VIC:Family send emotional plea to missing girl

AAP General News (Australia)
08-05-2011
VIC:Family send emotional plea to missing girl

The family of missing Melbourne schoolgirl SIRIYAKORN SIRIBOON believe she is still
alive and will come home to them.

The 13-year-old, nicknamed BUNG, disappeared on her way to school in Boronia, in Melbourne's
east, nine weeks ago and police believe she's been abducted.

Her step-father FRED PATTISON has today made an emotional plea for her abductor to let her go.

He says they have to believe BUNG is still coming home.

Detective Inspector JOHN POTTER from the homicide squad says somebody knows what has
happened to BUNG and can give her family the information they're desperate for.

AAP RTV mok/mn/sw/

KEYWORD: SIRIYAKORN (MELBOURNE)

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

trustee investments

trustee investments Investments in which trustees are authorized to invest trust property. In the UK the Trustees Investment Act 1961 regulates the investments of trust property that may be made by trustees. The Act applies unless excluded by a trust deed executed after the Act was passed. Half of the trust fund must be invested in narrow-range securities, largely specified in fixed-interest investments. The other half may be invested in wider-range securities, most importantly ordinary shares in companies quoted on the London Stock Exchange. In some cases, trustees must take advice before investing. The Act considerably enlarged the range of trustee investments.

FED:AAP 4-week diary from Apr 11 to May 8=2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2011
FED:AAP 4-week diary from Apr 11 to May 8=2



MONDAY APRIL 18



ADELAIDE:



BRISBANE:



CANBERRA:



DARWIN:

2011 ENVIROTOX CONFERENCE

April 17-20, 2011

Darwin Convention Centre

Website: http://www.envirotox2011.org/



HOBART:



MELBOURNE:

LAW INSTITUTE OF VICTORIA LEGAL COMEDY DEBATE

The Athenaeum Theatre, 188 Collins Street

Website: www.liv.asn.au



SYDNEY:

SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW

April 14-27, 2011

Sydney Showground

Website: http://www.eastershow.com/



PERTH:



ENTERTAINMENT:

ADELAIDE

GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL (continues to April 18)

Website: www.palacecinemas.com.au/festivals/2011audifestivalofgermanfilms

Media contact: Annette Smith 0419 578 925 or nedco@bigpond.net.au



MELBOURNE

GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL (continues to April 18)

Website: www.palacecinemas.com.au/festivals/2011audifestivalofgermanfilms

Media contact: Annette Smith 0419 578 925 or nedco@bigpond.net.au

GOOD CHARLOTTE CONCERT WITH SUPPORT ACTS SHORT STACK AND BOYS LIKE GIRLS

Rod Laver Arena

Media contact: Fiona Lakin 03 9509 7666 or mcppublicity@coppel.com.au

ZZ TOP CONCERT WITH SUPPORT ACTS ROSE TATTOO AND THE POOR

Festival Hall

Media contact: Angela Ceberano 03 9481 6377 or 0419 774 067 or angela@ampresents.com



PERTH

GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL (continues to April 18)

Website: www.palacecinemas.com.au/festivals/2011audifestivalofgermanfilms

Media contact: Annette Smith 0419 578 925 or nedco@bigpond.net.au



SYDNEY

GERMAN FILM FESTIVAL (continues to April 18)

Website: www.palacecinemas.com.au/festivals/2011audifestivalofgermanfilms

Media contact: Annette Smith 0419 578 925 or nedco@bigpond.net.au

RICK STEIN'S FOOD ODYSSEY THEATRE SHOW

Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Media contact: Bruce Pollack 02 9331 5276 or bruce@pollackconsulting.com or Amanda
Buckworth 02 9451 0847 or amanda@abpublicity.com.au



TUESDAY APRIL 19



ADELAIDE:



BRISBANE:



CANBERRA:



DARWIN:

2011 ENVIROTOX CONFERENCE

April 17-20, 2011

Darwin Convention Centre

Website: http://www.envirotox2011.org/



HOBART:



MELBOURNE:

AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN AUSTRALIA (AMCHAM) BUSINESS BRIEFING

Ballroom, The Langham Melbourne, 1 Southgate Avenue, Southbank

Speaker: Sam Walsh, Rio Tinto, Chief Executive, Iron Ore Group

Website: www.amcham.com.au

VICTORIA UNIVERSITY INAUGURAL CHANCELLOR'S LECTURE WITH BERNARD SALT

Building Lecture Theatre, Room L114, Footscray Park Campus, Victoria University, Ballarat
Road, Footscray

Middle Class on the Move: How Cultural Change is Shaping Melbourne's West, with Bernard
Salt, author, newspaper columnist, business adviser and KPMG demographer

Contact: Rachael Athanasiou. Email: vuevents@vu.edu.au



SYDNEY:

SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW

April 14-27, 2011

Sydney Showground

Website: http://www.eastershow.com/



PERTH:



ENTERTAINMENT:

SYDNEY

RICK STEIN'S FOOD ODYSSEY THEATRE SHOW

Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Media contact: Bruce Pollack 02 9331 5276 or bruce@pollackconsulting.com or Amanda
Buckworth 02 9451 0847 or amanda@abpublicity.com.au



WEDNESDAY APRIL 20



ADELAIDE:



BRISBANE:



CANBERRA:



DARWIN:

2011 ENVIROTOX CONFERENCE

April 17-20, 2011

Darwin Convention Centre

Website: http://www.envirotox2011.org/



HOBART:



MELBOURNE:



SYDNEY:

$20,000 ANNUAL GALLIPOLI ART PRIZE TO BE AWARDED

Gallipoli Memorial Club (second floor), 12 Loftus St, Circular Quay, Sydney.

Contact: 0418 192 524.

SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW

April 14-27, 2011

Sydney Showground

Website: http://www.eastershow.com/



PERTH:



ENTERTAINMENT:

ADELAIDE

CHRIS BROWN CONCERT WITH SUPPORT ACT JESSICA MAUBOY

Adelaide Entertainment Centre

Media contact: Rhiannon Haughee 0402 144 413.



SYDNEY

GALLIPOLI ART PRIZE WINNER ANNOUNCED

Gallipoli Memorial Club

Website: www.gallipoli.com.au

Media contact: Clare McGregor Publicity 0418 192 524 or claremcg@bigpond.net.au

ZZ TOP CONCERT WITH SUPPORT ACTS ROSE TATTOO AND THE POOR

Newcastle Entertainment Centre

Media contact: Angela Ceberano 03 9481 6377 or 0419 774 067 or angela@ampresents.com



THURSDAY APRIL 21



ADELAIDE:



BRISBANE:



CANBERRA:

NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL

April 21-25, 2011

Exhibition Park

Website: http://www.folkfestival.asn.au/



DARWIN:



HOBART:



MELBOURNE:



SYDNEY:

SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW

Apil 14-27, 2011

Sydney Showground

Website: http://www.eastershow.com/



PERTH:



ENTERTAINMENT:

SYDNEY

EAST COAST BLUES & ROOTS FESTIVAL

Tyagarah, Byron Bay

Media contact: Gaynor Crawford 02 6685 9714 or gaynor@gaynorcrawford.com



FRIDAY APRIL 22



ADELAIDE:



BRISBANE:

EASTERFEST 2011

April 22-24, 2011

Toowoomba

Website: http://www.easterfest.com.au/



CANBERRA:

NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL

April 21-25, 2011

Exhibition Park

Website: http://www.folkfestival.asn.au/



DARWIN:



HOBART:



MELBOURNE:



SYDNEY:

SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW

April 14-27, 2011

Sydney Showground

Website: http://www.eastershow.com/



PERTH:



ENTERTAINMENT:

SYDNEY

EAST COAST BLUES & ROOTS FESTIVAL

Tyagarah, Byron Bay

Media contact: Gaynor Crawford 02 6685 9714 or gaynor@gaynorcrawford.com



SATURDAY APRIL 23



ADELAIDE:

COOPER PEDY OPAL FESTIVAL

Flinders Ranges & Outback

Website: cooberpedy.net

BAROSSA VINTAGE FESTIVAL

April 23-May 1, 2011

Barossa

Website: barossavintagefestival.com.au



BRISBANE:

