Wednesday, February 29, 2012

QLD: Police seek answers on rifle discovery at primary school


AAP General News (Australia)
02-05-2009
QLD: Police seek answers on rifle discovery at primary school

Police are combing the grounds of a Gold Coast primary school with metal detectors
after the discovery of two rifles partially buried beneath a classroom.

Children as young as eight found the rifles .. one of which was loaded .. at the Musgrave
Hill State …

CHINA UNIONPAY HAS FORMED NON-CARD DEALING PLATFORM


AsiaInfo Services
06-09-2011
China UnionPay Has Formed Non-card Dealing Platform

BEIJING, Jun 09, 2011 (SinoCast Daily Business Beat via COMTEX) -- On June 8, China UnionPay launched two business in Beijing, which are UnionPay Online Payment and UnionPay Network Handset Payment. UnionPay shows that this means an open-end non-card dealing platform has been formed.

Through this platform, consumers subscribe commodities through network or by cellphones, and pay them without swiping card and transferring money to the third-party account previously. This guarantees the consumers' interests, and avoids the risk of transferring money.

As for this platform, UnionPay has connected with railway network, in order that customers can buy tickets through network.

Presently, UnionPay has signed related business agreements with 157 banks, and over 60 banks has accessed this platform, containing Chinese chief commercial banks, some foreign banks such as The Bank of East Asia (China) Limited and Citibank (China) Co. Ltd.

UnionPay online payment is neither an exclusive platform nor a rival against the third-party payment. In fact three third-party payment organizations have signed cooperation agreement with UnionPay.

Source: www.yicai.com (June 09, 2011)

KEYWORD: BEIJING INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Internet & Online Services & Media SUBJECT CODE: Internet & Online Services
Online/Direct Banking
SinoCast China Business Daily news
UnionPay Online Payment
UnionPay Network Handset Payment
non-card dealing platform
commercial banks

Copyright 2011 AsiaInfo Services (via Comtex). All rights reserved

NSW:Man's face burnt in Sydney chemical atta=2


AAP General News (Australia)
12-02-2011
NSW:Man's face burnt in Sydney chemical atta=2

An ambulance spokeswoman said the man, aged in his 50s, had suffered superficial chemical
burns to his face.

He was in a stable condition in Royal North Shore Hospital, she said.

AAP jjs/sn

KEYWORD: ACID 2 SYDNEY (REOPENS)

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

PunktBayern Selects Afilias for Registry and DNS Services


Wireless News
03-22-2011
PunktBayern Selects Afilias for Registry and DNS Services
Type: News

PunktBayern, the company behind the upcoming geographic domain .bayern, announced that it has chosen Afilias as its partner for registry and DNS services.

According to a release, Afilias, a global provider of Internet infrastructure services, will also work closely with PunktBayern on its upcoming top level domain application to the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. This initiative will be part of ICANN's planned TLD expansion program, anticipated to start in the latter half of 2011.
PunktBayern - German for dotBavaria - was founded in 2006 specifically to bring the .bayern TLD to market. The TLD is designed to reinforce the geographic identity of the businesses and inhabitants of Bavaria, the second-most populous state in Germany with 2.5 million residents.

"PunktBayern wanted to work with a company who could provide a reliable registry infrastructure for the launch and growth of the .bayern TLD. We selected Afilias based on its outstanding support for a diverse range of TLDs since 2001 with the launch of .INFO," said Lothar Kunz, managing director of PunktBayern. "Thanks to Afilias, PunktBayern will be able to focus on growing the recognition of .bayern in the marketplace since we know that Afilias will be able to successfully handle all the 'back-end' services for us.

"PunktBayern plans to establish the .bayern domain by focusing on websites that will make Bavarian products and services easily available around the world. Down the road, .bayern will also play an important role as a virtual gate to Bavaria, where citizens will intuitively find e-government services."

Roland LaPlante, Senior Vice President of Afilias, said, "Afilias is proud to have been selected to help bring .bayern to market. Given the unique nature of the Bavarian region, PunktBayern has strong potential to extend this identity on the Internet and provide a superior TLD choice compared to generic TLDs."

Afilias is a provider of Internet infrastructure services.

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

Copyright 2011 Close-Up Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
n/a

FED:Windsor says Basin health is possible


AAP General News (Australia)
12-08-2010
FED:Windsor says Basin health is possible

Federal independent MP TONY WINDSOR believes it's possible to revive the ailing Murray-Darling
river system without hurting the regional communities that rely on it.

Murray-Darling Basin Authority chairman MICHAEL TAYLOR announced his shock resignation
from the role yesterday .. saying that by law the reforms must put the environment first.

Mr WINDSOR is chairman of a parliamentary inquiry into the impact of the Murray-Darling
Basin plan .. and says he doesn't think four thousand gigalitres of water needs to go
back into the rivers.

He's told ABC Radio there's a range of things that can happen to achieve more water
in the river system .. without destroying the towns.

AAP RTV bsb/rl/af

KEYWORD: MURRAY (CANBERRA)

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

QLD:Abduction investigation finds explosives


AAP General News (Australia)
08-01-2010
QLD:Abduction investigation finds explosives

BRISBANE, Aug 1 AAP - A 57-year-old man has been charged with possessing weapons and
explosives following investigations to locate two missing children in far north Queensland.

The man was found at Mission Beach with the 15-year-old boy and 11-year-old girl at
8.45am (AEST) on Saturday after assistance from the public.

Queensland police had issued an abduction alert about the children, fearing they may
have been at risk after being taken by the man from Tolga, about 180km away from where
they were found.

Police have charged the 57-year-old man with possession of a weapon and possession of explosives.

He is due to appear in the Innisfail Magistrates Court on August 2.

Police investigations are continuing.

AAP djb/jm

KEYWORD: ABDUCTION

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

Fed: Greens slam Rudd's effort at Copenhagen as a failure


AAP General News (Australia)
12-17-2009
Fed: Greens slam Rudd's effort at Copenhagen as a failure

CANBERRA, Dec 17 AAP - The Australian Greens say Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has missed
an opportunity to "inject some momentum" into stalled United Nations climate talks in
Copenhagen.

Addressing the summit on Thursday, Mr Rudd called for compromise from both rich and
poor countries in the search for a global pact on tackling climate change.

History's big emitters had to strike a bargain with those who would emit heavily in
the future, he said.

"The inescapable truth is that we, the developed world, carry the overwhelming historical
responsibility for the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere," he said.

But he warned that if the developed world became carbon neutral and the developing
world continued to grow along current trends, the emerging economies alone would be responsible
for more than half of total global emissions by 2050.

"This would create a temperature rise of between 3.2 degrees and four degrees Celsius
and even possibly higher," he said.

Greens deputy leader Christine Milne, who is also in Copenhagen, said in a statement
that Mr Rudd could help drive the talks further by lifting Australia's targets for cutting
emissions.

"Mr Rudd's speech today was his big chance to inject some momentum into the stalled
talks by promising to lift Australia's targets, but instead he used it for thinly-veiled
jibes at the developing world," Senator Milne said.

"The only way to a fair deal that can avert the climate crisis is for Australia and
our fellow developed countries to lift our ambition to what science demands - 40 per cent
cuts by 2020."

Australia has committed to cutting emissions by between five per cent and 25 per cent
over the next decade.

With just two days remaining, the summit has so far failed to make significant progress
towards striking a deal to tackle global warming.

AAP kms/it/mn

KEYWORD: SUMMIT GREENS

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

AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Aug 9


AAP General News (Australia)
08-09-2009
AAP National News Wire Round-Up for Evening, Aug 9
Evening Round-Up: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE AAP RTV FILE AT 1630


Indon Shooting Smith (PERTH)

Foreign Affairs Minister STEPHEN SMITH says the Australian government won't be leaping
to any conclusions as it waits for confirmation South-East Asia's most wanted terror suspect
has been killed.

NOORDIN MOHAMMED TOP is believed to be one of three men killed during a police raid
on a suspected militant hide-out in Central Java .. Indonesia .. yesterday.

The dead man's remains have been moved to Jakarta for DNA testing and Indonesian authorities
say it could take up to two weeks to confirm the identity of the body.

