit shows the European Union is forging a path
others would do well to follow.

It says the EU is putting an end to the possibility of armed conflict within its borders,
diminishing the dangers inherent in national sovereignty, expanding the notion of internationalism
and encouraging cultural diversity within the larger entity.

Sure, the job is far from complete, but "the proposed expansion of the EU will almost
certainly lead to a better deal for Australia because the union will not be able to afford
to subsidise the newcomers; so barriers will necessarily be lowered".

The Times says in developing solutions to many previously intractable problems, the
EU provides a splendid example to the Australasia-South-East Asia area.

The Adelaide Advertiser implores its readers to take care on the roads and be prepared
for bushfires - the twin hazards of the summer holiday season.

Too many of its readers assume they are immortal and make those fatal assumptions which
make the difference between a humdrum road journey and a ruined life, it says.

"All that has to be done is look alert and slow down," it says. "A moment's indecision
or neglect will cause a life's extinction or a lifetime's misery. Watch those roads; stay
alive."

It appears that everyone involved has lost sight of the responsibilities of the Melbourne
City Council, the Herald Sun says.

The council should focus on cleaning up the city, ridding it of the scourge of heroin,
helping the homeless and cooperating with business to revitalise the CBD.

"No longer do ratepayers want to hear of council brawls, spats over councillors' expenses,
car hire, fees for speech writers or factional disputes," says The Herald Sun.

"Melbourne City Council must simply get on with the job of running the city properly."

AAP rst

KEYWORD: EDITORIALS

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Reith, union differ on decision s effect on rail jobs

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2000
Fed: Reith, union differ on decision s effect on rail jobs

By Denis Peters, Industrial Correspondent

CANBERRA, Aug 4 AAP - A ruling effectively retaining junior pay rates in seven Victorian
railway awards was good job news for young people, Workplace Relations Minister Peter
Reith said today.

But a rail union dismissed this claim as unlikely and without proof.

The full bench of the Australian Industrial Relations Commission (AIRC) today overturned
an earlier decision by Commissioner Bob Merriman to remove junior rates from the awards.

The federal government applied for a review of the decision.

"We wanted to make sure that junior rates were retained so that young Victorians had
a fair go at competing for jobs in the railway industry," Mr Reith said in a statement.

"While the full bench decision is good news for young people in Victoria, it will also
benefit young Australians more widely.

"This is because the decision makes it clear how the amendments the government made
to the Workplace Relations Act last year are to be applied in practice.

"They are to be applied to make sure that work opportunities for young people are improved
by including junior rates in awards where this is appropriate."

He said the decision stood in contrast to Labor's policy platform which would overturn
its support for junior rates brokered last year.

Rail, Tram and Bus Union spokesman Andrew Thomas said Mr Reith's claim that more young
people would get rail jobs as a result of the decision was an assertion only, and he would
like to see any proof to that effect.

Mr Thomas said the case was originally brought to the AIRC only because the junior
rates provision was obsolete and was required to be removed under the act.

"Commissioner Merriman deleted it on the basis of Mr Reith's own legislation," he told AAP.

"The fact remains that junior rates had been in those awards for many years and it
hadn't stopped employers in the rail and tramway industry in Victoria from employing juniors
and paying them the adult rates.

"It didn't seem to be a problem to them."

Employers would be under no obligation to change their current pay rates, Mr Thomas said.

AAP dep/mfh/cjh/br

KEYWORD: JUNIOR

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

NT: Magistrate a specialist in sentencing but no discretion

AAP General News (Australia)
02-17-2000
NT: Magistrate a specialist in sentencing but no discretion

EDS: Restores keyword



By Catharine Munro

DARWIN, Feb 17 AAP - Northern Territory Magistrate Greg Cavanagh has a specialist degree
in sentencing but yesterday had no choice but to send a 21-year-old to jail for one year
for stealing a box of biscuits.

The 48-year-old former criminal lawyer attained a Masters degree from London University
in sentencing in 1986 and Bachelors of Jurisprudence and Laws from Monash University but
cannot exercise his discretion when he finds a suspect guilty of a property offence.

Discretion was taken from him by the NT Parliament in March 1997, six months after
he was appointed a magistrate.

Under mandatory sentencing laws jail terms are set out for first, second and third
property offences no matter what was stolen.

Adults receive 14 days, 3 months and one year respectively, while juveniles receive
28 days for second offences.

Mr Cavanagh, who is also the Territory Coroner, has a reputation for consistently pointing
out the problems with the laws when handing down judgments.

Yesterday, while presiding over court on remote Groote Eylandt 800km from Darwin, he
found 21-year-old Jamie Wurramara guilty of stealing a box of biscuits from a mine site
on the island.

He questioned the use of sending people from Groote Eylandt to jail, noting Wurramara
had only been out of jail for a few weeks when he committed the offence.

But he told Wurramara's lawyer:

"I must not let possible penalties sway me about whether he is guilty beyond reasonable
doubt, no matter how offensive the penalties are to yourself and others".

Along with the other eight NT magistrates, as an officer of the court he refuses to
speak publicly about the laws because they are a matter of government policy.

Mr Cavanagh's position is made more delicate because his wife, Margaret Lyons, is involved
in the Country Liberal Party.

She is the Northern Territory Chief Minister Denis Burke's chief of staff.

It was Mr Cavanagh who in January found a 15-year-old boy, also from Groote Eylandt,
guilty of stealing stationary and breaking a window.

That boy died in custody last week after being found with a sheet around his neck.

Clearly distressed about the task of sending Wurramara to jail yesterday, Mr Cavanagh
told reporters after adjourning the court he would stand down as coroner in the separate
case of the 15-year-old's death.

Former NT chief magistrate Ian Gray said the working under a mandatory sentencing regime
was difficult personally.