EASTERFEST 2011

April 22-24, 2011

Toowoomba

Website: http://www.easterfest.com.au/



CANBERRA:

NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL

April 21-25, 2011

Exhibition Park

Website: http://www.folkfestival.asn.au/



DARWIN:



HOBART:



MELBOURNE:



SYDNEY:

SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW

April 14-27, 2011

Sydney Showground

Website: http://www.eastershow.com/



PERTH:

FREMANTLE STREET ARTS FESTIVAL

April 23-26, 2011

Fremantle



ENTERTAINMENT:

MELBOURNE

CHRIS BROWN CONCERT WITH SUPPORT ACT JESSICA MAUBOY

Rod Laver Arena

Media contact: Rhiannon Haughee 0402 144 413



SYDNEY

EAST COAST BLUES & ROOTS FESTIVAL

Tyagarah, Byron Bay

Media contact: Gaynor Crawford 02 6685 9714 or gaynor@gaynorcrawford.com



SUNDAY APRIL 24



ADELAIDE:

BAROSSA VINTAGE FESTIVAL

April 23-May 1, 2011

Barossa

Website: barossavintagefestival.com.au



BRISBANE:

EASTERFEST 2011

April 22-24, 2011

Toowoomba

Website: http://www.easterfest.com.au/



CANBERRA:

NATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL

April 21-25, 2011

Exhibition Park

Website: http://www.folkfestival.asn.au/



DARWIN:



HOBART:



MELBOURNE:



SYDNEY:

SYDNEY ROYAL EASTER SHOW

April 14-27, 2011

Sydney Showground

Website: http://www.eastershow.com/



PERTH:

FREMANTLE STREET ARTS FESTIVAL

April 23-26, 2011

Fremantle



ENTERTAINMENT:

SYDNEY

EAST COAST BLUES & ROOTS FESTIVAL

Tyagarah, Byron Bay

Media contact: Gaynor Crawford 02 6685 9714 or gaynor@gaynorcrawford.com



MORE szp

KEYWORD: DIARY 4WEEK 2 (APR 11-MAY 8)

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

FED:Asylum-seeker boat intercepted

AAP General News (Australia)
12-20-2010
FED:Asylum-seeker boat intercepted

CANBERRA, Dec 20 AAP - Customs has intercepted a suspected asylum-seeker vessel south-east
of Ashmore Island.

A spokeswoman for Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor said initial indications suggested
there were 56 passengers and four crew on board.

The boat was detected and met on Sunday.

The group will be transferred to Christmas Island where they will undergo security,
identity and health checks and their reasons for travel will be established.

AAP mb/sb/it/was

KEYWORD: BOAT ARRIVE

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

NSW:Murder trial jury warned about lies

AAP General News (Australia)
08-12-2010
NSW:Murder trial jury warned about lies

SYDNEY, Aug 12 AAP - Jurors at the trial of an athlete accused of murdering her newborn
baby have been warned that lies by themselves do not prove guilt.

Justice Anthony Whealy also said people can lie about one thing but be very truthful
about other matters.

He gave the direction to the NSW Supreme Court jury on Thursday at the trial of water
polo champion Keli Lane, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering two-day-old Tegan Lane
on September 14, 1996.

The judge noted that in the crown's opening, Mark Tedeschi, QC, had alleged Lane told
lies in relation to a string of matters, including her adopting out of two other infants.

But he said a lie or lies, on their own, could not prove guilt, adding people may tell
lies for a number of reasons.

"People find themselves in difficult situations in life," the judge said, saying they
may lie for fear of their privacy being invaded or because they want to protect someone.

"You have to be careful, when you hear someone telling lies you might think less of them.

"But do not fall into the trap ... that if they tell lies they must be guilty."

The trial is continuing.

AAP mss/klm/dep/de

KEYWORD: LANE

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

NT: Four fishermen have been found

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2010
NT: Four fishermen have been found

Four fishermen are safe .. but nursing their blistered feet and minor cuts .. after
being lost for four days before being rescued off the Northern Territory coast.

The men were discovered about 15 kilometres southwest of their boats in the Gulf of
Carpentaria this morning .. after walking in search of help after their boats became stranded.

CareFlight winched of two of them to safety .. while another aircraft collected the
remaining two men.

The recreational fishermen had set off from Bing Bong Creek .. one-thousand kilometres
south west of Darwin .. more than a week ago .. and had been due to return on Wednesday.

An aerial search found their boats and a campsite yesterday and the men today.

AAP RTV dac/wz

KEYWORD: FISHERMEN (DARWIN)

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

FED: Gov't responsible for increased China interference: opp'n

AAP General News (Australia)
08-21-2009
FED: Gov't responsible for increased China interference: opp'n

CANBERRA, Aug 21 AAP - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's familiarity with Beijing has led
to an unwelcome situation in which China believes it can tell Australia what to do, the
opposition says.

Liberal frontbencher Christopher Pyne said the Rudd government's professed special
links with China had certainly transformed the relationship, but for the worse.

He said the saga surrounding exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer's visit earlier this
month was an example of China attempting to flex its newfound muscles.

"Unfortunately China is believing it can influence activities in Australia, whether
they're film festivals, whether they're who the National Press Club can have speak," Mr
Pyne told ABC Radio on Friday.

"That is an unwelcome development and I think it flows from the familiarity that this
government believed that it had with China."

Mr Rudd mishandled the relationship from the beginning, Mr Pyne said.

"When he spoke Mandarin at the Beijing University, he became far too familiar with
a government that is essentially a very important trading partner, but still a totalitarian
regime."

AAP cj/ldj

KEYWORD: CHINA AUST PYNE

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

NSW: Two teens threatened with gun in home invasion - police

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2009
NSW: Two teens threatened with gun in home invasion - police

SYDNEY, April 12 AAP - Two teenagers have been threatened with a gun during a home
invasion in Sydney's southwest.

The youths, aged 17 and 18, answered a knock at the door of their home in Burwood Road
at Belmore about 9pm (AEST) on Saturday and an armed man forced his way inside.

The man stole property from the home before leaving on foot.

He was last seen heading north along Burwood Rd towards Paxton Avenue.

A crime scene was established at the home and the dog squad and PolAir were called
in to search the area but failed to find the man.

No one was injured in the incident.

The man is described as being about 24-years-old, of Middle Eastern/Mediterranean appearance,
with a medium build.

He is about 170cm tall with short light brown hair and green eyes.

At the time of the incident he was wearing a light green hooded jacket, black track
suit pants, white sports shoes and cream gloves.

Anyone with information about the incident should phone CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.

AAP kd/ss

KEYWORD: INVASION

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

NSW: Prisoner says he climbed fence: Corrective Services

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2008
NSW: Prisoner says he climbed fence: Corrective Services

By Caroline Berdon

SYDNEY, Dec 7 AAP - A minimum security escapee from a jail in Sydney's south has told
police he escaped by climbing over the rear fence of the complex, Corrective Services
authorities say.

Inmate Alex Mihail, 50, was captured in Sydney's west on Saturday night after allegedly
escaping from Long Bay Correctional Complex in Malabar on November 26.

Mihail, who was serving time for vehicle theft and traffic offences, was arrested with
a 31-year-old woman at a house on Captain Cook Drive in Willmot.

Department of Corrective Services assistant commissioner Brian Kelly on Sunday said
Mihail told police he had escaped from the jail by scaling the back fence.

"A desperate person is able to do quite incredible things and he climbed over the fences
which included barbed wire," Mr Kelly told reporters.

He added that the inmate would have had to climb two fences to secure his escape -
one of four metres and one of three metres.

Claims emerged on Friday that Mihail escaped by simply walking out the front gate of the jail.

NSW opposition justice spokesman Greg Smith on Sunday said it was worrying that the
Department of Corrective Services was unwilling to release security footage of the prison's
front entrance for the time of Mihail's alleged escape.

He said he wanted the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to look into the matter.

Mr Kelly said the chairman and senior members of the Prison Officers Vocational Branch
had been shown video footage "which clearly shows (Mihail) did not walk out of the front
gate".

"Any misinformation about him walking out of the front gate has been proffered by people
with other agendas," he said.

Mr Kelly said the incident was not an embarrassment for the prison service, adding
that the escape rate in NSW is "by far" the lowest in Australia.