But Mr SMITH says it would only take a matter of hours or days.

NOORDIN is believed to have been the mastermind behind the bombings at the Jakarta's
JW Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton hotels on July 17 .. where nine people .. including three
Australians were killed.



Dealers (CANBERRA)

Labor is likely to get its way on a Senate investigation into the roles opposition
leader MALCOLM TURNBULL and Senator ERIC ABETZ played in the OzCar affair.

It comes after Family First senator STEVE FIELDING and Nationals Senate leader BARNABY
JOYCE announced their support for the move.

The government is keen to maintain the political heat on Mr TURNBULL after it was revealed
last week he discussed with Treasury official GODWIN GRECH and Senator ABETZ evidence
presented to a Senate inquiry.

The government intends referring the issue to the Senate's privileges committee for
investigation.



US Collision (NEW YORK)

Search crews have recovered three of the nine people believed killed after a helicopter
and a light plane crashed mid-air over New York's Hudson River.

Media reports say the bodies of two adults and one child have been pulled from the
Hudson .. between Manhattan and New Jersey .. and operations have now been suspended for
the night.

The chopper was carrying five Italian tourists and a pilot .. the plane was carrying
a pilot and two passengers including a child.



Crime Vic (MELBOURNE)

An extra 120 police will hit the streets in Victoria armed with tougher search powers
as booze-fuelled violence continues to spiral out of control.

The latest crime figures show street violence climbed 4.5 per cent in the past year.

The government has announced an extra 120 police will begin training in November with
recruits hitting the ground from May next year.

The government will also introduce new laws by the end of the year to give police tougher
powers to conduct weapons searches .. move troublemakers on and fine louts causing public
disturbance.



AIDS (ADELAIDE)

The Australian government is being called on to provide urgent funding for regional
HIV prevention measures .. with new data showing the virus is sweeping through Asia and
the Pacific.

The annual International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific is underway in Bali.

The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations has told the Congress .. two hundred
gay and bisexual men a day are becoming infected in the region.

Federation executive director DON BAXTER has called on the Australian government to
fund HIV prevention measures in the region.



Language (CANBERRA)

The federal government has pledged 9.3 million dollars over the coming year to help
take 113 indigenous languages off the critically endangered list.

A 2005 report found .. 110 of the 145 indigenous dialects spoken in Australia are at
risk of being lost.



Mortgage (SYDNEY)

The country's biggest mortgage broker says the average value of a new mortgage in Australia
has risen to its highest ever level as property investors return to the market.

Mortgage broker AFG says the average new mortgage lodged in Australia rose to 354 thousand
dollars in July .. eclipsing the previous record of 353 thousand in October last year.

The average mortgage value was highest in New South Wales .. at 407 thousand dollars
.. with the lowest in South Australia at 270 thousand.

The data also shows the proportion of fixed rate mortgages fell to five per cent from
8.3 per cent in June.



City2Surf-Casualty (SYDNEY)

A man's in hospital after going into cardiac arrest just moments after setting off
in the City2Surf race in Sydney.

The man .. aged between 50 and 60 .. collapsed in the William Street tunnel in Darlinghurst
about nine thirty this morning .. just 12 minutes after starting the city to Bondi race.

He's in a serious but stable condition in Saint Vincent's Hospital.

Meanwhile .. Gold Coast student MICHAEL SHELLEY won the race in 41:02 minutes.



Briefly in other news ..



Triple0 (CANBERRA)

A Canberra man's been charged after allegedly making more than 60 triple-0 calls.



Film (BRISBANE)

Australian film Balibo .. about the murder of five Australian journalists in East Timor
in 1975 .. has won two of the five jury prizes at the Brisbane International Film Festival.



in Sport ..



League Warriors (AUCKLAND)

Dual international MAT ROGERS ran in two tries to inspire the Gold Coast to a 30-10
NRL victory over the Warriors at Mount Smart Stadium today.

Rogers scored a double in his return from injury and set up another to keep the Queenslanders
on track for a top four finish.

ANTHONY LAFFRANCHI, KEVIN GORDON and SCOTT PRINCE also found the tryline in the the
one-sided blowout.



Cricket Aust (LEEDS)

Australia have taken a massive step towards winning the fourth Ashes Test after reducing
England to 5-82 in their second innings at stumps on the second day at Headingley.

Resurgent paceman MITCHELL JOHNSON took three late wickets as England's top order crumbled
for the second time in the match.

England need a further 261 runs to make Australia bat again.



CRICKET ASHES PRANK (SYDNEY)

An Australian cricket supporter group has admitted responsibility for a fire-drill
prank which forced the English team out of their hotel on the opening morning of the fourth
Ashes Test.

Head of the Fanatics WARREN LIVINGSTON says of his 100-member group had set the fire
alarm off at the Radisson .. with the intention of disrupting the English team's sleep.



Tennis ATP (WASHINGTON)

American top seed ANDY RODDICK has outlasted JOHN ISNER 6-7 (3-7) 6-2 7-5 to book a
finals date with defending champion JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO at the ATP Washington Classic.



ENDS EVENING ROUND-UP

Broadcast Desk inquiries 24 hours: 02 9322 8714

AAP RTV ka

KEYWORD: EVENING ROUND-UP

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

Vic: Class action into fires launched


AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2009
Vic: Class action into fires launched

MELBOURNE, Feb 15 AAP - Victoria Police Chief Commission Christine Nixon says authorities
are still determining how the Kinglake bushfire started, amid reports victims have launched
legal action against the state government and a private power company over the blaze.

Angry Kinglake residents are launching a class action in the Victorian Supreme Court
against electricity provider SP Ausnet and the government, arguing a downed two-kilometre
stretch of downed power lines sparked and set fire to a nearby pine forest.

At least 100 people have been killed and more than 1,000 left homeless as a result
of fires in Kinglake and surrounding areas.

The Phoenix Taskforce, which is investigating the fires, is examining a two-kilometre
stretch of power line that collapsed last Saturday during the extreme heat, The Sunday
Age newspaper reports.

Asked to confirm police had taken the power line and a power pole as evidence, Ms Nixon
would only say police are working hard to determine how all the fires started, and described
the investigation into the Kinglake blaze as "broad".

"At this stage we are not able to confirm how it started. I understand there is some
legal action that people are taking, but at this stage we're still investigating its cause,"

Ms Nixon told the Nine Network.

"We've taken a range of evidence and we will, obviously, be working with fire authorities
about what might have caused it.

"But the whole circumstances of that fire are part of our Taskforce Phoenix, and as
we move through that we'll be able to tell the community more once we're able to confirm
or deny what we think is the cause of these fires."

The legal action "will be made on the basis of negligent management of power lines
and infrastructure," The Sunday Age quoted Slidders Lawyers partner Daniel Oldham as saying.

The Slidders Lawyers website calls for anyone who has suffered loss or damage as a
consequence of the recent bushfires to contact them.

"If you have been burnt by the recent bushfires, please register your interest using
the form below as soon as possible," the website says.

"At Slidders Lawyers, we are helping landowners and leaseholders obtain compensation
for the losses caused by these bushfires."

Comment is being sought from SP Ausnet.

AAP kb/cdh/jfm

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES VIC LAWSUIT

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

Fed:Suspending welfare payments to parents put before parliament


AAP General News (Australia)
08-27-2008
Fed:Suspending welfare payments to parents put before parliament

The Rudd government has introduced legislation to parliament which aims to suspend
welfare payments .. as a last resort .. from parents whose children wag school.

Education Minister JULIA GILLARD has tabled the proposal in the House of Representatives today.

She's told the chamber it's estimated up to 20 thousand Australian children of compulsory
school age may not be enrolled in school.

Ms GILLARD says suspending welfare payments to parents would be a last resort .. and
only a small group of people would be affected.

AAP RTV ca/rl/af

KEYWORD: WELFARE (CANBERRA)

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

Fed: Costello set to tell all of life under Howard


AAP General News (Australia)
04-22-2008
Fed: Costello set to tell all of life under Howard

CANBERRA, April 22 AAP - Former treasurer Peter Costello is set to tell all.