The new laws were a factor in Mr Gray's decision in 1997 to retire from the NT judiciary
after seven years to return to work as a barrister in Melbourne.

"When you are required to impose what you think is an unjust, unfair and disproportionate
sentence, it's an unsatisfactory," Mr Gray said.

But magistrates were required to be robust in their day to day work and would see handing
down sentences as part of their job, he said.

"You can't sit around wringing your hands, you have to get on with the next one."

AAP cm/ah/br

KEYWORD: MANDATORY CAVANAGH REPEATING

2000 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

QLD: Motorcycle gang members charged

AAP General News (Australia)
12-16-1999
QLD: Motorcycle gang members charged

Twenty people, including members of the Bandidos Motor Cycle Gang, have been arrested
in Cairns in a police drug raid.

The arrests are the culmination of Operation Celeste which started in April.

Police say those arrested face a total of 108 charges so far, including kidnapping,
torture, assault and drug trafficking.

No court dates have been set.

AAP RTV geb/sd/rp/jn

KEYWORD: BANDIDOS (BRISBANE)

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

HELP FOR NEEDLES, A YOUNG HEDGEHOG WHO IS LOSING HIS QUILLS

CATHY KRZECZKOWSKI
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
01-04-1996
HELP FOR NEEDLES, A YOUNG HEDGEHOG WHO IS LOSING HIS QUILLS
By CATHY KRZECZKOWSKI
Date: 01-04-1996, Thursday
Section: LIFESTYLE
Edition: All Editions -- 3 Star, 2 Star P, 2 Star B, 1 Star Late, 1 Star Early
Column: PET Q&A

Q. Help! Our 6-month-old hedgehog's quills are falling out! His
skin is red and flaking and he appears to be very uncomfortable. We're
afraid to take Needles to our vet because he's never treated hedgehogs
before. What should we do?

A. Find a veterinarian who does take care of hedgehogs -- and make
an appointment before your poor pet goes bald! You may have to make a
few calls before you find one in your area, but persistence pays off.
After calling the North American Hedgehog Association in New Mexico, a
vet in upstate New York, and a former breeder in Ramsey, I finally found
hedgehog help in Ridgewood.

Dr. Dean Cerf, who has been treating these spiny mammals for quite
some time, says parasite, fungal, or bacterial infections could be the
cause of your pet's problems. Or, because of his red, flaky skin, it
could be an allergic reaction. After infections and allergies have been
ruled out, Cerf says the third possibility may be endocrine disorders,
imbalances of hormones in the body.

"But don't take this shopping list to the store," Cerf says. Skin
scrapings and cultures (to identify the problem) may be needed, as well
as heavy-duty drugs, all of which should be administered only under a
qualified vet's care.

Also, it could be difficult to treat hedgehogs, he says. If they
get defensive, curl up into a ball, and stick their needles out, they
would have to be sedated.

Although Cerf says he wouldn't encourage people to get these
exotics -- they're not the most cuddly or affectionate pets -- he admits
that some hedgehogs can be "playful ... like pussycats."

Advice from Eve Kelsey-Wood of NAHA: If you're feeding your
hedgehog only cat or dog food, he may be suffering from poor nutrition.
They need a broader diet.

"They're meat eaters," Kelsey-Wood says, and they should be eating
small pieces of skinless chicken or beef, insects such as mealworms, or
even scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, or small pieces of any fresh fruit
or vegetable.

Letters should be sent to Pet Q&A, The Record, 1350 Route 23, Wayne,
N.J. 07470-5892. Or, send electronic mail to Cathy Krzeczkowski via the
Internet at newsroom {AT} bergen-record.com. Answers will appear only in
this column.

Keywords: ANIMAL. DISEASE

Copyright 1996 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.

ACT: Pedestrian killed by car

AAP General News (Australia)
02-09-1999
ACT: Pedestrian killed by car

CANBERRA, Feb 9 AAP - Australian Federal Police are seeking help to identify a pedestrian
killed by a car in Canberra's southern outskirts early today.

An AFP spokeswoman said the man, in his early to mid 20s, died about 2.15am when he was hit
by a car while walking in Langdon Avenue, Wanniassa.

The death is the second fatality on ACT roads …

NSW:Body found by tree in eastern Sydney

AAP General News (Australia)
01-12-2012
NSW:Body found by tree in eastern Sydney

SYDNEY, Jan 12 AAP - A body has been found near a tree in Sydney's eastern suburbs, police say.

Police were called to Prince Lane at Randwick around 11.50am (AEDT) on Thursday after
a council worker discovered …

VIC:Police investigate four deaths after fire

AAP General News (Australia)
01-10-2011
VIC:Police investigate four deaths after fire

MELBOURNE, Jan 10 AAP - Police are appealing for witnesses to come forward as they
investigate the mystery deaths of four people whose bodies were found in a burnt-out Melbourne
house.

Up to three young children were believed to be among the dead.

Police and firefighters were confronted with an "horrific" scene at the fire in Southern
Road, Heidelberg Heights at around 4pm (AEDT) on Sunday.

They had to force their way in and found the dead people.

Homicide detectives are still in the process of identifying the bodies, which …

HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:30, Aug 82011

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2011
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:30, Aug 82011

SYDNEY - The refugee lawyer who secured an injunction preventing the immediate transfer
of asylum seekers to Malaysia insists the case is a matter of life or death. (Boat Malaysia)
See also Boat Oppn, Boat Manne, Boat Protest to come.

BOAT Wrap to come

CANBERRA - The Australian stock market dropped more than two per cent at the opening
after global rating agency Standard & Poor's cut the rating of the US from AAA for the
first time in it history. (Economy Update) See also Economy Oppn, Jobs ANZ, Economy Swan.