Minimum security prisoners were often allowed to go out to work or to do courses, usually
had a short time left in their sentence and were provided with a certain amount of trust,
he said.

"You have to understand this is a minimum security prisoner, doing a very short sentence,
working on the grounds all day.

"There will be opportunities for minimum security prisoners to escape but our case
management process is so good, we've been able to keep them at record lows although we
have record high number of inmates in custody."

Mr Kelly said prison escapes were usually triggered by family issues, which could be
particularly prominent around Christmas time.

The reasons for the Mihail's escape remained unclear.

Mihail has been charged with inmate escape from lawful custody and is awaiting transfer
to a maximum security wing at Silverwater jail in Sydney's west.

The woman who was arrested with him in Willmot has been charged with knowingly harbouring
an escaped inmate.

AAP cjb/wf

KEYWORD: ESCAPE WRAP

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

0800 3AW News Headlines

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2008
0800 3AW News Headlines





++ Melbourne taxi drivers are threatening again to block city's streets following a
number of violent attack on drivers over the weekend.





++ Australian swimmers have spent their first night in the Olympic Village after being
mobbed at the airport on their arrival in Beijing.





++ The department of fair trading has set up a hotline for those affected for the Olympic
ticketing scam.





++ Nine climbers have died in an Avalanche on the K2 mountain in the Himalayas.





++ Half the nation's public school teachers would be able to earn a 100 thousand dollar
salary under a new plan put forward by the Education Union





++ People who pirate movies and tv shows off the internet may soon receive written
warning letters.





++ Ford has scored a 5 star safety rating for it's new model Falcon.





++ and television actress Christina Applegate is fighting breast cancer.



AAP RTV sw

KEYWORD: 0800 3AW

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

NSW: Man dies after car veers off road and rolls down embankment

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2008
NSW: Man dies after car veers off road and rolls down embankment

SYDNEY, Feb 10 AAP - A man is dead after his car left the road and rolled several times
down an embankment in the state's central west, police say.

About 11.30pm (AEDT) yesterday a Hyundai hatchback left an unsealed road at Arkstone,
south of Bathurst.

Emergency services arrived on the scene to find a 22-year-old man trapped in the car
suffering head injuries.

The man was freed from the wreckage but died a short time later.

The man, believed to be from nearby Oberon, was the only occupant of the car.

AAP ad/cat

KEYWORD: TOLL NSW

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

Fed: Govt committed to Mersey takeover, Abbott says

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2007
Fed: Govt committed to Mersey takeover, Abbott says

Federal Health Minister TONY ABBOTT denies Tasmanian government claims the commonwealth
may pull out of plans to take over the Mersey Hospital.

The Prime Minister announced plans last month to fund a community takeover of the hospital
.. which has been earmarked for downgrading by the state government against the wishes
of the local community.

This week the Tasmanian government offered to sell Mersey to the commonwealth for a dollar.

Mr ABBOTT has referred the offer to lawyers for due diligence checks .. leading his
state counterpart LARA GIDDINGS to accuse him of delaying tactics.





Ms GIDDINGS says Mr ABBOTT's been backsliding since Mr HOWARD made the announcement
.. because he knows the takeover plan is unsafe and unsustainable.

But Mr ABBOTT denies the commonwealth is trying to get out of its promise .. and says
it's very enthusiastic about the chance to produce a commonwealth-funded .. community-controlled
hospital.

AAP RTV mfh/sb/imc/tm/wz/af

KEYWORD: MERSEY (CANBERRA)

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

TAS: Bullimore's record sail challenge delayed by bad weather

AAP General News (Australia)
04-08-2007
TAS: Bullimore's record sail challenge delayed by bad weather

British yachtsman TONY BULLIMORE hasn't left Tasmania to start his round-the-world
record attempt .. because of bad weather.

67-year-old BULLIMORE wanted to depart from the Bellerive Yacht Club .. near Hobart
.. on his 31-metre catamaran today .. in his bid to sail solo around the world in 70 days.

But BULLIMORE says he will leave within the next week .. before winter icebergs on
the 27 thousand mile route become too treacherous.

AAP RTV grc/af

KEYWORD: BULLIMORE (HOBART)

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

VIC: Main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers

AAP General News (Australia)
12-07-2006
VIC: Main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers

MELBOURNE, Dec 7 AAP - The main stories in today's Melbourne newspapers:

THE HERALD SUN

Page 1: Victorians are braced for one of the worst fire weekends in state history.

Page 2: The ban on embryonic cloning for medical research is overturned amid emotional
scenes in federal parliament.

Page 3: Dogs worth almost $1 million are at the centre of a bitter divorce of a Victorian
couple now living in America.

World: Fiji's coup leader tightens his grip on power by vowing to crush any uprising,
and rounding up officials loyal to the ousted government.

Finance: The Fairfax family is poised to make a triumphant return to the media empire
that still bears its name.

Sport: Spin bowler Shane Warne challenges England to come up with a plan that stops
him returning the Ashes to Australia.

MORE dr/cjh/

KEYWORD: MONITOR FRONTERS VIC

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

AP Top News at 2:00 a.m. EDT

AP Online
06-09-2006

Manhunt Over, U.S. Seeks Stability in Iraq

A U.S. soldier at a press conference in Baghdad, Iraq, places in view of the media a photo purporting to show the body of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida-linked militant who led a bloody campaign of suicide bombings, kidnappings and hostage beheadings in Iraq, who was killed Wednesday in a U.S. airstrike, Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki announced Thursday, June 8, 2006. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) _ The U.S. military displayed images of the battered face of Iraq's most feared terrorist Thursday and Iraqis celebrated with gunfire after American bombs killed the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq. It was a long-sought victory for U.S. forces, but officials cautioned of violence ahead _ and a string of blasts proved that prediction almost immediately. Within minutes of the announcement of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki named three key security ministers _ military and political breakthroughs in rapid succession that marked the biggest potential turnaround in Iraq in months.

Poll: U.S. Backing for Troops Steadfast

In this picture released by the US Marine Corps Tuesday, June 6, 2006, the commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. Michael W. Hagee, who was accompanied by the Corps' top enlisted Marine, Sgt. Maj. John L. Estrada, not pictured, speaks to hundreds of Marines and sailors at Camp Taqaddum in Anbar province in Iraq Tuesday, May 30, 2006. The visit was part of a tour of bases in western Iraq where Hagee and Estrada addressed troops and met with commanders at multiple bases and outposts where Marines are currently serving. (AP Photo/US Marine Corps, Gunnery Sgt. Willie Ellerbrock)

WASHINGTON (AP) _ The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that many Americans perceive the alleged atrocities against Iraqi civilians by U.S. forces as isolated incidents while saying the U.S.-led invasion was a mistake, an unusual disconnect that sets this conflict apart from Vietnam. The survey of 1,003 adults was completed Wednesday, shortly before the announcement that U.S. airstrikes had killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the al-Qaida leader in Iraq, and the Iraqi parliament's approval of candidates for ministers in charge of the army and police.

Black Caucus Opposes Jefferson Treatment

Congressman William Jefferson D-La., speaks at the swearing in ceremony for Mayor Ray Nagin at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans on Thursday June 1, 2006. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

WASHINGTON (AP) _ A drive by the Democratic leadership to strip embattled Rep. William Jefferson of his committee post triggered a backlash Thursday as the Congressional Black Caucus opposed the move and said the Louisiana lawmaker deserves a "presumption of innocence." The caucus chairman, Rep. Melvin Watt of North Carolina, told reporters that some black voters might ask why action was sought against "a black member of Congress" when there was neither precedent nor rule for it.

Iraq War, Hurricane Aid Agreement Reached

Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen listens, center background, listens as Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff discusses national emergency management during an appearance before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill Thursday, June 8, 2006. (AP Photo/Dennis Cook)

WASHINGTON (AP) _ House and Senate Republican leaders Thursday finalized agreement on a long-sought $94.5 billion bill to pay for the war in Iraq and deliver a much-needed infusion of relief to Louisiana and other hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast states. The bill won't clear Congress for President Bush's desk until next week, but the official submission of the deal eases Pentagon worries of a money crunch caused by weeks of delays in creating a compromise bill.