Melbourne University Publishing (MUP) today said it would publish Mr Costello's memoirs
of his 18-year political career.

In that time he became Australia's longest-serving treasurer, and worked with Liberal
leaders John Howard, Alexander Downer, John Hewson and Andrew Peacock.

MUP chief executive Louise Adler said it was an important book about a remarkable career
in Australian politics.

"I believe this will be the most anticipated political memoir of the year. Mr Costello
has an extraordinary story to tell about life on the national and international political
stage," she said in a statement.

Mr Costello, who served as deputy leader of the Liberal Party for more than a decade,
was heir designate to Mr Howard, who persistently deferred standing aside.

Since the coalition's disastrous election defeat last year Mr Costello has been languishing
on the coalition backbench, although polling out today indicates voters would prefer him
as coalition leader over Brendan Nelson.

MUP, which also published the Mark Latham diaries, said Mr Costello would reflect on
more than 30 years of service to the Liberal cause.

"In his memoirs Mr Costello will offer insight into his successful partnership with
John Howard that included four election victories and the longest period of economic prosperity
in Australian history," MUP said.

"He will reveal how and why, despite a booming economy, the Liberals suffered a devastating
defeat in 2007."

The memoirs will be written in collaboration with Mr Costello's father-in-law Peter
Coleman, a former federal and NSW MP and editor of The Bulletin and Quadrant, MUP said.

No publication date has yet been announced.

AAP mb/ldj/nf

KEYWORD: COSTELLO

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

Fed: Fed govt orders ACCC to monitor unleaded petrol prices


AAP General News (Australia)
12-18-2007
Fed: Fed govt orders ACCC to monitor unleaded petrol prices

SYDNEY, Dec 18 AAP - Assistant Treasurer Chris Bowen has ordered the competition watchdog
to monitor prices, costs and profits in the unleaded petroleum industry, for three years.

"The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (is) to monitor prices, costs and
profits relating to the supply of unleaded petroleum products in the petroleum industry,"

Mr Bowen said in a directive to the ACCC.

"The commission (is) to report to me on its monitoring activities ... for a period
of three years, commencing from the date of this direction."

AAP pv/ea/jt/bwl

KEYWORD: PETROL LEAD

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

Fed: Family honour Japanese sailors lost on midget sub


AAP General News (Australia)
08-06-2007
Fed: Family honour Japanese sailors lost on midget sub

The younger brother of one of the Japanese sailors who died when their midget submarine
was lost off Sydney during World War II .. says he's honoured to attend today's memorial
service.

74 year old KAZUTOMO BAN's brother was the commander and navigator of the midget sub.

He says he's touched by today's service at Garden Island naval base and honoured to
know the Australian people remember his brother .. Sub-Lieutenant KATSUHISA BAN .. even
today.

The submarine disappeared after a attack on Sydney Harbour in 1942 and was found late
last year by a group of amateur divers about five kilometres off Sydney northern beaches.

A ceremony will be held at sea this afternoon at the site of the largely intact wreck
which is believed to still contain the remains of Sub-Lieutenant BAN and Petty Officer
MEMORU ASHIBE.

AAP RTV sk/sg/hn/bart

KEYWORD: SUB (SYDNEY)

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

NSW: England team rocked by hotel robbery


AAP General News (Australia)
02-13-2007
NSW: England team rocked by hotel robbery

SYDNEY, Feb 13 AAP - A member of the England cricket team's medical staff was robbed
at knife-point in a terrifying attack at a Sydney hotel early yesterday that was witnessed
by five other members of the team.

England physiotherapist Dean Conway was robbed of his wallet and mobile phone after
four knife-wielding men, who wore balaclavas, broke into the Radisson Plaza Hotel in O'Connell
Street about 4.15am (AEDT) yesterday, Fairfax newspapers report.

They forced staff to the ground, demanding money and the location of the safe, then
turned their attention to Mr Conway, who had separated from five other team members to
take a phone call.

The team had been celebrating its one-day victory over Australia at the SCG the previous night.

The group of five included batsman Andrew Strauss, batting coach Matthew Maynard, bowling
coach Kevin Shine, analyst Mark Garaway and security officer Reg Dickason, Fairfax said.

They saw the break-in and fled to another room.

Mr Conway was not physically harmed.

"It was a pretty scary affair," an England team spokesman said. "Knives were produced
and threats were made, but fortunately no-one was badly hurt. It all happened quite quickly,
from all accounts, and it took everyone by surprise.

"It's probably a good thing that most of them are heading home today."

The thieves were last seen in a white sedan travelling along O'Connell Street and remained
at large last night.

Police are investigating.

AAP jrd/rs

KEYWORD: TRI ENGLAND ROBBED

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

IDF can't brush off criticism

ANSHEL PFEFFER
Jerusalem Post
08-24-2006
Headline: IDF can't brush off criticism
Byline: ANSHEL PFEFFER
Edition; Daily
Section: News
Page: 02

Thursday, August 24, 2006 -- Officers in the IDF's Behavioral Sciences Department, over the last week, were rushing to all the reserve units involved in the fighting in Lebanon, desperate to reach as many of them as possible before their discharge. At each base, a sheaf of questionnaires was handed out in which the veterans were asked to pour out their feelings, complaints, frustrations and suggestions following their controversial tour of duty.

The questionnaires will be compiled, read and condensed into a comprehensive report which will provide compelling reading for the generals. When it reaches the media, as it will - either through an orderly press release or a leak - it will create yet more furor.

There is a dual purpose here. Many in the IDF's high command genuinely want to hear what the backbone of the army is saying and thinking. Some of the more radical thinkers among the top brass also hope that the report will finally change something. The other main reason is the sinking realization that if the reservists don't feel, pretty soon, that someone is listening to them, the army is in for serious trouble.

The process of self-criticism isn't natural for an army. An organization necessarily built on a clear hierarchy, in which people have to be prepared to charge into enemy fire and give up their lives, can't allow too many question marks to be lying around. But the IDF has no choice now.

Much has been said and written over the last few years about the fact that only a small portion of the population carries out any significant yearly reserve duty. Another aspect less remarked upon is that those who do turn up tend to be a highly intelligent and socially aware group, and since they fully know how unique their position is and the extent to which the army relies on them, they tend to be extremely critical. Coming from positions of authority and responsibility in civilian life, they judge the army - which they feel is theirs just as much as any career officer's - by their exacting standards.

Over the last few weeks, when reservists felt their concerns weren't being addressed, they were quick to organize protests over the Internet, alerting MKs and of course the media to the situation.

Scenes that have become commonplace in recent weeks, in which reservists confronted senior officers and even generals with withering criticism, would have been unthinkable after past wars. Most listened patiently. Some, like Col. Shlomi Cohen, commander of the reserve Alexandroni Brigade, reacted angrily, accusing their soldiers of acting disrespectfully.

Lt. Adam Kima, who refused an order to lead his unit into an operation that he believed was pointless and suicidal and was eventually acquitted by a military tribunal, is being regarded as a hero among the reservists.

"Everyone should be grateful to him for standing up to what was an idiotic order," said one of the senior officers of Kima's brigade, himself a reservist. "He probably saved quite a few lives."

Other officers though, while expressing respect for Kima's actions, acknowledged the challenge he created for the army. "Ultimately he did the right thing," said another commander of a reserve unit, "but what he did also takes away the basic principle that we need to run the army, that soldiers have to unquestionably obey orders."

But no one can brush off the accusations, especially as they are now being echoed by a few senior officers speaking out in the open, like outgoing chief infantry officer Brig.-Gen. Yossi Heiman, who admits that the generals, himself included, have to take a lot of the blame for the army's lack of preparedness. No longer are the complaints coming only from disgruntled low-ranking soldiers; reserve officers are taking part in the public protests and petitions for a full and thorough investigation.

The IDF has changed a great deal in recent years, involving organizational consultants and psychologists in the army's daily life to a degree unimaginable in the past, but the aftermath of this war is a challenge of a higher order.