AUST STOCKS to come with fronter and graphic

ECONOMY Wrap to come

MELBOURNE - Australia's most decorated World War II servicewoman Nancy Wake has died.

(Wake Update) See also Wake Obit, Wake Truss, Wake Tributes.

WAKE Wrap to come

MELBOURNE - A Melbourne court has erupted as a torrent of abuse was hurled at a pedophile
Christian Brother jailed for more than 14 years for abusing young boys. (Best Update)
See also Best Victim.

BEST Wrap to come



BRISBANE - An Australian naval officer has been found guilty of sexually abusing four
boys while serving in the Pacific island nation of Kiribati. (VanDerZyden)

ADELAIDE - South Australia's premier-in-waiting Jay Weatherill has arrived at cabinet
offices for an expected showdown with current Premier Mike Rann. (Rann). See also Rann
Date.

RANN Wrap to come.

CANBERRA - The imminent despatch of a cattle shipment to Indonesia is an encouragement
to the beleaguered northern Australian industry, but it will take much longer to fully
restore the trade, the opposition says. (Cattle Truss )

CANBERRA - Indigenous affairs minister Jenny Macklin says problems highlighted in a
new report had developed over many years and not just under Labor. (Indigenous)

SYDNEY - The 18-year-old victim of last week's fake bomb threat in Sydney has returned
to school, hoping to resume a normal life and begin her trial HSC examinations. (Bomb)
Bomb Trauma

BOMB Wrap to come

SYDNEY - Authorities are investigating a suspicious powder which spilled from a parcel,
sparking the evacuation of a post office in the NSW Hunter Valley and the hospitalisation
of three workers. (Parcel Update) Watching for more, on merit.

FINANCE

SYDNEY - The retail sector is preparing for a rocky ride as falling prices and an uncertain
future hang over the big chain stores, including one of the nation's top retailers JB
Hi-Fi, which reported a decline in profit. (RETAIL to come) See also JB HIFI to come with
factbox and graphic.

SPORT

AKRON - Adam Scott stormed to his first World Golf Championships win with an impressive
four shot victory in the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club in Ohio. (Gol
PGA Update) Wrap to come. See alos Gol PGA Presidents.

MORE

KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL

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

Fed: Rate rises on the cards - RBA chief =3 Canberra

AAP General News (Australia)
02-18-2005
Fed: Rate rises on the cards - RBA chief =3 Canberra

On the world economy, Mr Macfarlane said while it was possible for it to start to slow
down, he thought that unlikely.

"If we fail to overcome some of our capacity constraints and imports keep rising strongly,
... export volumes continue to be weak, then at some point - and I don't think it's in
the immediate offing - one could imagine a situation where the world economy slows down
or where all the other producers of resources greatly increase their supply," he said.

"That is certainly a scenario that you would have to bear in mind. I don't think it's
the most likely."

Instead, global economic expansion was likely to continue, Mr Macfarlane said.

His wishlist for the Australian economy was for capacity constraints to be lifted and
exports to be on the rise.

"And I would like to see domestic demand slow a little so imports don't grow as fast
and I would like to see the world economy continue to grow at a fair clip which I think
it will," he said.

"In terms of world economic expansion we've really only completed three years of world
economic expansion.

"Normally they'll last a lot longer than that. I think the outlook is more promising
but the (above) scenario is one that you couldn't rule out."

MORE bt/kbw/sb/lma/sd

KEYWORD: RBA 3 CANBERRA

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

QLD:Fish oil may help breast cancer survivors

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2011
QLD:Fish oil may help breast cancer survivors

New research suggests fish oil supplements might help prevent muscle loss in breast
cancer survivors .. and help them ward off other chronic diseases.

Loss of muscle mass shortly after treatment is a common problem for breast cancer survivors.

The problem might be partly due to the presence of chronic inflammation .. which causes
a breakdown in muscle tissue.

University of Queensland researcher CAMERON McDONALD says if fish oil supplementation
is effective in preventing muscle loss before it occurs .. or even more effective when
used with exercise .. it could significantly cut the risk of survivors developing a chronic
disease.

AAP RTV tnf/ajw/

KEYWORD: FISHOIL (BRISBANE)

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

AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Dec 22

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2010
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Dec 22
EVENING ROUND-UP: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


BOAT ABBOTT (CANBERRA)

Opposition Leader TONY ABBOTT says he'd consider a modest expansion of Australia's
annual intake of refugees .. but has repeated his denial that he once offered independent
MP ANDREW WILKIE to double the figure in exchange for his support in forming government.

Mr ABBOTT says the wake of last week's boat accident at Christmas Island .. which killed
at least 30 people .. an increase should be on the cards .. provided people are coming
through the front door.

But Mr ABBOTT's standing by his refusal to work with the government on asylum seekers
through its multi-party standing group .. saying the government must first admit it needs
to change policy.



STORM (SYDNEY)

Australia's corporate regulator ASIC says it's begun legal proceedings against the
Commonwealth Bank .. Bank of Queensland and Macquarie Group .. over the collapse of Storm
Financial.

Chairman TONY D'ALOISIO says ASIC is bringing the actions to seek compensation for
investors who've suffered losses.

ASIC says the proceedings in the Federal Court are based on Storm's operation of an
alleged unregistered managed investment scheme in which the banks were involved.



ABUSE (ADELAIDE)

A court's heard a mother jailed for abusing five of her children in Adelaide's so-called
house of horrors lived in similar squalid conditions in Victoria.

Lawyer BILL BRAITHWAITE's told the Supreme Court that the children she had at the time
were left dirty and unkempt .. food littered the floor .. and there was a constant smell
of faeces and urine reported by welfare authorities.