Osama Bin Laden Keeping a Low Profile

This is an undated photo of al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, in Afghanistan. (AP Photo, FILE)

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) _ Tracking down Osama bin Laden has proven tougher than getting to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi because the top al-Qaida leader does almost nothing to call attention to himself and is protected by a ring of far more faithful followers, intelligence experts said Thursday. The mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks avoids using satellite phones and the Internet. He is likely holed up along the Pakistani-Afghan border in rugged, remote terrain, protected by loyal tribesmen.

Texas to Install Web Cameras on Border

A U.S. Border Patrol agent patrols along the U.S. border near the point of entry at San Luis, Ariz. on Tuesday, June 6, 2006. (AP Photo/Khampha Bouaphanh)

EL PASO, Texas (AP) _ The governor of Texas wants to turn all the world into a virtual posse. Rick Perry has announced a $5 million plan to install hundreds of night-vision cameras on private land along the Mexican border and put the live video on the Internet, so that anyone with a computer who spots illegal immigrants trying to slip across can report it on a toll-free hot line. "I look at this as not different from the neighborhood watches we have had in our communities for years and years," Perry said last week.

CloudSat System Offers View Inside Clouds

This image provided by NASA shows a CloudSat image of a horizontal cross-section of a polar night storm near Antarctica (bottom). Until now, clouds have been hard to observe in polar regions using remote sensing, particularly during the polar winter or night season. The red colors are indicative of highly reflective particles such as water (rain) or ice crystals, while the blue indicates thinner clouds (such as cirrus). The flat green/blue lines across the bottom represent the ground signal. The vertical scale on the CloudSat Cloud Profiling Radar image is approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles). The blue line below the Cloud Profiling Radar image indicates that the data were taken over water; the brown line below the image indicates the relative elevation of the land surface. The inset image shows the CloudSat track relative to a Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) infrared image taken at nearly the same time. (AP Photo/NASA)

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) _ The first images from a $217 million satellite project to measure the moisture content of clouds provided breathtaking views of storms on Earth, scientists said. "For the first time we're seeing inside the clouds," said Graeme Stephens, a Colorado State University atmospheric sciences professor and the principal investigator for the CloudSat project. "We can see tropical storms 15 kilometers deep organized on scales of thousands of kilometers across."

U.S. Consumers Upbeat About Economy

In this April 26, 2006, file photo, credit card signs are posted outside a New York parking garage. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Consumer confidence in the economy rebounded over the month, suggesting that people are taking still-elevated gasoline prices and the specter of even higher borrowing costs in stride. The RBC CASH Index, based on results from the international polling firm Ipsos, showed confidence snapped out of the doldrums and clocked in at 84.1 in early June. That was a big improvement from May's reading of 67.1, a seven-month low.

Beyonce Searching for an All-Female Band

Actress and singer Beyonce Knowles appears onstage during MTV's "Total Request Live" show at the MTV Times Square Studios, Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2006 in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, FILE)

NEW YORK (AP) _ Beyonce Knowles needs an all-female band for her upcoming tour _ and fast. Knowles is searching for musicians to play on a tour in support of her second solo album, "B'Day," Columbia Records announced this week. The album will be released internationally on Sept. 4, her 25th birthday, and in the United States on Sept. 5.

Terry Sparks Mavs Past Heat in Game 1

Dallas Mavericks' Jason Terry (31) reacts to a three-point shot he made against the Miami Heat in the first quarter against the Miami Heat in game 1 of the NBA Basketball finals in Dallas, Thursday, June 8, 2006. Heat's Dwyane Wade (3) is at left.(AP Photo/L.M. Otero)

DALLAS (AP) _ The stars struggled, and then they disappeared. Dirk Nowitzki, Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade _ three of the sport's best couldn't take control in the fourth quarter of the NBA finals' Game 1. So the Dallas Mavericks climbed aboard their Jet: Jason Terry, with a soaring grace befitting his nickname, found the basket just enough to push his error-prone club past the erratic Miami Heat, 90-80 Thursday night to claim the series opener.

Copyright 2006, AP News All Rights Reserved

Fed:CFMEU warns against changing skills accrediation for workers

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2006
Fed:CFMEU warns against changing skills accrediation for workers

A union's urging state and territory governments to reject a federal government plan
to make it easier for guest workers to enter the country.

The Construction Forestry Mining and Energy Union says the proposal's on the table
at today's Council of Australia Governments meeting.

The union's construction national secretary JOHN SUTTON .. says the government wants
to use overseas labour instead of addressing Australia's skills crisis.

Mr SUTTON says there's a danger these workers could be assessed outside Australia ..

taking control over skills levels away from Australia.

AAP RTV smb/wz/rt/psm/

KEYWORD: COAG UNION (SYDNEY)

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

Fed: Murray says real tax reform very expensive

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2005
Fed: Murray says real tax reform very expensive

CANBERRA, Aug 29 AAP - The Australian Democrats have called for more drastic reform
of the country's tax system than the tax cuts proposed by the federal government.

However, Democrats tax spokesman Andrew Murray said it could cost tens of billions
over the course of a tax cycle to do the job properly.

"If you are going to index the rates, if you are going to broaden the base, if you
are going to raise tax-free thresholds significantly and if you are going to adjust our
rates to make us internationally competitive that needs something much bolder and much
more dramatic that that which is on the table at present," he told ABC radio.

"I believe that we need to be able to raise the tax-free threshold to $20,000 at least.

Indexing the rates is another. Merely indexing the tax-free threshold would cost you $1.65
billion a year so it's expensive."

Senator Murray said tax reform was very expensive but by just fiddling at the margins
it would never go away as a topic.

"I would suspect if you are really tackle this area well, you are looking at many tens
of billions over a budgetary cycle," he said.

AAP mb/jt/de

KEYWORD: TAX DEMOCRATS

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

Fed: Major Australian developments regarding S-E Asia tsunami

AAP General News (Australia)
12-27-2004
Fed: Major Australian developments regarding S-E Asia tsunami

CANBERRA, Dec 27 AAP - Major Australian developments today regarding South-East Asia tsunami:



* Five Australians confirmed missing in Thailand, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, with at
least 5,500 Australians in affected areas

* More than 250 Australians offered direct consular assistance, with at least 12 in
hospitals in Thailand, Indonesia and India

* Two Australian C130 Hercules head to affected region with water and emergency shelter

* Australia offers $10 million in financial aid

* Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade warns against travel to parts of Indonesia,
Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

* Many travel operators offer refunds from affected areas

* Prime Minister John Howard leaves open idea to support Indian Ocean tsunami warning system

* Tsunami wave of 50 centimetres passes Australia's Cocos Island, with abnormal waves
and tide movements in north-west Australia



AAP sw/hu/jlw

KEYWORD: QUAKE AUST DEVELOPMENTS

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

GemStone Systems and JBoss Partner to Provide Performance Boost to Leading Open Source J2EE-based Application Server.

BEAVERTON, Ore. and ATLANTA -- GemStone Systems, Inc., today announced that GemStone Facets(TM) version 1.1, the industry's first shared transactional Java workspace, now supports JBoss, the leading Open Source J2EE-based application server. The GemStone Facets distributed cache, integrated with the JBoss application server, enables Java developers to quickly create sophisticated real-time Java applications by providing a highly performant, shared, transactional and persistent view of complex object models across multiple Java Virtual Machines and multiple computers.

Included with this integration is an example application that demonstrates the use of GemStone Facets as a multi-VM cache with ACID transactions and real-time updates to a relational database. This architecture illustrates the benefits of an application operating against a pure, unrestricted object model with the ability to isolate and independently tune your choice of O/R Mapping layer.

"With 100,000 plus monthly downloaders of JBoss software, we recognize the JBoss Group as one of the driving forces in the Java industry and an excellent partner," said Dan Ware, President of GemStone Systems. "Combining our solution to dramatically scale and enhance the performance of complex, distributed e-business applications with JBoss' suite of enterprise software is an excellent way to bring instantaneous benefit to our customers. JBoss is arguably the de facto standard in Enterprise J2EE development, which means that with our integration we can introduce relevant technology to a very large professional audience very quickly."