"Someone played around with the numbers," said one veteran reserve officer on the equipment shortages that greeted the reservists when they arrived at their emergency depots. "Someone has to pay for that, it's a crime."

The only problem is that the very officers who are supposed to carry out the reckoning are the ones that many reservists believe should be sitting in the dock.

Obviously, no army can allow its soldiers, as valued as they might be, to be forever second-guessing their commanders and deciding who should be in charge and who has to go home. But the IDF's high command understands that if this time, at least, the reservists don't have their say - perhaps even their day in court - not all of them might turn up the next time.

Keywords:

Copyright 2006 Jerusalem Post. All Rights Reserved

Vic: Garbage collector attacked


AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2006
Vic: Garbage collector attacked

Victoria Police say a garbage collector's in hospital after being seriously assaulted
in central Melbourne.

They say the 35-year-old man left his garbage truck to collect large bins from a lane
way off Flinders Lane .. when he assaulted by two men .. last night.

Police say he was set upon at the rear of the Rendezvous Hotel .. and was punched in
the head and hit with something similar to a baseball bat.

The victim's suffered serious injuries to his head .. arm and leg and is recovering in hospital.

AAP RTV jb/goc/

KEYWORD: GARBAGE (MELBOURNE)

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

Monday, February 27, 2012

Fed: Howard sorry about Bashir decision


AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2005
Fed: Howard sorry about Bashir decision

Prime Minister JOHN HOWARD says he's sorry Australia cannot do anything about the early
release of convicted Bali bombing ringleader ABU BAKAR BASHIR.

His comment comes after Indonesian authorities cut BASHIR'S sentence by four-and-a-half
months as part of celebrations to mark 60 years of the country's independence.

That means BASHIR will be out of jail in 10 months.

Mr HOWARD says Australian ambassador DAVID RITCHIE has spoken to the Indonesian government
but nothing can be done to reverse the decision.

He says one of the Indonesian ministers has pointed out it's something that automatically
happens under Indonesian law.

BASHIR is serving a 30-month jail sentence for his role in instigating the October
2002 bombings in which 202 people died, including 88 Australians.

Seventeen other men convicted over the bombings -- and who were originally sentenced
for up to 16 years -- reportedly received three-month reductions.

AAP RTV bt/mfh/sb/low/jv

KEYWORD: INDON BASHIR HOWARD (CANBERRA)

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

Tas: Betfair close to Tasmanian betting licence


AAP General News (Australia)
04-13-2005
Tas: Betfair close to Tasmanian betting licence

British betting exchange Betfair is close to being granted a licence to operate legally
in Australia after talks with the Tasmanian government.

The Australian newspaper reports that Tasmanian Premier PAUL LENNON is in discussions
with Betfair's Australian partner, Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd.

A Tasmanian licence would allow punters in other states to bet legally with Betfair
via the internet or phone.

It would also allow bets on losers as well as winners, a form of betting critics say
could encourage corruption in the industry.

Mr LENNON says he is keeping an open mind on the idea of a licence for Betfair, which
needs at least one state government to give it a licence to allow it to operate in Australia.

All the other states have refused to consider it.

AAP RTV lb/bwl/wf

KEYWORD: BETFAIR (HOBART)

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

NSW: Man jailed for life over chemist's murder


AAP General News (Australia)
12-15-2004
NSW: Man jailed for life over chemist's murder

A man has been sentenced to life in jail for the murder of a chemist in Sydney's south-west.

The man, who can only be known as DUDLEY HILL, has been jailed for life by the New
South Wales Supreme Court for the shooting murder of EMAD YOUSSEF outside his Canley Vale
pharmacy on August the 1st last year.

HILL, who's 33, was also sentenced last month to 40 years behind bars for the gang
rape of a Sydney teenager during a home invasion at Newington.

MORE RTV klw/nf/lm/rt

KEYWORD: HILL (SYDNEY)

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

AREA COLLEGES.(Sports)

Montclair State at Cortland

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: Davis Field, Cortland

Radio: WKRT 920-AM (Cortland)

Last meeting: Montclair won 15-3 last season.

Records: Cortland is 1-2, 0-1 in the New Jersey Athletic Conference; Montclair is 3-0, 0-0 in the NJAC.

Notes: Freshman TB Steven Davis rushed for 106 yards and three touchdowns in the Red Dragons' 36-7 win over Buffalo State last week. ... Cortland's Danny Nelson had eight tackles and an interception last week and was named the NJAC Defensive Player of the Week. ... Montclair State, which has made back-to-back NCAA playoff appearances, is ranked No.10 in the AFCA Division III poll.

Ithaca at Springfield

When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Benedum Field, Springfield, Mass.

Radio: WICB 91.7-FM (Ithaca), or over the Internet at www.ithaca.edu/radio/wicb/

Last meeting: Springfield won 55-34 last season.

Records: Ithaca is 3-0; Springfield is 1-1.

Notes: CB Anthony Melville tied a school record by intercepting three passes in the Bombers' 52-0 whitewash of St. John Fisher last week. ... RB Tommy Giorgio needs 47 yards to move into sixth place on Ithaca's all-time rushing list, while QB Brian Young needs 71 yards to move into second place on the Bombers' all-time passing list. ... Springfield's coaching staff includes graduate assistant Jeff Tremlett, a four-year Ithaca letter winner who was the MVP of the Bombers' win in the 1998 ECAC championship game.

Hobart at St. Lawrence

When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Leckonby Stadium, Canton

Radio: WEOS 89.7/90.3-FM (Geneva), or over the Internet at www.weos.org

Last meeting: Hobart won 41-7 last season.

Records: Hobart is 1-1, 0-1 in the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Assocation; St. Lawrence is 0-3, 0-2 in the UCAA.

Notes: St. Lawrence leads the series 36-35-2, but Hobart has won the last nine games by a combined score of 285-102. ... St. Lawrence first-year coach Chris Phelps was the quarterbacks coach and then offensive coordinator under Hobart coach Mike Cragg from 1995-99. ... Two of the Saints' coaches also played at Hobart: running backs coach Keith Brandon, who ranks third on the Statesmen's all-time rushing list, and secondary coach Kevin Farr.

Alfred State at Morrisville

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

Where: Mustang Field, Morrisville

Last meeting: Alfred State won 43-10 last season.

Records: Morrisville is 1-3; Alfred State is 1-3.

Notes: Morrisville linebacker Alex Lewis had five sacks for a total loss of 44 yards against the Brockport JV last week. Lewis leads the Mustangs with 41 tackles. ... Morrisville's offense relies on tailbacks Shameek Thomas of DeWitt, Rufus Walker and Naazir Jackson. ... This is the Mustangs' homecoming game.

Utica College at Mt. Ida

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: Mt. Ida College, Newton, Mass.

Radio: WRUN 1150-AM (Utica)

Records: Utica is 1-2; Mt. Ida is 0-3.

Notes: This is the Utica Pioneers' first varsity season, while Mt. Ida is in its third year as a varsity program. ... Mike Capra leads Utica in rushing with 125 yards per game, while Michael Romandetti has anchored the defense with a team-high 28 tackles and two sacks.

Wesleyan University

at Hamilton

When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Steuben Field, Clinton

Records: Hamilton is 0-1; Wesleyan is 0-1.

Notes: The Continentals lost their season opener to Amherst 24-0 last week. ... Wesleyan, which had won six consecutive season openers, lost to Tufts 35-20 last week.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

ICANN Conference To Feature "Domain DIALING", A New Concept in Communication Via Smartphone.(Conference news)

Singapore meeting June 19-24 to feature Siter, other leaders in Internet management and development

SINGAPORE -- The future of the Internet will become clearer when the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) meets in Singapore June 19-24 to review the latest developments in domain names, website registration and the technical aspects of coordinating IP addresses. Among the more intriguing capabilities to be presented at the conference is "domain dialing", a free service for smartphones designed by Siter.com, a Brazil-based app designer.

Using Siter's mobile app, Android, iPhone and Blackberry users can automatically "dial" a domain name rather than struggling through pages and pages of content searching for a phone number. The program calls from a collection of more than 26 million assigned phone numbers worldwide and suggests a number to call based on that company's web address. Users looking to contact their local Target store, for example, need only type Target.com into the Siter program for a list of the best phone numbers based on proximity to their current location. The service works in 11 languages, and is robust in Brazil and growing in the United States and other countries.