The woman is serving a minimum three-year sentence after pleading guilty to abusing
five of her children .. including refusing them food .. beating them and forcing them
to stand in line all day.

Another woman and two more men .. all found guilty over the same case .. are to be
sentenced next year.



XMAS CHARITIES (CANBERRA)

Charities are experiencing a significant increase in demand for help .. by families
doing it tough in the lead-up to Christmas.

The Salvation Army's expecting to help more than 350 thousand disadvantaged Australians
this Christmas .. delivering over ten million dollars worth of gifts and food.

Salvos spokesman Major PETER SUTCLIFFE says the group's experiencing an increase in
demand from regional areas hit by recent floods.



ICE (SYDNEY)

The routine search of a suspect in Sydney's west has led federal police to uncover
90 kilos of the drug ice .. worth 14.4 million dollars and the seventh largest haul of
the drug in Australian history.

In Central Local Court today 35-year-old Malaysian citizen KOK LOONG WONG has been
charged with possessing the ice and dealing in the proceeds of crime.

He didn't apply for bail .. which was formally refused .. and is due to appear in the
same court again on February 16.

Meanwhile .. in an unrelated case .. the head of the Navy .. Vice Admiral RUSS CRANE
.. has urged any sailor with knowledge of drug trafficking aboard its ships to come forward.

The plea comes as defence investigators and New South Wales Police are looking into
the alleged supply and use of illicit substances .. including steroids .. by sailors at
a Sydney naval base.



WEATHER EUROPE (LONDON)

European airports are fighting to clear a backlog of thousands of stranded Christmas
travellers .. as arctic conditions grip the continent and spark fresh delays and cancellations.

Weary passengers face another day stuck in terminals .. amid fresh snowfalls and continued
freezing temperatures which have hit airports in Britain .. Germany .. France and Ireland.

The continent's air traffic supervisory body says about three thousand flights were
cancelled across Europe on Tuesday .. with similar numbers of cancellations for each of
the past four days.



WEATHER QLD (BRISBANE)

Parts of Queensland's far north have copped a drenching .. and forecasters warn the
region .. along with the the state's entire east coast .. is in for more of the same.

The Bureau of Meteorology says the worst of the rain over the past 24 hours has fallen
between Innisfail .. south of Cairns .. and Ingham .. north of Townsville.

The highest rainfall report's been recorded in the Mena Creek area .. south of Innisfail
.. with 250 millimetres.



BROWSE (PERTH)

Objectors to a proposed 30 billion dollar gas hub in the Kimberley say West Australian
Premier COLIN BARNETT's plan to compulsorily acquire land will stall .. because of flawed
notices of intent filed by his government.

Kimberley Land Council chief executive WAYNE BERGMANN says the formal process to take
the land for the Woodside Petroleum-led project is invalid because it doesn't specify
exactly which parcels of land are to be taken.



BOLITHO (GOLD COAST)

A Gold Coast man who ran down a child on a footpath with his moped has been sentenced
to two years jail today .. but will be released on parole in just under two months.

Southport Magistrates Court has been told 36-year-old MICHAEL ANDREW BOLITHO hit the
six-year-old on January 18 when he drove his moped at high speed along a footpath at Main
Beach .. dragging the child for 10 metres.

BOLITHO drove off .. leaving the little boy with severe injuries including a fractured
skull and bleeding on the brain.



MED CANCER (LONDON)

A new study says cancer patients in Australia .. Canada and Sweden had a better chance
of surviving for five years than those in Denmark and the UK in recent years.

Researchers tracked 2.4 million cancer patients in Australia .. Canada .. Denmark ..

Norway .. Sweden and the UK from 1995 to 2007.

The study has found in Australia and Sweden .. about 90 per cent of breast cancer patients
were still alive five years after being diagnosed.



BRIEFLY IN OTHER NEWS ..



ELECTRICITY (SYDNEY)

The New South Wales opposition says state parliament has been shut down two months
early .. so Labor can avoid a damaging inquiry into its troubled electricity privatisation.



LEADERSHIP (BRISBANE)

Premier ANNA BLIGH has scoffed at reports some backbenchers are getting restless over
the prospect of a major landslide against Labor at the next state election.



CROC (BRISBANE)

A north Queensland man's braced for a legal battle to keep a beloved pet croc that's
been part of his family for almost 50 years.



VC (CANBERRA)

The Australian War Memorial is about to reopen its renovated Hall of Valour .. with
64 Victoria Cross medals on display from Australian soldiers .. and three from British
VC winners.



IN SPORT ..



CRICKET AUST (MELBOURNE)

Australia's PETER SIDDLE says England are only making a big deal out of the latest
sledging incident because they lost the last Test match.

The pace bowler had a verbal confrontation with England's MATT PRIOR after the batsman's
dismissal during last week's third Ashes Test in Perth.

SIDDLE says heated exchanges between players happen in every Ashes Test .. but somehow
it's different if England lose a game.

Meanwhile .. the head of the Australian Cricketers' Association says the form of the
national team has deteriorated because of the players' fear of a public and official backlash
against the sledging of opponents.



AFL INGLIS (MELBOURNE)

A decision on whether disgruntled rugby league star GREG INGLIS joins AFL club Essendon
could be made this week.



SAIL SYDHOB (SYDNEY)

Competitors in the Sydney to Hobart race will experience a slow start and then a rough
first night on the sea.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP


BROADCAST DESK INQUIRIES 24 HOURS: 02 9322 8714


AAP RTV wz/tm

KEYWORD: EVENING ROUND-UP

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

FED:Coalition has winning chance, says Robb

AAP General News (Australia)
08-14-2010
FED:Coalition has winning chance, says Robb

CANBERRA, Aug 14 AAP - Liberal frontbencher Andrew Robb says the election result is
on a knife's edge and the coalition has a winning chance.