"JBoss is extremely pleased to partner with GemStone," said Marc Fleury, founder of JBoss and President of JBoss Group, LLC. "We are excited that the features that made GemStone's technology the choice of many chief architects are now integrated with JBoss. GemStone's nearly two decades of experience providing shared, multi-VM object technology should complement JBoss' industry leading web-app server and appeal to the large part of our user base in need of high-end distributed cache technology."

A free, non-commercial license of GemStone Facets integrated with JBoss is available at http://www.gemstone.com/ and http://www.jboss.org/.

About JBoss

JBoss is an Open Source, standards-compliant, J2EE-based application server implemented in 100% Pure Java. The JBoss community of over 1000 developers worldwide is working to deliver the full range of J2EE tools as the premier enterprise Java application server for the Java 2 Enterprise Edition platform. With upwards of 100,000 downloads per month, JBoss is the most downloaded J2EE-based application server in the industry. JBoss can be embedded in commercial products and is being used in production around the world. JBoss Group LLC is an Atlanta-based professional services company, created by Marc Fleury, founder and lead developer of the JBoss application server. JBoss Group brings together core JBoss developers to provide services such as training, support, consulting, and documentation, as well as management of the JBoss software and services affiliate programs. These commercial activities subsidize the development of the free JBoss server. For more information please see: http://www.jboss.org/.

About GemStone Systems

GemStone Systems, Inc., creates essential software infrastructure for managing real-time business activities across applications and systems. GemStone pioneered shared transactional workspace technology that enables developers to present a consistent view of distributed business information to multiple users, applications, and organizations. GemStone's technology and people are driving e-business today through strategic applications including Internet stock and derivatives trading, telecommunications services and logistics, banking, worldwide transport and real-time inventory management. Our customers include InterContinental Exchange, Federal Express, Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), COSCO Container Lines Co., Ltd., Visa International, Bell South Telecommunications, Chrysler Corporation, Washington Mutual, Sony Interactive, Texas Instruments, and Florida Power and Light.

Headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, GemStone sells and supports its solutions through its US sales force and a worldwide network of distributors. For detailed product and company information, please visit http://www.gemstone.com/.

NOTE: GemStone and GemStone Facets are registered trademarks of GemStone Systems, Inc. JBoss is a registered trademark of Marc Fleury. Java, J2EE and Java Server Pages are registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc., in the United States and other countries.

CONTACT: Jason Quan, Director of Marketing of GemStone Systems, Inc., +1-503-533-3212, or jason.quan@gemstone.com; or Nathalie Mason, Director of Business Development of JBoss Group LLC, or nathalie@jbossgroup.com.

MAKE YOUR OPINION COUNT - Click Here

http://tbutton.prnewswire.com/prn/11690X81720433

Contact: Jason Quan, Director of Marketing of GemStone Systems, Inc., +1-503-533-3212, or jason.quan@gemstone.com; or Nathalie Mason, Director of Business Development of JBoss Group LLC, or nathalie@jbossgroup.com

Website: http://www.jboss.org/

Website: http://www.gemstone.com/

TeleTech Awarded Long-Term Contract with Allstate.

DENVER, Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ --

TeleTech Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTEC), a leading provider of e-commerce-enabling customer management solutions (eCRM) today announced a long-term contract award from The Allstate Corporation (NYSE: ALL). TeleTech will participate in Allstate's initiative to enhance the way Allstate interacts with its customers.

Allstate is deploying a multi-access, seamless strategy that allows customers to interact with Allstate at any time, from anywhere, in any way they choose. Under the terms of the agreement, TeleTech will build-out and manage one of Allstate's dedicated Client Information Centers in the fourth quarter 2000. TeleTech's licensed representatives will provide quotes, assist customers in the purchase and modification of insurance policies across multiple channels.

"Allstate is committed to broadening its reach to its customers. Today, our only direct channel to our customers is our agent base, and we recognize the competitive advantage that can be gained by leveraging our strengths and integrating our knowledge across multiple channels," commented Jeffrey Lewis, Allstate's Vice President of Multi-Access Integration.

"Allstate is a company with a powerful vision. We are proud to work with them as they pioneer a customer-centric approach in the insurance industry," commented Scott Thompson, TeleTech chief executive officer and president. "TeleTech continues to break new ground by helping outstanding companies transform from bricks-and-mortar to clicks-and-mortar. We are committed to providing the fastest 'e-transformation' solution with the ultimate goal of helping our clients optimize their customer relationships and build long-term loyalty. This is a significant addition to our leadership position in financial services that encompasses e-banking, brokerage and insurance."

TELETECH PROFILE

Founded in 1982, TeleTech is a leading provider of integrated, e-commerce-enabling customer management solutions (eCRM) for global organizations predominantly in the telecommunications, financial services, technology, government and transportation industries. TeleTech operates more than 11,900 state-of-the-art customer interaction center workstations and employs more than 16,300 people in nine countries. Its innovative customer interaction platform, CyberCare(TM), integrates the full spectrum of voice and Internet communications, including custom e-mail response, "chat" and extensive Web co-browsing capabilities. Through 29 customer interaction centers in the Americas, Europe and Asia, TeleTech couples a high-velocity electronic infrastructure with premier customer relationship management to assure its clients and partners unparalleled success in acquiring, retaining and building customer relationships.

ALLSTATE PROFILE

The Allstate Corporation is the nation's largest publicly held personal lines insurance company. Its main business units include Allstate Personal Property and Casualty, which provides insurance for more than 14 million households and has approximately 15,500 agents in the U.S. and Canada, and Allstate Life and Savings, which markets a number of life insurance and savings products under a variety of brands through a number of channels and is currently the nation's 17th largest life insurance business. Allstate maintains a website at www.allstate.com.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

All statements not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. In accordance with the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, following are important factors that could cause TeleTech's actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements: There can be no assurance that TeleTech will be able to maintain or accelerate its growth rate, or maintain its profitability. TeleTech's agreements with its clients generally do not assure that TeleTech will generate a specific level of revenue, do not designate TeleTech as the client's exclusive service provider, and are terminable by the clients on relatively short notice. The loss of one or more of its significant clients, or the loss or delay in implementation of a large customer management program, could cause quarterly variations in TeleTech's revenues. There also can be no assurance that TeleTech can build-out facilities in a timely and economic manner. TeleTech's profitability is significantly influenced by its customer interaction center capacity utilization and TeleTech may experience excess peak period capacity when it opens new or expands an existing customer interaction center or terminates or completes a large client program. Readers are encouraged to review TeleTech's 1998 Annual Report on Form 10-K and 1999 Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the first, second and third quarters of 1999, which describe other important factors that may impact TeleTech's business, results of operations and financial condition.

Court Holds That Using Facebook At Work Does Not Violate The Computer Fraud & Abuse Act.(Computer Fraud & Abuse Act)

The debate rages on concerning the scope and extent of the federal Computer Fraud & Abuse Act. In simple terms, the CFAA makes it unlawful to access a protected computer without authorization (or in excess of one's authorization) and to damage the computer or obtain information that one is not entitled to obtain. Originally a criminal statute, the CFAA also provides for a civil claim if certain conditions are met. Courts have long debated whether the statute applies in the context of an alleged faithless employee who accesses an employer's information contained on a computer for an improper competitive purpose. Regardless of the varied judicial opinions addressing this point, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida recently rejected as "dubious" a somewhat novel argument that an employee violated the CFAA by accessing Facebook and her personal email at work. (A copy of the Court's opinion is available in pdf format below.)

In Wendi Lee v. PMSI, Inc., Lee sued her former employer, PMSI, for pregnancy discrimination. PMSI counterclaimed under the CFAA stating that Lee engaged in "excessive internet usage" and "visit[ed] personal websites such as Facebook and monitor[ed] and [sent] personal email through her Verizon web mail account." In its opinion dismissing the CFAA claim, the Court began by noting the CFAA is originally a criminal statute designed to target hackers who access computers to steal information. The Court noted that some courts have permitted CFAA claims against employees who send an employer's trade secrets or proprietary information via email. Lee citing Shurgard Storage Centers v. Safeguard Self Storage (W.D. Wash. 2000). Notwithstanding these cases, the Court concluded that "[b]oth the letter and spirit of the CFAA convey that the statute is not intended to cover an employee who uses the internet instead of working."