"The free tool makes domain names even more valuable, and smartphones more useful," said Ricardo Vaz Monteiro, chief operating officer of Siter. "We look forward to hearing from ICANN participants all the ways this concept could benefit in better connecting with customers and clients."

Several other issues regarding domain names are also expected to be among the hot topics at the quarterly conference. ICANN is discussing opening up Top-Level Domains (TLDs) beyond the traditional options such as .com or .net to include vanity options such as .ebay or generic terms such as .music. Also expected to be discussed is the migration to Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) from IPv4, which will alleviate the risk of running out of IP addresses.

Hundreds of technology officers, corporate leaders and Internet experts are expected to travel to Singapore for the conference to review the latest advances in managing the assignment of domain names and ensuring that companies can make the most of those URLs.

More information on the ICANN conference is available at http://singapore41.icann.org/. More information on Siter is available at www.siter.com.

Sigma-Aldrich Corporation to Present at Upcoming Investor Conferences.(Conference news)

ST. LOUIS, June 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (NASDAQ: SIAL) will be presenting at the following investor conferences in June:

* Jefferies 2011 Global Healthcare Conference on Monday, June 6, 2011, at the Grand Hyatt, New York, NY, presenting at 11:30 AM (Eastern).

* 32nd Annual Global Healthcare Conference on Thursday, June 9, 2011, at the Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes, Los Angeles, CA, presenting at 8:40 AM (Pacific).

* NASDAQ OMX 26th Investor Program on Tuesday, June 21, 2011, at the May Fair Hotel, London, England presenting at 1:15 PM (GMT).

Interested parties may listen via live audio broadcast over the Internet available at http://investor.sigmaaldrich.com/. Users can click the "Webcast" icon to access this file.

About Sigma-Aldrich: Sigma-Aldrich is a leading Life Science and High Technology company committed to Enabling Science to Improve the Quality of Life. Its chemical and biochemical products and kits are used in scientific research, including genomic and proteomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development and as key components in pharmaceutical, diagnostic and other high technology manufacturing. The Company has customers in life science companies, university and government institutions, hospitals, and in industry. Over one million scientists and technologists use its products. Sigma-Aldrich operates in 40 countries and has 8,000 employees providing excellent service worldwide. For more information about Sigma-Aldrich, please visit its award-winning Web site at http://www.sigma-aldrich.com.

SOURCE Sigma-Aldrich Corporation

BRIEFING - ASIA ELECTRONICS - MAY 13, 2011.

An executive briefing on electronics for May 13, 2011, prepared by Asia Pulse (http://www.asiapulse.com), the real-time, Asia-based wire with exclusive news, commercial intelligence and business opportunities.

CHINA'S Q1 HANDSET INTERNET GAME MARKET CAPACITY AT US$39 MLN

BEIJING - China's handset internet game market capacity was about 255 million yuan (US$39 million) in the first quarter of 2011, up 18.41 per cent over the fourth quarter in 2010, according to the latest estimation made by Analysys International, a market consultant.

The consulting agency also estimated that the handset internet games attracted 23.32 million users in the first quarter, an increase of 15.05 per cent over the previous quarter.

GS CALTEX UNIT BREAKS GROUND FOR S.KOREAN JV BATTERY PARTS PLANT

SEOUL - GS Caltex Co., South Korea's second-largest refinery, said Friday that its joint venture with a Japanese firm started work on a plant to produce anode materials for lithium-ion rechargeable batteries.

Power Carbon Technology Co. (PCT), a 50-50 joint venture between GS Caltex and Japan's top oil company JX Nippon Oil & Energy (JX NOE) Corp., will complete the plant with an annual production capacity of 2,000 tons of anode materials in Gumi, 260 kilometers southeast of Seoul, by the end of this year, GS Caltex said in a statement.

JAPAN'S SMART DEBUTS NEW HOME BATTERY, CAN ALSO POWER HYBRID CAR

TOKYO - Japan's Smart Energy Co. has developed a lithium ion rechargeable battery for households that can also be used to power hybrid vehicles.

The environmental venture in Tokyo will start selling the batteries as early as this month, targeting the Tokyo metropolitan area, where electricity shortages are expected this summer. Its goal is to sell 100 units a month, or 1,000 by the end of fiscal 2011.

JAPAN'S TOKUYAMA TO LIFT POLYCRYSTALLINE SILICON OUTPUT

TOKYO - Japan's Tokuyama Corp. (TSE:4043) said Thursday that it will spend 111 billion yen (US$1.37 billion) at home and abroad to increase production of polycrystalline silicon, which is used to make wafers for chips and solar cells.

The company expects to boost its annual output capacity to 31,000 tons in 2015, double the projected level for 2013.

HITACHI TO RE-ENTER CHINA'S LCD TV MARKET

TOKYO - Hitachi Ltd. (TSE:6501) is re-entering the flat-panel television market in China, hoping a switch to consigned production will enable it to compete on price with local manufacturers.

The Japanese electronics giant will sell five LCD TV models in China, ranging in size from 26-46 inches. Its development team will create designs suited to Chinese consumers, and production will be outsourced to a local EMS (electronics manufacturing service) firm. With 42-inch models projected to sell for 70,000 yen to 100,000 yen (US$865-$1,236), Hitachi hopes to attract demand from middle- and high-income households.

PANASONIC TO DEBUT CAR NAVIGATION SYSTEMS MADE WITH SANYO

OSAKA - Japan's Panasonic Corp. (TSE:6752) said Thursday that from June it will gradually release 13 new portable car navigation devices that it developed together with Sanyo Electric Co., which was made a wholly owned subsidiary in April.

The devices are modeled on Sanyo's hit Gorilla car navigation system and feature the same name. Employing Panasonic's high-definition wide LCD screens, the new lineup will make map reading easier.

INSTITUTE SAYS IT DID NOT BETRAY TAIWANESE COMPANIES

TAIPEI - Taiwan's state-funded Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) denied Thursday that its 2010 patent lawsuit settlement with Samsung Electronics Co. (KSE:005930) has negatively affected the interests of Taiwanese companies.

At a press conference, ITRI president Shyu Jyuo-min, however, refused to disclose the details of the settlement, citing "confidentiality." Shyu said that the ITRI "did not agree to sell patents" involved in the settlement exclusively to Samsung when it reached the deal last year with the South Korean company, which is seen as a rival by local electronics companies. Nor did the ITRI ink any deal with Samsung on cross licensing, he added.

TAIWAN WELL-POISED FOR ELECTRONIC BUSINESS: APPWORKS VENTURES

TAIPEI - Taiwan is well-poised to cash in on the electronic commerce market based on its convenient logistics and product diversity, a Taipei-based startup incubator said Thursday.

"Some logistics services in Taiwan that support 24-hour delivery have become a great advantage for e-commerce development, which will help consumers obtain their online purchases as soon as possible," said Jamie Lin, a founding partner of AppWorks Ventures.

INSTITUTE SAYS TAIWAN NOT AFFECTED BY SAMSUNG DEAL

TAIPEI - Taiwan's state-funded Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) denied Thursday that its 2010 patent lawsuit settlement with Samsung Electronics Co. (KSE:005930) has negatively affected the interests of Taiwanese companies.

ITRI president Shyu Jyuo-min, however, refused to disclose the details of the settlement, citing confidentiality.

SHARES OF TAIWAN'S DELTA ELECTRONICS DIVE ON RATING DOWNGRADE

TAIPEI - Shares of Taiwan's Delta Electronics Inc. (TAIEX:2308), the world's largest provider of switching power supplies, took a beating in Thursday morning trading after Credit Suisse downgraded its rating on the stock to "underperform" from "neutral." During the trade, Delta Electronics fell 4.42 per cent to NT$119.00 (US$4.15) with 10.64 million shares changing hands, while the weighted index was down 0.02 per cent at 9,018.99.

In a research report, Credit Suisse said it has concerns over Delta Electronics' strategy to diversify its business to solar cell production as falling global demand is impacting the company's bottom line.