That's despite the latest Nielsen poll in Fairfax newspapers showing Labor is in the lead.

On a two-party preferred basis, the ALP is in front of the coalition 53 per cent to
47 per cent. The poll also puts Labor ahead on primary votes, with a four per cent swing
in its favour.

Mr Robb, the coalition's campaign spokesman, said the polls showed this was a highly
volatile election campaign.

"They were taken against the background of the sandbagging strategy of Labor's faceless
men," he told ABC radio.

Mr Robb said the latest week had seen a "feast of pork" promised to Labor marginal
seats to buy a "dishonourable victory as we saw recently in South Australia".

Labor had promised billions on many projects which would never see light of day, he said.

He said electors faced a stark choice that would concentrate their minds over the next week.

"I think we are still in with a very big chance."

Mr Robb said he didn't accept that the coalition was performing poorly in Victoria,
although Ms Gillard did have a hometown girl factor.

"I do think there is still a deep-seated concern across Victoria about the incompetence
and the division and the waste," he said.

"That factor will very much focus the minds over the next week and we will see a knife-edge
result."

more mb/jl

KEYWORD: POLL10 POLLS UPDATE

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

Main stories in ABC's World Today

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2010
Main stories in ABC's World Today

SYDNEY, April 6 AAP - Main stories in ABC's World Today:

* Malcolm Turnbull has pulled the curtain down on a tumultuous six-year career in federal
politics. He has announced he will not recontest his Sydney seat of Wentworth at the next
election.

* Mr Turnbull entered parliament in 2004, serving as a cabinet minister in the Howard
government and leading the federal opposition. He was torn down late last year by Tony
Abbott in a dramatic leadership challenge.

* Former federal Liberal leader, John Hewson says he is not surprised that Mr Turnbull
decided to leave politics, but says he is disappointed by Mr Turnbull's decision.

AAP bm/klm

KEYWORD: MONITOR WORLD TODAY

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

Fed: Club, restaurant plan for Bali bombing site

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2009
Fed: Club, restaurant plan for Bali bombing site

The site of Bali's Sari Club .. where 202 people, including 88 Australians, were killed
in the 2002 Bali bombings .. is set to be developed again.

A lawyer for owner-developer KADEK WIRANATHA says he plans to build a bar and a restaurant
on the site.

Fairfax newspapers report a building application was submitted to local authorities
this month .. but it was incomplete and has not yet been processed.

The Australian-based Bali Peace Park Foundation has struggled to raise funds for its
plan for a park and memorial on the site .. and while Kuta's village chief supports the
park plan .. he says there's been no concrete details of what the foundation wants.

AAP RTV jrd/ao/psm/

KEYWORD: INDON SARI (MELBOURNE)

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

NSW: Extra security ordered for electricity infrastructure

AAP General News (Australia)
04-15-2009
NSW: Extra security ordered for electricity infrastructure

SYDNEY, April 15 AAP - Extra security has been ordered to secure Sydney's electricity
network after it emerged a backhoe damaged a cable that caused a major CBD blackout.

About 70,000 homes and businesses were plunged into darkness on March 30, causing afternoon
peak hour chaos, closing major roads and leaving people stranded in lifts.

Some 140 sets of traffic lights were blacked out, with police having to direct traffic
at 40 intersections.

Damage to the 132,000 volt cable, at Circular Quay, was caused by contractors using
digging equipment, Energy Minister Ian Macdonald said.

"The damaged section of cable was examined over the weekend to determine what caused
it to fail," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Initial inspections indicate that the cable was damaged in all likelihood by a backhoe
some time ago which caused a weakness in the cable."

Energy Australia spokeswoman Kylie Yates said backfill around the damaged cable was
different to the original material.

"It's clear the cable has been struck and then refilled with backfill, both of which
contributed to the fault on Monday, March 30," she told AAP.

Mr Macdonald said extra steps would be taken to secure power network around the CBD
and nearby suburbs.

"Workers are conducting daily patrols of transmission cable routes into the city to
make sure they are not placed at risk by contractors working near them," he said.

"Extra security has been ordered at critical electricity infrastructure in the city
and all crews have been instructed to check in with EnergyAustralia's network control
room before undertaking routine maintenance in these facilities."

Another power outage on April 4 hit 50,000 homes and businesses in the northern part
of the CBD, along with some eastern and inner-city suburbs.

EnergyAustralia said that blackout was not caused by the same cable which failed on March 30.

AAP bc/evt/maur

KEYWORD: CABLES

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

Qld: Horror bug plague hits southern Qld

AAP General News (Australia)
12-09-2008
Qld: Horror bug plague hits southern Qld

Residents of the Queensland town of Yandaran have likened a caterpillar plague to a horror movie.

The plague has even forced one resident in the Bundaberg suburb to put on a full body
suit when she leaves the house.

Residents say they are fed up with authorities ignoring their calls for pest control
after being plagued by the caterpillars for 18 months.

The caterpillar is a sub-species of the bag-shelter moth.

Caterpillar hairs cause skin irritations .. can make dogs sick and have been linked
to horse miscarriages.

Local resident DALLAS BOOTHEY says she has a dangerous allergy to the species that
requires her to put on a full body suit every time she leaves the house.

AAP RTV djb/pjo/wz

KEYWORD: CATERPILLARS (BRISBANE)

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

FED: Costello would take leadership in "friendly take-over"

AAP General News (Australia)
08-06-2008
FED: Costello would take leadership in "friendly take-over"

SYDNEY, Aug 6 AAP - Peter Costello will reportedly not challenge Brendan Nelson for
the Liberal leadership but may agree to to a "friendly takeover" if the opposition leader
opted to stand aside.