The Court's conclusion was based on more than it's impression of the purpose underlying the CFAA. The Court examined the statute and observed that a CFAA violation occurs if a defendent damages a computer or obtains information to which the employee is not entitled. In this case, PMSI failed to allege that Lee somehow damaged its computers or accessed its information. The Court also recognized that a civil claim under the CFAA only exists if the alleged wrongful conduct causes a loss to one or more persons during a one-year period aggregating at least $5,000 in value. 18 USC. 1030(c)(4)(A)(i)(l). Despite PMSI's creative argument, the Court held that the "statute does not contemplate 'lost productivity' of an employee" as the type of loss required to sustain a CFAA claim.

No doubt, the debate over the scope and applicability of the CFAA will continue to unfold in courts across the country. Employers will continue to use the CFAA as a tool to protect their confidential and trade secret information, and eventually, the Supreme Court or Congress will likely address the split of opinion. Wherever the line may be drawn eventually, for now, at least, the line has not been so broadly drawn as to apply the statute to employees who spend too much time on the internet at work. Employers who seek to address this problem should do so through appropriately tailored written policies and careful implementation.

Lee v. PMSI.pdf (29.40 kb)

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

Mr Michael Greco

Fisher & Phillips LLP

Radnor Financial Center, Suite 650

201 King of Prussia Road

Radnor, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia

19087

UNITED STATES

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Spokesman: Iraq to Evacuate MKO Members from Camp Ashraf Soon.

Summary: TEHRAN (FNA)- Iraq's Defense Ministry Spokesman General Mohammed al-Askari reiterated that the Iraqi government is determined to evacuate the members of the anti-Iran terrorist Mojahedin-e Khalq Organization (MKO) from their stronghold in the country in the near future.

"The Iraqi government has announced on many occasions that the remaining the camp inside the country is not an option, and we will do our best to evacuate the camp in the near future," al-Askari said.

He also said in a press conference on Thursday that four more members of the MKO have fled Camp Ashraf and defected to the Iraqi forces.

Askari reiterated that the MKO defectors have escaped from the camp in Diyala province 60km north of Baghdad.

The defected MKO members said that since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, the leaders of the terrorist organization have turned the camp into a prison and the residents of the camp are completely cut off from the outside world.

"The residents are not allowed to use the phones, internet and satellite receivers. We don't know anything about the world; we feel like we are in a prison," said Zahra Baqeri, a defected MKO member.

They also said that the leaders of the camp have ordered the members to encounter the Iraqi forces if they tried to enter the camp.

Last week, Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said his country is in talks with Tehran to decide a future for the MKO terrorist group.

"We have proposed the formation of a joint committee between Iran, Iraq and the (International Committee of the) Red Cross to resolve the issue (of the MKO) at Camp Ashraf," Zebari said at a joint press conference with his Iranian counterpart Ali Akbar Salehi.

The committee "will discuss the requests of the members of this group who live in Camp Ashraf, particularly those who seek to return to Iran without any pressure or difficulty," Zebari said.

Iraqi security forces took control of the training base of the MKO at Camp Ashraf - about 60km (37 miles) north of Baghdad - in 2009 and detained dozens of the members of the terrorist group.

The Iraqi authority also changed the name of the military center from Camp Ashraf to the Camp of New Iraq.

The MKO has been in Iraq's Diyala province since the 1980s.

The Baghdad government has assured the Iraqi people that it is determined to expel the MKO from Iraq by the end of 2011.

Meantime, media reports said that the US is trying to convince Iraqi officials to relocate the MKO members within Iraq.

Under the US plan, the approximately 3,400 residents of Camp Ashraf would be temporarily relocated within Iraq, farther from the border with Iran, a US State Department official announced.

Since the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, the group has been strongly backed by neo-conservatives in the United States, who argue for the MKO to be taken off the US terror list.

2011 Fars News Agency. All rights reserved

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

Lennar Corporation's Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call To be Broadcast Live on the Internet.

MIAMI, June 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Lennar Corporation (NYSE: LEN and LEN.B), one of the nation's largest homebuilders, announced today that the Company will release earnings for the second quarter ended May 31, 2011 before the market opens on June 23, 2011. Additionally, the Company will hold a conference call on June 23, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

The call will be broadcast live on the Internet and can be accessed through Lennar's website at www.lennar.com. If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call will be archived at www.lennar.com for 90 days.

In order to listen to the live event, a participant must have a multimedia computer with speakers and Windows Media Player. To download the software prior to the event, please visit www.lennar.com, click the conference call link on the home page and follow the pre-event instructions.

Lennar Corporation, founded in 1954, is one of the nation's leading builders of quality homes for all generations. The Company builds affordable, move-up and retirement homes primarily under the Lennar brand name. Lennar's Financial Services segment provides primarily mortgage financing, title insurance and closing services for both buyers of the Company's homes and others. Lennar's Rialto Investments segment is focused on distressed real estate asset investments, asset management and workout strategies. Previous press releases and further information about the Company may be obtained at the "Investor Relations" section of the Company's website, www.lennar.com.

SOURCE Lennar Corporation

WorkSpace Communications[TM] signs agreement with Intel(R) to provide its communications and collaboration offering as part of the Intel(R) AppUp for Small Business Service.

Overland Park, Kan. (PRWEB) May 25, 2011

WorkSpace Communications[TM], a leading cloud provider of Unified Communications solutions, today announced an agreement with Intel(R) to provide its complete suite of unified communications and collaboration tools as part of the standard Intel Hybrid Cloud solution offering.

Intel(R) AppUp for Small Business Service offers small businesses the combination of a locally-hosted, or premise-based server interoperating with "cloud"-based software and services, all available on a subscription-based or pay-per-user basis. Businesses gain the benefits of scale, cost savings, reliability and others from the wide range of services available in the "cloud," along with the responsiveness and consistency of local applications, and the security of having their data on-site.

The WorkSpace Communications unified communications solution provides the ideal complement to Intel's hybrid offering, delivering a suite of communication and collaboration tools right to the desktop. Among the tools are voice services, audio, video and web conferencing services, as well as instant messaging, real-time desk sharing and the unique unified communications "presence" tool. Presence enables employees to assess availability of co-workers and communicate with each other throughout the day, regardless of location.

The WorkSpace unified communications solution enhances a business's ability to communicate and collaborate within remote office and mobile environments by seamlessly linking the communication and collaboration applications together through the Internet. In essence, by combining all of the disparate voice, video, messaging and collaboration mediums into a single, integrated cloud-based service offering, WorkSpace Communications transforms the way businesses communicate into a competitive advantage.    

An additional component of the WorkSpace Communications agreement with Intel designates the company as one of Intel's selected managed services provider (MSP) partners. As a result, the components of the hybrid cloud solution will be included in the portfolio marketed to customers by WorkSpace Communications through its growing distribution network of resellers.

"The agreement we have reached with Intel offers businesses tremendous cost and performance advantages," says Bryan DiGiorgio, CEO of WorkSpace Communications. "Customers get the reliability, security and productivity gains of the Intel and WorkSpace Communications solutions at an affordable price and without a capital investment. They can scale up or down according to their needs. This type of flexibility is a significant benefit in any business environment."

"The WorkSpace Communications unified communications offering is an important component of our AppUp for Small Business Service," says Bridget Karlin, General Manager, Intel Hybrid Cloud. "When you combine its communication and collaboration capabilities with the wide range of other services available on a subscription basis, small businesses gain a powerful cost and productivity advantage."    

About WorkSpace Communications

WorkSpace Communications is a Kansas City-based integrated communications firm. The company's services are uniquely integrated and based on the Microsoft(R) Office Communications Server, Microsoft(R) Exchange Server and Microsoft(R) SharePoint Server. The company also provides systems integration services for enterprises not yet ready for cloud-based solutions. Additionally, WorkSpace delivers a number of managed services offerings ranging from call center management, support and end-user training which support the company's systems integration efforts. Visit WorkSpace Communications to learn more.

About Intel

Intel is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world's computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com.

###

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/5/prweb8483843.htm

Media Rating Council Grants Accreditation to Arbitron's TAPSCAN Web.