(C) Asia Pulse Pte Ltd.

CONTACT:

Asia Pulse Production Centre

Phone: (612) 9322 8634

Fax: (612) 9322 8639

http://www.asiapulse.com

ASIA PULSE nt 13-05 2103

Saturday, February 25, 2012

PRESS GAGGLE BY PRESS SECRETARY JAY CARNEY, 4/27/2011 JAMES S. BRADY PRESS BRIEFING ROOM.

WASHINGTON -- The following information was released by the White House:

8:48 A.M. EDT

MR. CARNEY: Good morning, everybody. You can read the paperwork we just handed out in a minute. Let me just get started. Thank you for coming this morning. I have with me today Dan Pfeiffer, the President's Director of Communications, as well as Bob Bauer, the President's White House Counsel, who will have a few things to say about the documents we handed to you today. And then we'll take your questions. I remind you this is off camera and only pen and pad, not for audio. And I give you Dan Pfeiffer.

MR. PFEIFFER: Thanks, Jay. What you have in front of you now is a packet of papers that includes the President's long-form birth certificate from the state of Hawaii, the original birth certificate that the President requested and we posted online in 2008, and then the correspondence between the President's counsel and the Hawaii State Department of Health that led to the release of those documents.

If you would just give me a minute to -- indulge me a second to walk through a little of the history here, since all of you weren't around in 2008 when we originally released the President's birth certificate, I will do that. And then Bob Bauer will walk through the timeline of how we acquired these documents.

In 2008, in response to media inquiries, the President's campaign requested his birth certificate from the state of Hawaii. We received that document; we posted it on the website. That document was then inspected by independent fact checkers, who came to the campaign headquarters and inspected the document -- independent fact checkers did, and declared that it was proof positive that the President was born in Hawaii.

To be clear, the document we presented on the President's website in 2008 is his birth certificate. It is the piece of paper that every Hawaiian receives when they contact the state to request a birth certificate. It is the birth certificate they take to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get their driver's license and that they take to the federal government to get their passport. It is the legally recognized document.

That essentially -- for those of you who followed the campaign closely know that solved the issue. We didn't spend any time talking about this after that. There may have been some very fringe discussion out there, but as a campaign issue it was settled and it was --

Q

When you posted this did you post the other side of it where the signature is?

MR. PFEIFFER: Yes.

Q

Because it is not here and that's been an issue.

MR. PFEIFFER: We posted both sides and when it was looked at it was looked at by -- the fact checkers came to headquarters and actually examined the document we had.

That settled the issue. In recent weeks, the issue has risen again as some folks have begun raising a question about the original -- about the long-form birth certificate you now have in front of you. And Bob will explain why -- the extraordinary steps we had to take to receive that and the legal restraints that are in place there.

But it became an issue again. And it went to -- essentially the discussion transcended from the nether regions of the Internet into mainstream political debate in this country. It became something that when both Republicans and Democrats were talking to the media they were asked about. It was a constant discussion on mainstream news organizations. And the President believed that it was becoming a distraction from the major issues we're having in this country.

And he was particularly struck by the fact that right after the Republicans released their budget framework and the President released his, we were prepared to have a very important, very vigorous debate in this country about the future of the country, the direction we're going to take, how we're doing to deal with very important issues like education, Medicare, how we're going to deal with taxes in this country. And that should -- that's the debate we should be having yet.

What was really dominating a lot of discussion was this fake controversy, essentially, a sideshow, that was distracting from this real issue. And an example of that would be when major Democrats and Republicans went onto mainstream news organizations to talk about their budget plans -- including the President -- they were asked about this. They were asked about what they thought about the controversy. They were asked if they believed the President was born in the United States. And it was really a distraction.

That really struck the President, led him to ask his counsel to look into whether we could ask the state of Hawaii to release the long-form certificate, which is not something they generally do. And he did that despite the fact that it probably was not in his long-term -- it would have been in his -- probably in his long-term political interests to allow this birther debate to dominate discussion in the Republican Party for months to come. But he thought even though it might have been good politics, he thought it was bad for the country. And so he asked counsel to look into this.

And now I'll have Bob explain that, and then we'll take your questions.

MR. CARNEY: I just want to -- sorry, I meant to mention at the top, as some of you may have seen, the President will be coming to the briefing room at 9:45 a.m., making a brief statement about this -- not taking questions, but just wanted to let you know.

MR. PFEIFFER: And he will use this as an opportunity to make a larger point about what this debate says about our politics.

Go ahead, Bob.

MR. BAUER: Early last week the decision was made to review the legal basis for seeking a waiver from the longstanding prohibition in the state Department of Health on releasing the long-form birth certificate. And so we undertook a legal analysis and determined a waiver request could be made that we had the grounds upon which to make that request.

And by Thursday of last week, I spoke to private counsel to the President and asked her to contact the State Department of Health and to have a conversation about any requirements, further requirements, that they thought we had to satisfy to lodge that waiver request. She had that conversation with the state Department of Health on Thursday -- counsel in question is Judy Corley at the law firm of Perkins Coie, and you have a copy of the letter she subsequently sent to the department with the President's written request.

The department outlined the requirements for the President to make this request. He signed a letter making that request on Friday afternoon upon returning from the West Coast. And private counsel forwarded his written request -- written, signed request -- along with a letter from counsel, to the state Department of Health on Friday.

The department, as I understood it, after reviewing the law and reviewing the grounds asserted in the request, came to the conclusion that a waiver could be appropriately granted. We were advised that the long-form birth certificate could be copied and made available to us as early as Monday, April 25th -- the day before yesterday. And we made arrangements for counsel to travel to Honolulu to pick it up and it was returned to the White House yesterday afternoon.

Let me emphasize again, there is a specific statute that governs access to and inspection of vital records in the state of Hawaii. The birth certificate that we posted online is, in fact, and always has been, and remains, the legal birth certificate of the President that would be used for all legal purposes that any resident of Hawaii would want to use a birth certificate for.

However, there is legal authority in the department to make exceptions to the general policy on not releasing the long-form birth certificate. The policy in question, by the way, on non-release has been in effect since the mid-1980s, I understand. So while I cannot tell you what the entire history of exceptions has been, it is a limited one. This is one of very few that I understand have been granted for the reasons set out in private counsel's letter.

MR. PFEIFFER: We'll be happy to take some questions.

Q

I guess I just want to make sure that we're clear on this. Even though this one says "certificate of live birth" on here, this is different than the other certificate of live birth that we've seen?

MR. PFEIFFER: Yes. The second page there is the one that was posted on the Internet.

Q

Okay.

MR. PFEIFFER: And that is a copy of the one that has been kept at the Hawaii Department of Health.

Q

Okay. And this is the one that would be referred to -- that people have been asking for that is the birth certificate?

MR. PFEIFFER: They are both -- the second one is the birth certificate. The one on the top is what is referred to as the long-form birth certificate. As you can see -- and Bob can walk you through it -- it contains some additional information that is not on the second page, which was the birth certificate which was released during the campaign.

If you could just explain the difference.

MR. BAUER: There's a difference between a certificate and a certification. The certification is simply a verification of certain information that's in the original birth certificate. The birth certificate, as you can see, has signatures at the bottom from the attending physician, the local registrar, who essentially oversees the maintenance of the records. It contains some additional information also -- that is to say, the original birth certificate -- it contains some additional information like the ages of the parents, birthplaces, residence, street address, the name of the hospital.

The core information that's required for legal purposes and that is put into the actual certification that's a computer-generated document, which we posted in 2008, that information is abstracted, if you will, from the original birth certificate, put into the computerized short-form certification, and made available to Hawaiian residents at their request.

So the long form, which is a certificate, has more information, but the short form has the information that's legally sufficient for all the relevant purposes.

Q

This first one has never been released publicly, correct?

MR. BAUER: That's correct. It is in a bound volume in the records at the state Department of Health in Hawaii.

Q

Bob, can you explain why President Obama let this drag on for four years? Was it Donald Trump that prompted you to issue this?

MR. BAUER: I'll let Dan --

MR. PFEIFFER: Sure.