Senior Liberals have told The Australian newspaper that Mr Costello would stand for
the leadership if anyone else moved to challenge Dr Nelson.

But without any move to stand aside by Dr Nelson, and in the absence of another challenge,
Liberal sources say Mr Costello would not "lift a finger" against the embattled leader.

Mr Costello returned from a south Pacific holiday last Friday and he has made no comment
on the Liberal leadership, or his possible retirement. He has been continuing to work
on completing a political biography.

"He has the right to make this decision in his own time," an unnamed coalition MP has
told The Australian.

"If he gives an indication that he wants the job, Brendan will be expected to step
aside. Brendan knows that."

Dr Nelson left Australia last night on a ten-day trip to Washington, New York and London.

"I've got a job to do and I intend to keep doing it," Dr Nelson said before leaving.

AAP dr/goc/cmc

KEYWORD: LIBERALS

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

Qld: Family rescued from stricken yacht

AAP General News (Australia)
02-12-2008
Qld: Family rescued from stricken yacht

Police in north Queensland have rescued a family of six from their stricken yacht ..

just before it smashed into rocks.

Officers were called to the Coral Sea Resort at Airlie Beach after midnight .. following
a report the yacht had slipped its moorings.

When they arrived .. the yacht was 10 metres from a rock wall .. and was being pounded
by extreme seas and gale force winds.

The officers entered the water and from the rocks .. helped a couple and their children
.. aged 10 .. seven .. four and two .. to shore.

The yacht began taking on water and falling apart during the rescue .. and one officer
became tangled in ropes and was dragged underwater.

All eventually made it to safety.

It's believed the family lived on the boat .. and lost all their belongings.

AAP RTV jmm/pjo/wf/jmt

KEYWORD: RESCUE (BRISBANE)

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

NSW: Iemma's office denies Wiki editing

AAP General News (Australia)
08-24-2007
NSW: Iemma's office denies Wiki editing

EDS: Clarifying lead. Attention to language in third par



SYDNEY, Aug 24 AAP - The NSW premier's department denies instructing its staff to edit
an online encyclopedia to remove potentially damaging details on the Iemma government.

Fairfax reported today that someone using a computer in the department had edited a
Wikipedia entry on Premier Morris Iemma.

It alleged a reference was removed to an outburst Mr Iemma had at a media conference
last year, in which he called the then chief executive of Sydney's Cross City Tunnel a
f***wit.

But a spokesman for Mr Iemma today said no one in the office had ever been instructed
to edit the site.

He said 4,000 employees and 35 different departments used the same IP address.

"We have never heard of anyone editing it," the spokesman said.

"It's never been discussed."

It comes after reports that staff in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet were
found to have made 126 edits to Wikipedia, on subjects ranging from the children overboard
affair to Treasurer Peter Costello's nickname.

AAP kd/was/cp/cdh/de

KEYWORD: WIKIPEDIA IEMMA LEAD

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

Vic: $1m bounty for Mokbel arrest justified - criminologist

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2007
Vic: $1m bounty for Mokbel arrest justified - criminologist

A $1 million reward has been offered in seven other Victorian murders:

- Elisabeth Membrey, 22, was last seen alive as she left for home from her job as a
waitress at a hotel in Ringwood, in Melbourne's north-east, shortly before midnight on
December 6, 1994;

- Mersina Halvagis, 25, who was murdered as she tended her grandmother's grave at Fawkner
Cemetery, in the city's north, on November 1, 1997;

- Jennifer Tanner, who was shot dead at her home at Bonnie Doon, in Victoria's north-east,
in 1984;

- Adele Bailey, whose body was found dumped in a Bonnie Doon mineshaft 10 years later;

- Sarah McDiarmid, who was abducted from Kananook railway station in Melbourne's south in 1990;

- Vicky Jacobs, who was shot in her bed as her young son slept beside her in their
home at Long Gully, a suburb of the central Victorian city of Bendigo, in 1999; and,

- Jane Thurgood-Dove, who in 1997 was shot dead in the driveway of her house in north-west
suburban Melbourne as her children watched.

AAP sjm/lh/mn

KEYWORD: MOKBEL (FACTBOX)

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

Fed: Hicks could be charged early next year, says PM

AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2006
Fed: Hicks could be charged early next year, says PM

By Steve Larkin

ADELAIDE, Dec 8 AAP - Judges and lawyers issued fresh calls for David Hicks to be brought
home as Prime Minister John Howard said he hoped the terror suspect will be charged by
US authorities early next year.

Victorian judges and lawyers today rallied in Melbourne in support of Hicks, who has
been detained by the US at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba since soon after he was captured with
Taliban forces in Afghanistan in late 2001.

But Mr Howard expressed disappointment at delays in the case of the the Adelaide-born
terror suspect, saying he hoped he would be charged under new rules by the US next year.

"I'm not happy about it having taken so long and we are on a very regular basis pressing
the Americans for a commitment that he be formally be charged under the new military commission,"

Mr Howard told Southern Cross Radio in Melbourne.

"We are very hopeful that there will be formal charges brought against him early in the new year.

"Five years is a long time and we want him tried under the new rules established after
the Supreme Court decision."

Hicks had previously pleaded not guilty before a US military tribunal to charges of
conspiracy, attempted murder and aiding the enemy.

But the charges were dropped after a US Supreme Court ruling in June, declaring illegal
the military tribunals set up to try Hicks and other Guantanamo Bay inmates.

Former Victorian attorney-general Jim Kennan was among 200 people rallying in support
of Hicks today.

"The loss of his liberty, is a loss of our liberty," Mr Kennan said.

"I don't think there's been a period since the 1950s and the McCarthyist era when we've
seen such a sustained attack and disdain on fundamental notions of justice," he said.