Arbitron Inc. (NYSE: ARB) announced that the Media Rating Council[R] (MRC) has granted accreditation to TAPSCAN Web, the most widely used Web-based sales proposal and analysis software system for radio. TAPSCAN Web is used by over 19,000 radio sales professionals and facilitates half a million proposals to radio buyers per year.

"Arbitron has long been committed to improving the quality of our audience measurement and sales solutions for our clients. Receiving MRC accreditation for TAPSCAN Web is just another sign of our dedication," said Gregg Lindner, executive vice president, Service Innovation and chief research officer.

Reports created in TAPSCAN Web using MRC accredited data from Arbitron's 234 diary and 14 accredited Arbitron Portable People Meter™ ("PPM™") markets will now carry the "double checkmark" symbol indicating that the system is accredited by the MRC. However, sales proposals created using data from the remaining 34 unaccredited PPM markets will not carry the "double checkmark." The MRC has accredited the monthly average-quarter-hour radio ratings data produced by the PPM service in Atlanta; Cincinnati; Cleveland; Kansas City; Milwaukee-Racine; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Portland, OR; Salt Lake City-Ogden-Provo; St. Louis; Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater; Houston-Galveston; Minneapolis-St. Paul and Riverside-San Bernardino.

Proposal XML slated for June 2011

Arbitron plans to integrate its TAPSCAN Web system with Proposal XML, one of the most widely used software system for media transactions in TV and Internet. Arbitron is targeting early June 2011 for TAPSCAN Web's full integration with Proposal XML. The integration of TAPSCAN Web and Proposal XML will allow advertisers to buy local radio ad inventory seamlessly with other media.

"Arbitron is always looking for ways to keep radio in the competitive buying mix. Integrating our TAPSCAN Web and Proposal XML systems makes it easier, less costly and time consuming for advertisers to buy local radio," said Jerry Wiese, Manager of Customer Software Products.

Keywords: Advertise, Advertising, Arbitron Inc., Software.

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

Gulf oil spill and Fukushima nuclear plant: A challenge to humans and technology.(Commentary)

Byline: the Monitor's Editorial Board

In just the past year, the world has had to contend with two major disasters in the energy sector. While the BP Gulf oil spill and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant crises differ in type, they both point to the challenge of human control over big, complex technologies that also deal with powerful forces in nature.

In the march of human progress, it's remarkable how few calamities on the planet can be chalked up to human error with technology. Planes fly safely all over the globe (except when, for instance, they're endangered by humans asleep in an air-traffic control tower). Natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis can cause instant and massive loss of human life.

But the world is entering a phase where technology that is becoming ever more complex could endanger livelihoods on a large scale - global warming, for instance, or breaches of cybersecurity. How does humanity control such outcomes, instead of being controlled by them?

First, it's important to investigate when a disaster on the scale of the BP spill or Fukushima could have been avoided. Sometimes that means hitting the "pause" button, as President Obama did with his deep-water drilling moratorium and as China and Germany are doing with nuclear power. That allows time to find out what went wrong and how to fix the problem.

The fix might involve an engineering change, as it did with the cold-sensitive O-ring that caused the space shuttle Challenger to blow up during launch in 1986. In the case of BP's oil well, which started spewing crude on April 20, 2010, it turns out that the fail-safe "blowout preventer," for instance, had a design flaw. That needs to be corrected.

But the required change is often more than just technical. After all, humans create technology, and when their designs lack foresight for even the unforeseeable, they pay a steep price.

The coastal Fukushima plant, for instance, was not designed to withstand a tsunami that would top the plant's sea walls. Even though Japan lies in a geological zone that produces Earth's largest earthquakes, it was not imagined that the ocean would wipe out the backup generating power needed to cool the fuel rods. Such an assumption will have to change.

Because neither the BP blowout-preventer failure nor the tsunami's size were imagined, disaster recovery measures weren't either. It took months to shut down the BP well, and it may well take months to contain Fukushima's dangers.

It could be argued that some technology has gotten so complex that it's beyond control. It's hard to imagine rolling back to a simpler time before, say, the Internet, although a segment of the population actively strives to lead simpler lives.

In the energy sector, simpler might mean localized - more "neighborhood" sources of power or even individual sources, such as homes built with photovoltaic roofs or geothermal heating.

Ultimately, more complexity has to mean more careful oversight and transparency. As a result of the BP oil spill, the part of the federal government that oversees drilling was separated from the office that handed out licenses to drill. That reform should have been done long ago.

At its most basic, oversight is a matter of staying alert. That's admittedly hard to do when things seem to be running smoothly, whether that's in the run-up to the 2008 mortgage debacle or the few years before the BP disaster, when wells in deep waters produced 80 percent of the Gulf of Mexico's oil.

In this age, one tends to separate technology from human input. Workers on a rig aren't thinking about the engineering that goes into a blowout preventer. Japanese who turn on the lights aren't thinking about backup generators at the nuclear plant miles away.

Until technology fails. Then people realize that humans design technology, and that they must do a better job of imagining and planning for what can go wrong with their inventions.

Microsoft Powers New Partner-Hosted Business Models Enabling Monetization of the Cloud.

This week at the Microsoft Hosting Summit 2010, Microsoft Corp. is highlighting partner success stories that underscore new business models Microsoft is enabling for hosting providers in cloud computing. Utilizing the Dynamic Data Center Toolkit, which provides sample code, marketing collateral and a prescriptive guidance based on best practices, hosting providers Fasthosts Internet Ltd. and nGenX Corp. are launching managed services including cloud infrastructure, virtualization and disaster recovery through channel partners and to small and midsize businesses (SMBs). The Dynamic Data Center Toolkit is powered by Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V and Microsoft System Center.

"As awareness of hosted services is increasing among SMBs, there is a transformation underway with how businesses adopt technology," said John Zanni, general manager of Worldwide Hosting for the Communications Sector at Microsoft. "SMBs are beginning to demand the benefits of the cloud across their IT investments but continue to rely on their traditional IT providers for guidance and support. Microsoft sees this shift as an opportunity to create new business models for its hosting partners and monetize the cloud. Hosting providers have an increasingly important role on the cutting edge of this transformation, bringing finished, relevant services to channel partners and SMBs on top of the raw utility that is the cloud."

Fasthosts, the U.K.'s largest Web hosting company, recently launched Rise (http://www.rise-partners.com/), an infrastructure-as-a-service provider dedicated to the channel, enabling thousands of channel partners such as systems integrators, value-added resellers and outsourcers -- which traditionally deploy IT on premises -- to become resellers and move into the cloud computing space. Rise is a brand-new company from Fasthosts that will provide cloud and dedicated infrastructure as well as end-to-end solutions for these channel partners to either resell or offer as a white-label service under their own brands.

"SMBs are aware of the cloud, but are often confused about what it delivers and how they can utilize it, usually relying on a third-party trusted advisor and supplier to guide them," said Andy Burton, CEO of Fasthosts and Rise. "What we're addressing with Data Center on Demand from Rise is how SMBs buy IT, not just why they should. By providing cloud services to the channel partners, we're enabling those companies that have the trusted relationship with the end customer to deliver the benefits in a way that is clearly understood by the customer."

Deploying and managing servers can be a complex, time-consuming process for SMBs that can monopolize IT resources, prohibiting them from spending time and energy on their core competencies. nGenX, a provider of cloud computing and managed hosting solutions, recently announced Guardian Cloud, an automated cloud service that will empower the end users with complete control over their cloud-based infrastructures while lowering their IT costs and management hassles.

A major concern of cloud computing among SMBs is reliability, as downtime or lost data translates to lost revenue, a damaged reputation and halted productivity. Disaster recovery solutions traditionally have been costly and are an investment made more often by large enterprises. Through Microsoft's Dynamic Data Center Alliance program, nGenX is leveraging storage and data management solutions from NetApp[R], the 2009 Microsoft Storage Partner of the year, to deliver an enhanced version of Guardian Cloud called Guardian GeoCloud to be released in the third quarter of 2010. Guardian GeoCloud expands Guardian Cloud by providing the customer with a level of disaster recovery and security traditionally only available to large enterprises. It accomplishes this by using an integration of NetApp shared storage and data management capabilities with Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V and Microsoft System Center. Through this combined solution, which provides replication and failover of a customer's virtualized environment to a remote datacenter, SMBs are able to rapidly protect and restore valuable information with little or no downtime while maintaining smooth business operations. Furthermore, the integrated solution offers SMBs enterprise-level cloud computing and disaster recovery at a fraction of the cost of traditional solutions.