Q

I know you expected that question, right? (Laughter.)

MR. PFEIFFER: He even said you would be the one who would ask it. (Laughter.)

I don't think this dragged on for four years because this was a resolved -- for those of you who remember the campaign, this issue was resolved in 2008. And it has not been an issue, none of you have asked about it, called about it, reported on it until the last few weeks.

And as I said earlier, it probably would have been -- a lot of the pundits out there have talked about the fact that this whole birther debate has been really bad for the Republican Party and would probably be good for the President politically. But despite that, the President, as I said, was struck by how this was crowding out the debate, particularly around the budget, on important issues, and was an example of the sort of sideshows that our politics focuses on instead of the real challenges that we have to confront as a country.

And so that's why he made this decision now, because it became an issue that transcended sort of this -- it essentially was something that was talked about, as I said, from the nether regions of the Internet onto mainstream network newscasts. In fact, Jay has been asked about this just yesterday in this room.

Q

So I guess the implication is that you did get political advantage by having not released this until today, over the course of the last four years?

MR. PFEIFFER: There has been -- no one that I can recall actually asked us to -- we were asked to release the President's birth certificate in 2008. We did that. And then no one -- it never -- up until a few weeks ago, there was never an issue about that that wasn't the birth certificate from any credible individual or media outlet. And it hasn't been until -- I mean, Jay was asked about this yesterday --

Q

When you say that, you mean certification -- you released the certification?

MR. PFEIFFER: When any Hawaiian wants -- requests their birth certificate because they want to get a driver's license, they want to get a passport, they do exactly what the President did in 2008. And that's what that is. And we released that. And that's what any Hawaiian would do to release their birth certificate. And that was good enough for everyone until very recently this became a question again. And so the President made this decision. He'll talk to you more about his thinking on that.

Q

And this is going to sound -- I mean, you can just anticipate what people are going to -- remain unconvinced. They're going to say that this is just a photocopy of a piece of paper, you could have typed anything in there. Will the actual certificate be on display or viewable at any -- (laughter.)

Q

Will the President be holding it?

MR. PFEIFFER: He will not, and I will not leave it here for him to do so. But it will -- the State Department of Health in Hawaii will obviously attest that that is a -- what they have on file. As Bob said, it's in a book in Hawaii.

MR. BAUER: And you'll see the letter from the director of the Health Department that states that she oversaw the copy and is attesting to --

Q

But do you understand that this could quiet the conspiracy theorists?

MR. PFEIFFER: There will always be some selection of people who will believe something, and that's not the issue. The issue is that this is not a discussion that is just happening among conspiracy theorists. It's happening here in this room; it's happening on all of the networks. And it's something that, as I said, every major political figure of both parties who's actually out trying to talk about real issues is asked about this by the media. And so the President decided to release this. And I'll leave it to others to decide whether there's still -- there will be some who still have a different -- have a conspiracy about this.

Q

You've got two certified copies, according to this study. You have these physical --

MR. PFEIFFER: Yes. I showed you one. Just one.

Q

You showed us a photocopy of one.

MR. PFEIFFER: No, I showed you --

Q

Does that have a stamp?

MR. PFEIFFER: It has a seal on it.

Q

Why does this rise to the level of a presidential statement?

MR. PFEIFFER: The President -- this in itself -- when you hear the President I think you'll understand the point he's making. That will be in not too long.

Q

Did the President change his own mind about this? In other words, was he advocating during the campaign let's just put it out there and get it over with, or was this an internal shift in thinking based -- in other words, was it the President who steadfastly during the campaign said this is ridiculous, I don't want to give this any more ground, and has now changed his mind? Or is this the --

MR. PFEIFFER: Let's be very clear. You were there for the campaign. There was never a question about the original birth certificate during the campaign. It was a settled issue. I was there for the original decision to release the birth certificate. I was there when we posted it online. I'm not sure I even knew there was an original one that was different than the one we posted online because it wasn't an issue. So it wasn't like -- let's be very clear. We were asked for the President's birth certificate in 2008; we released the President's birth certificate; and it was done. That was it.

And so there hasn't been a discussion about this other document for years. It's only been in the last few weeks. And so to your second question, the President decided to do this and he'll talk about this when he gets here -- decided to do it at the timeline that Bob laid out because it was a -- this was a sideshow that was distracting from the real challenges that we're facing.

It's not just a sideshow for him; it's a sideshow for our entire politics that have become focused on this.

Q

Not to give Donald Trump more publicity than he has, but is he the person who sort of -- sort of that bridge between what you're calling a fringe and the mainstream? Do you think that he's the reason why this tripped the switch to a level where you now have to deal with something you thought was dealt with?

MR. PFEIFFER: It's not for me to say why mainstream media organizations began to cover this debate. They'll have to answer that for themselves.

Q

How concerned were you about running against Donald Trump in a general election?

MR. PFEIFFER: I'd refer any questions on the election to the campaign.

Q

Can you address the reports of Petraeus to the CIA and DOD --

MR. PFEIFFER: You get points for that, Carol. (Laughter.)

MR. CARNEY: Yes. I don't have -- but you'll be disappointed to learn that I don't have a personnel announcement for you. The President will be addressing this -- questions about personnel tomorrow.

Q

Dan, was there a debate about whether or not this deserved being discussed by the White House, whether or not -- and I'm going back to the birth certificate. I lose points, I understand. But was there debate about whether or not this was worthy of the White House?

MR. PFEIFFER: The point I'd make is that we weren't the ones who -- we're not the first ones to bring this up in this room. Jay has been asked questions about this; the President has been asked about it in media interviews. And so that wasn't a decision that we made, and the President made the decision to do this and he made the decision to -- and when he comes down here this morning he'll talk to you about why he thinks there's an important point to be made here.

Q

Getting back to the personnel announcements, does the President understand that these announcements have been made and sourced satisfactorily for most news organizations before he speaks up and he's not letting his White House corroborate?

MR. CARNEY: I don't have a comment on that for you, Bill. (Laughter.)

Q

I mean, this is such BS. It's all out there and you guys are -- okay, the President is going to talk about this tomorrow so we can't say anything.

MR. CARNEY: Bill, you're free to make phone calls everywhere you can. I'm just saying that we don't have a personnel announcement for you today.

Q

And he'll tomorrow, he'll cover all the aforementioned switches?

MR. CARNEY: We'll have a personnel announcement tomorrow.

Q

Jay, yesterday you talked about failsafe triggers as sort of a positive alternative to spending cuts. I'm wondering if the White House has any openness to including that, because it's a White House proposal, including that in any legislation that would raise the debt ceiling limit.

MR. CARNEY: Well, what we've said very clearly, and I think Secretary Geithner said it eloquently yesterday, it is a dangerous, risky idea to hold hostage any other -- hold hostage, rather, raising the debt ceiling, a vote on raising the debt ceiling, to any other piece of legislation. The commitment this President has to moving aggressively towards a comprehensive deficit reduction plan is clear. It will be clear again when the Vice President convenes a meeting, bipartisan, bicameral meeting, next week. And he hopes that progress will be made on that very quickly.

In terms of negotiating what that would look like, I think the negotiators should do that, led by the Vice President, Republicans and Democrats together. But again, explicitly linking or holding hostage the absolute necessity of raising the debt ceiling to any other piece of legislation and declaring that we'll tank the U.S. economy and perhaps the global economy if we don't get this specific thing that we want, I think is a dangerous and unprecedented thing to do.

And we're confident, remain confident, that the leaders of both parties in Congress, as well as the President, will agree with the President, as I have said many times, that we do not have an alternative to raising the debt ceiling because, as many have said, outside observers, economists and businessmen and women, the impact of that would be calamitous at best.

Q

So even though it's your own proposal that you guys endorsed you don't want to see it as part of the final package?

MR. CARNEY: I'm not negotiating individual pieces of a package that we hope Republicans and Democrats can come together around from this podium. But again, we believe it's essential to -- the President believes -- that's one of the reasons why we're doing this right now -- we believe that these are big debates that need to be had. They can be contentious, argumentative, serious, comprehensive, detailed, because they're important; they're all about America's future. And they're about visions of this country and where we're going that need to be debated. And this debate was being crowded out in many ways by a sideshow.