"All of us have a responsibility to make our views known, and to mobilise what I think
is the ordinary decency of Australians."

On Wednesday, Hicks' lawyers were granted an urgent hearing in the Federal Court amid
hopes he can be brought home before Christmas.

In papers filed with the court, the lawyers accused the Australian government of failing
to fulfil its constitutional obligation to protect Australian citizens abroad.

Hicks' father, Terry Hicks, today said he was hopeful his son would return to Australia
for Christmas.

"The more support that we get, the more pressure we can put on the government to bring
David home," Mr Hicks said.

"I know there are still people out there that want David hanged but I believe there
are more people now asking questions.

"The Australian public are not as silly as the government thinks they are."

AAP sl/jt/de

KEYWORD: HICKS NIGHTLEAD

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

NSW: Latu to perform two days of community service a week

AAP General News (Australia)
08-02-2006
NSW: Latu to perform two days of community service a week

Sacked Cronulla rugby league hooker TEVITA LATU has agreed to fulfill at least two
days a week of a community service order .. for assaulting a Sydney woman.

On Monday night LATU .. who was sacked by the Sharks and deregistered by the NRL ..

returned to Australia from England .. where he's signed a deal with Wakefield.

But his arrangement with Corrective Services throws into doubt the feasibility of an
overseas career.

LATU has to complete 200 hours of community service within 18 months .. but details
of his arrangement haven't been released.

He's scheduled to play his first match in England in three days.

AAP RTV tr/klw/ibw/bart

KEYWORD: LATU (SYDNEY)

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

SA: Parties unveil aggressive policies in lead-up to election

AAP General News (Australia)
02-12-2006
SA: Parties unveil aggressive policies in lead-up to election

By Brad Watts

ADELAIDE, Feb 12 AAP - Aggressive attacks on anti-social behaviour and vandalism have
been the order of the day for South Australia's major political parties in the lead-up
to the state election.

As part of campaigning for the March 18 ballot, both the Labor and Liberal parties
today released tough policies targeting out-of-control young people in crackdowns on unruly
and loutish behaviour.

The Liberals used a suburban railway station to unveil a policy to force graffiti vandals
to complete 100 hours of supervised graffiti removal and unleash a public attack on the
Rann government.

"When Labor assumed office, it cut the Graffiti Gone program and, as a result, successful
measures that were implemented by the former Liberal government were terminated," shadow
police spokesman Robert Brokenshire said.

Mr Brokenshire said Labor had "little commitment" to graffiti and regarded the problem
as a "minor irritation and even creative expression".

"Graffiti costs the community millions of dollars a year," he said.

As part of Labor's opening election assault, Premier Mike Rann proposed an anti-lout
crackdown where young offenders could be named and banned from public parks and shopping
centres.

"Some of these louts really have to wake up to themselves before they plunge deeper
into a vicious circle of crime," he said.

It is understood the new laws are modelled on British legislation, where about 100
public orders are issued each year.

"We will tailor our system to specifically suit South Australian needs and circumstances,
having regard for what has been learnt in other jurisdictions," said Attorney General
Michael Atkinson.

He said the anti-social behaviour orders would be applied to "louts as young as 13".

SA's Labor Party currently holds 22 seats in the House of Assembly to 20 for the Liberals,
led by Rob Kerin, with three independents, one Green and one National Party MP making
up the 47-seat parliament.

Polls conducted late last year showed support for Labor was running at about 46 per
cent, up from the 36 per cent the party attracted at the 2002 election.

Backing for the Liberals had fallen from about 40 per cent to 35 per cent.

AAP baw/rj/de

KEYWORD: POLLSA NIGHTLEAD

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

Global Network Inc. Files Form 10-SB.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 3, 1999--

Global Network Inc. (OTC:GNNU) announced Friday that it has filed a Registration Statement on Form 10-SB with the Securities Exchange Commission in order to comply with the NASD's requirement for continued quotation on the OTC Bulletin Board. An official copy of the Form 10-SB will be available shortly on the SEC's web site at www.sec.gov.

Global Network Inc. was incorporated in April 1999 in order to connect national interactive advertisers with major market newspapers. The market for advertising on the Internet is expected to grow exponentially over the next several years from $1.3 billion in 1998 to $22 billion by 2004. This growth will be fueled by national advertisers shifting major dollars away from traditional media into the Internet. Clients which have made major announcements that their intention was to become a major presence on the Internet include the big three auto companies, major package goods companies (Kraft, P&G) pharmaceutical grants, entertainment companies (Disney, Time Warner, CBS) and financial services (Fidelity, Merrill Lynch, DLJ Direct, Scudder) and insurance (Aetna, Guardian, Ace Reinsurance). To handle this tremendous shift, major agencies are creating new entities dedicated to interactive marketing. @tmosphere, a new shop formed by Omnicom's BBDO was formed the week of August 30 capitalized with billings from clients like Visa, GE, Federal Express, etc. (New York Times, Tuesday, 8/31). Many other major agencies, Grey, Ogilvy & Mather, Saatchi & Saatchi, Young and Rubicam et. al. have likewise created interactive agencies to service the exploding Internet advertising marketplace. Global Network Inc. has held meetings with all the advertisers and agencies mentioned and is in the proposal process with a number of these companies. We anticipate growth will come through companies like these and others who see the value in being able to market nationally but sell locally through a network of online newspaper websites.

The Form 10-SB is subject to SEC review and may be amended by the company in response to SEC comments. At such time as the Form 10-SB is declared effective by the SEC, the company will be subject to the periodic reporting and other obligations of a public company and expects that it will be in full compliance with OTC Bulletin Board eligibility rules.