"We're excited to introduce Guardian GeoCloud to our SMB customers," said Robert A. Bye, executive vice president at nGenX. "Microsoft's Dynamic Data Center Alliance allowed us to leverage NetApp technologies to deliver a differentiated service with disaster recovery that sets us apart in the market and will help our business grow."

"We see a big opportunity to help hosters deliver disaster recovery to SMBs, helping bridge the technology gap between them and large enterprises," said Patrick Rogers, vice president of Solutions and Alliances at NetApp. "We're thrilled to be working with Microsoft as part of the Dynamic Data Center Alliance to help enable these new business models for the hosting community."

Services similar to Data Center on Demand and Guardian GeoCloud can be deployed by utilizing guidance and sample code available in Microsoft's Dynamic Data Center Toolkit. More information can be found at http://microsoft.com/dynamicdatacenter.

Keywords: Application Software, Data Management, Information Technology, Technical & System Software, Microsoft Corp.

This article was prepared by Information Technology Newsweekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2010, Information Technology Newsweekly via VerticalNews.com.

American Software, Inc. Commences Tender Offer to Acquire Remaining Public Minority Stake in Logility, Inc.

ATLANTA, May 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Software, Inc. announced today that it is commencing a cash tender offer for all of the outstanding publicly held minority interest in Logility, Inc. for $7.02 per share in cash. This price represents premiums of approximately 40% and 52% when compared, respectively, to the $5.00 closing price and $4.61 10-day volume weighted average trading price on March 18, 2009, the last trading day prior to the date we announced our intention to make the tender offer. American Software currently owns approximately an 88% equity interest in Logility. If upon expiration of the tender offer American Software owns 90% of Logility's equity, Logility would become a wholly-owned subsidiary of American Software.

"Full ownership of Logility will allow us to fully realize cost synergies and improve operational efficiencies by reducing complexity and eliminating duplication in finance and accounting functions," said James C. Edenfield, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Software. "These cost synergies, when combined with access to all of Logility's cash flow, will significantly benefit American Software in the future."

American Software's only interest is in acquiring the shares of Logility held by the minority shareholders and it has no interest in disposing of its controlling interest in Logility. American Software is making its offer to purchase directly to public shareholders to acquire the portion of Logility it does not already own by means of a tender offer. The transaction will be financed with cash on hand.

"American Software's tender offer provides Logility's shareholders with an excellent opportunity to obtain liquidity at a premium to the share price on March 18, the last trading day before we announced our intention to commence a tender offer," Edenfield added. "Shareholders will additionally benefit from the quick receipt of cash payment that the tender offer structure allows."

Following American Software's announcement that it intended to engage in this tender offer, Logility's Board of Directors formed a special committee consisting of independent directors to consider and evaluate the tender offer. Logility has informed American Software that the Logility special committee will recommend that shareholders accept the tender offer and tender their shares pursuant to the tender offer. Directors of Logility affiliated with American Software did not participate in the evaluation of the proposal.

The tender offer is scheduled to expire on June 22, 2009. American Software's obligation and right to purchase shares at the expiration of the tender offer is subject to the satisfaction of several conditions, including the non-waivable condition that there shall have been validly tendered and not withdrawn before the tender offer expires shares that constitute at least a majority of the outstanding shares not owned by American Software or our affiliates or the directors and executive officers of American Software and Logility (other than directors of Logility who constitute the special committee of independent directors formed to consider the offer). If the tender offer is consummated, American Software will own shares that constitute at least 90% of the outstanding Logility shares when combined with shares that we already own. After consummation of the tender offer, American Software will promptly cause Logility to consummate a short-form merger in which all shares held by any remaining shareholders will be converted into the right to cash equal to the tender price.

Logility's shareholders should read carefully the tender offer statement and other documents (INCLUDING THE schedule 14D-9 TO BE FILED BY LOGILITY) when they are available because they WILL contain important information. Investors may obtain a free copy of the tender offer statement and other documents at the Securities and exchange commission's website, http://www.sec.gov/. IN ADDITION, SHAREHOLDERS WILL BE ABLE TO OBTAIN A FREE COPY OF THESE DOCUMENTS BY CONTACTING AMERICAN SOFTWARE'S INFORMATION AGENT, D.F. KING & CO., INC., AT (800) 735-3591, OR BY DIRECTING A REQUEST TO: Patricia McManus, Investor Relations Coordinator, American Software, Inc., 470, E. Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, Georgia, 30305. Phone: (404) 364-7615, or fax: (404) 264-5298.

About American Software

HEADQUARTERED IN ATLANTA, AMERICAN SOFTWARE DEVELOPS, MARKETS AND SUPPORTS ONE OF THE INDUSTRY'S MOST COMPREHENSIVE OFFERINGS OF INTEGRATED BUSINESS APPLICATIONS, INCLUDING SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, INTERNET COMMERCE, FINANCIAL, WAREHOUSE MANAGEMENT AND MANUFACTURING PACKAGES. E-INTELLIPRISE(TM) IS AN ERP/SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT SUITE, WHICH LEVERAGES INTERNET CONNECTIVITY AND INCLUDES MULTIPLE MANUFACTURING METHODOLOGIES. NEW GENERATION COMPUTING INC. (NGC), A WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF AMERICAN SOFTWARE, IS A GLOBAL SOFTWARE COMPANY THAT HAS 25 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE DEVELOPING AND MARKETING BUSINESS APPLICATIONS FOR APPAREL MANUFACTURERS, BRAND MANAGERS, RETAILERS AND IMPORTERS. HEADQUARTERED IN MIAMI, NGC'S WORLDWIDE CUSTOMERS INCLUDE DICK'S SPORTING GOODS, WILSONS LEATHER, KELLWOOD, HUGO BOSS, RUSSELL CORP., RALPH LAUREN CHILDRENSWEAR, HAGGAR CLOTHING COMPANY, MAIDENFORM, WILLIAM CARTER AND VF CORPORATION. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT AMERICAN SOFTWARE, VISIT WWW.AMSOFTWARE.COM OR CONTACT: VINCENT C. KLINGES, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, AMERICAN SOFTWARE, INC., (404) 264-5477 OR FAX: (404) 237-8868.

About Logility

With more than 1,250 customers worldwide, Logility is a leading provider of collaborative supply chain planning solutions that help small, medium, large and Fortune 1000 companies realize substantial bottom-line results in record time. Logility Voyager Solutions feature performance monitoring capabilities in a single Internet-based framework and provide supply chain visibility; demand, inventory and replenishment planning; sales and operations planning; inventory and supply optimization; transportation planning and execution; and warehouse management. Demand Solutions provide forecasting, demand planning and point-of-sale analysis for maximizing profits in manufacturing, distribution and retail operations. Logility customers include Arch Chemicals, Avery Dennison Corporation, BP (British Petroleum), Leviton Manufacturing Company, McCain Foods, Pernod Ricard, Remington Products Company, Sigma Aldrich and VF Corporation. Logility is a majority-owned subsidiary of American Software .

Forward-Looking Statements

Except for historical information contained in this press release, the statements made in this press release constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. There are a number of factors that could cause American Software to modify, delay, or suspend its tender offer for shares of Logility, including the following: changes in Logility's stock price, changes in Logility's operating results, general market conditions, changes in general economic conditions, including economic conditions within the e-commerce markets, new competition, and tax or regulatory requirements. Certain of these risk factors and other considerations are detailed in American Software's Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2008 and other reports and documents subsequently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

e-Intelliprise is a trademark of American Software, Logility is a registered trademark and Logility Voyager Solutions is a trademark of Logility, Demand Solutions is a registered trademark of Demand Management, and NGC is a registered trademark of New Generation Computing. Other products mentioned in this document are registered, trademarked or service marked by their respective owners.

CONTACT: Vincent C. Klinges, Financial Information Press Contact, Chief Financial Officer of American Software, Inc., +1-404-264-5477

Web Site: http://www.amsoftware.com/