NOTE TO EDITORS: In the company name mentioned in the second graph, fourteenth line of this news release, there is an "at" symbol in the name ("at"tmosphere) between "marketing" and "a new shop". This symbol may not appear properly in some systems.

Japan's largest Internet exchange provider chooses Spirent solutions for 100GbE testing.(CONTRACTS)

The growth in Internet traffic across service provider networks as well as Internet Exchange Points (IXP) is driving the deployment of 100G Ethernet networks. To validate the readiness of Japan's carriers to support high-speed Ethernet services, Internet Multifeed Co. (MF) conducted the first 100G Ethernet IXP Interoperability Test (IOT) on its Japan Network Access Point (JPNAP), the country's largest Internet exchange. The test used the Spirent TestCenter solution, which was provided by Toyo Corporation, Spirent's channel partner in Japan.

The IOT, conducted in partnership with Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ) and NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com.), Japan's two largest service providers, tested the interoperability of routers and switches from Brocade, Cisco Systems, and Juniper Networks. JPNAP, IIJ, and NTT Com interconnected the routers and switches to test the interoperability of the physical and network layers, optical switches, routing exchange, and redundant IXP topology at 100G speeds.

The test took advantage of the Spirent TestCenter HyperMetrics 40/100G Ethernet module, the industry's best-in-class high-speed Ethernet test solution. Operating on the Spirent TestCenter platform, the solution validates performance, scalability and realism by leveraging Spirent's HyperMetrics multicore processor.

"With Spirent and Toyo's assistance, we created a 100G Ethernet interoperability test environment using Spirent TestCenter," said Daisuke Touda, manager of Technology Department at JPNAP. "Spirent TestCenter, together with Toyo's solid technical support team, helped us to verify the interoperability of various vendor solutions used in the Internet exchange and to ensure their performance. This gives us additional confidence for the successful launch of a 100G Ethernet service later this year."

Based on the test results, IIJ and NTT Com are also considering deployment of 100G Ethernet to cope with the growth in Internet traffic exchanged through the IXP.

"There are many challenges associated with deploying 100G Ethernet service, especially in the IXP," said Gene Zhang, vice president and general manager of Asia-Pacific at Spirent Communications. "Interoperability issues between different vendor products are of significant concern and Spirent's leading network testing capabilities have been clearly demonstrated in this interoperability event. Our unique PASS methodology helps service providers and network equipment manufacturers validate the Performance, Availability, Security and Scalability of 100G Ethernet networks."

For more information on 40/100G Ethernet testing using Spirent TestCenter, visit http://www.spirent.com/Solutions-Directory/Spirent-TestCenter/STC_40-100GbE_Ready.aspx.

NIKE EARNINGS JUMP 22.2% IN FIRST QUARTER; DOMESTIC ATHLETIC APPAREL REVENUES FALL 11% AS FOOTWEAR REVENUES RISE 3%.

BEAVERTON, Ore. -- Although apparel volume lagged, better overall margins in Asia and Europe helped lift Nike Inc.'s first quarter earnings 22.2 percent to $200.2 million, or 70 cents a diluted share, from $163.8 million, or 56 cents a year earlier.

Sales were essentially flat at $2.5 billion. Global footwear revenues climbed 4 percent while global apparel sales fell 6 percent, Nike said.

Gross margins in the quarter improved to 38.6 percent of sales from 37.6 percent a year earlier. Nike saw sharply improved gross margins in Europe and Asia, Philip H. Knight, chairman and chief executive, said in a statement.

Selling, general and administrative expenses were cut to 25 percent of revenues from 26.1 percent as costs were trimmed through the organization, Knight said.

In the U.S., total Nike brand revenues slipped 2 percent to $1.3 billion. Athletic apparel revenues fell 11 percent to $332 million and athletic footwear revenues climbed 3 percent to $941 million.

"Our brand strength in the U.S. has been gaining momentum through the back-to-school period, particularly in our higher-end footwear," Knight said. "U.S. apparel is by no means `fixed' but we did see some signs that the revenue decrease is mitigating."

European revenues climbed 5 percent to $717.8 million, helped by a 9 percent sales jump in Italy. Improved gross margins drove European profits higher, even though the strong dollar negatively affected revenues, Knight said. The Nike brand in the U.K. is also benefitting from the company's new Nike Town store in London's Oxford Circus, Knight said.

In the Asia Pacific, revenue were flat at $191 million. On a constant dollar basis, revenues fell 8 percent overall, and 16 percent in Japan, Nike said.

"Our business in Asia Pacific continues to normalize as fewer close-outs and growing momentum for our footwear in Japan drive profitability," Knight said.

In the Americas region revenues fell 6 percent to $143.6 million. On a constant dollar basis revenues fell three percent, Nike said.

During the quarter Nike spent $141.8 million to buy back 2.7 million shares of its common stock. Since Feb. 1998, the company has bought back 11.4 million shares from $497.4 million.

Inventories at the end of the period were up six percent from the year-ago level at $1.2 billion.

Looking forward, orders for athletic footwear and apparel scheduled for delivery between Sept. 1999 and January 2000 are up 2 percent compared to the same period last year at $3.2 billion, Nike said. Strength appears to be centered in Asia, where orders are up 37 percent, and Europe, where orders are up 15 percent.

U.S. orders are down 7 percent and Americas orders are down 5 percent, Nike said.

Separately, Nike promoted eight mangers to the vice president level, affecting in its domestic, Internet, and overseas operations. The new vice presidents are Rick Anguilla, investor relations; Mary Kate Buckley, nike.com; Oscar Cardona, human resources, U.S. region; Trevor Edwards, European marketing; Joaquin Hidalgo, soccer; Eunan McLaughlin, European sales; Peter Ruppe, global footwear categories; Jim Tucker, Nike U.K.