And he looks forward to having a debate on the real issues that Americans want us to talk about -- long-term economic plans, deficit reduction, investments in the kinds of things that will help this economy grow and create jobs, dealing with our energy needs, a long-term energy plan. These are all issues that have been sidetracked at least in the public debate by some of the issues that we're talking about this morning.

Q

Is there a concern that more and more people were actually starting to believe its sideshow -- I mean, people have been asking about --

MR. CARNEY: I will let the President speak for himself, but what Dan was saying and I think is important is that the issue here is that the President feels that this was bad for the country; that it's not healthy for our political debate, when we have so many important issues that Americans care about, that affect their lives, to be drawn into sideshows about fallacies that have been disproven with the full weight of a legal document for several years.

So, again, as Dan said, and a lot of political pundits have said, you could say that it would be good politics, smart politics, for the President to let this play out. He cares more about what's good for the country. He wants the debate on the issues. He wants the focus on the issues that Americans care about.

Q

Jay, the President yesterday said that he had been talking to oil exporters about increasing output. Who specifically has he been talking --

MR. CARNEY: Well, I said -- I want to clarify. I said several times I believe from this podium when asked questions about our overall handling of the issue of high gas prices that we've had conversations with oil-producing states and allies and those conversations continue. I don't have specific "the President spoke with this leader or other government officials spoke with others," but those are ongoing conversations that, of course, we would be having in a situation like this.

Q

Do you guys have any comment on the NATO soldiers that were killed in Afghanistan and any confirmation on whether there were Americans?

MR. CARNEY: I don't have anything for you on that this morning.

Q

Just quickly, back on the birth certificate, yesterday you said this was a settled issue. So --

MR. CARNEY: Well, as Dan said, again, it has been a settled issue.

MR. PFEIFFER: From a factual point of view, it's absolutely a settled issue. But the fact that it was a settled issue did not keep it from becoming a major part of the political discussion in this town for the last several weeks here. So there's absolutely no question that what the President released in 2008 was his birth certificate and answered that question, and many of your organizations have done excellent reporting which proved that to be the case. But it continued; the President thought it was a sideshow and chose to take this step today for the reasons Bob laid out.

Q

Aside from the policy distractions that was presented, did you have some concern because it was sort of reaching back into the mainstream news coverage that this could become a factor in the 2012 election with centrist voters?

MR. PFEIFFER: No.

Q

Just to clarify what this document is --

MR. PFEIFFER: This is the -- the letter first and the two certified copies -- this is one of those. This is the same thing you have a copy of as the first page of your packet.

Q

How did it get here?

MR. PFEIFFER: As Bob said, it arrived by plane -- the President's personal counsel went to Hawaii and brought it back and we got it last night.

Q

Last night?

MR. PFEIFFER: Last night.

Q

What time?

MR. PFEIFFER: Between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Q

When did you decide to do this gaggle?

MR. PFEIFFER: What's that?

Q

When was this gaggle put on -- when was this planned?

MR. PFEIFFER: Whatever time you received your guidance suggesting that it would be "this time tomorrow morning."

Q

Are these letters supposed to demonstrate the legal steps that were involved in releasing it to the White House counsel?

MR. BAUER: The letters that you have, the personal request from the President, along with the accompanying letter from private counsel, is merely meant to document the legal path to getting the waiver of that policy so we could get the long-form certificate.

Q

The waiver of Hawaii state government policy?

MR. BAUER: Right. The non-release of the long-form certificate, which has been in effect since the 1980s -- a natural question would have been, well, what did you do to obtain the waiver, and those letters represent the request.

Q

Well, isn't it true that anybody who was born in Hawaii can write this letter? I mean, that's all there is to the waiver process?

MR. BAUER: No. Let me just explain once again because I also noticed, by the way, in one report already the wrong certificate was actually posted on the website. The certificate with the signatures at the bottom -- and that's a key difference between the short form and the long form -- the long form has signatures at the bottom from the attending physician, the local registrar, and the mother, is the original birth certificate, which sits in a bound volume in the State Department of Health.

The short from is a computerized abstract, and that's the legal birth certificate we requested in 2008 and that Hawaiians are entitled to. Since the mid-1980s, the State Department of Health, for administrative reasons, only provides to people who request their birth certificate the short form. They do not provide the long form.

So in order for us to obtain the long form, we had to have a waiver. We had to actually determine that there was a legal basis for providing it, and then ask them to exercise their authority to provide us with the long form. The steps required to accomplish that were a letter from the person with the direct and vital interest -- the President -- so you have a letter from the President, and then there was an accompanying letter from counsel basically formalizing the request. So the reason we included that is that those were legal steps we took to obtain the long form by way of this waiver.

Q

Do we have the letter from the President --

MR. BAUER: It's in the packet.

Q

And you went to Hawaii?

MR. BAUER: I did not go to Hawaii. The counsel, Judy Corley, who signed the -- the President's personal counsel at Perkins Coie, Judy Corley, whose letter -- signed letter of request is in your packet, traveled to Honolulu and picked up the birth certificate.

Q

A question on the situation regarding the Defense of Marriage Act. Yesterday Attorney General Eric Holder rejected attacks on Paul Clement, who is taking up defense of the statute on behalf of the U.S. House. Paul Clement has taken a lot of heat from the LGBT community for volunteering to take up defense of DOMA. Eric Holder said, "Paul Clement is a great lawyer and has done a lot of really great things for this nation. In taking on the representation -- representing Congress in connection with DOMA, I think he is doing that which lawyers do when we're at our best. That criticism I think was very misplaced." And Holder went on to compare the criticism of Clement to attacks on the Justice Department lawyers for their past for detainees at Guantanamo Bay. Does the President share Eric Holder's views on this?

MR. CARNEY: We do share Eric Holder's views on this. We think -- as we said from the beginning when we talked about -- when I did from this podium -- about the decision no longer from the administration to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, that we would support efforts by Congress if they so chose to defend it. And so I have nothing to add to the Attorney General's comments.

Q

Following Monday's Af-Pak Situation Room meeting, what is the President's assessment of the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan? And does he think that July drawdown is still on?

MR. CARNEY: The President's policy, which included the beginning of a transition -- beginning of a drawdown of American troops, is absolutely still on track. I don't have anything additionally from the meeting yesterday beyond what we've said. But the policy remains as it was.

MR. EARNEST: Jay, we should wrap it up here.

MR. CARNEY: Yes. Last one, yes.

Q

Given the comments of the Pakistani official quoted in the Wall Street Journal, is Pakistan still a U.S. ally, and to what extent?

MR. CARNEY: Pakistan is still a U.S. ally.

Thanks.

END

9:18 A.M. EDT

Regal Beloit Corporation to Hold Third Quarter 2010 Earnings Conference Call on Tuesday, November 2, 2010.

BELOIT, Wis., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Regal Beloit Corporation (NYSE: RBC) announced today that it plans to release its 2010 third quarter financial results after the market closes on Monday, November 1, 2010.

At 9:00 AM CT (10:00 AM ET) on Tuesday, November 2, 2010, the Company will hold a conference call to discuss the earnings release. To listen to the call via the internet, please go to http://www.regalbeloit.com/ or at: http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=73636. Individuals who would like to participate by phone should dial 800-860-2442, referencing Regal Beloit. International callers should dial 412-858-4600, referencing Regal Beloit.

A telephone replay of the call will be available through February 3, 2011 at 877-344-7529, conference ID 445568. International callers should call 412-317-0088 using the same conference ID. A webcast replay will be available for one year and can be accessed at http://www.regalbeloit.com/rbceventspresentations.htm or at http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=73636.

Regal Beloit Corporation is a leading manufacturer of mechanical and electrical motion control and power generation products serving markets throughout the world. Regal Beloit is headquartered in Beloit, Wisconsin, and has manufacturing, sales, and service facilities throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia. Regal Beloit's common stock is a component of the S&P Mid Cap 400 Index and the Russell 2000 Index.

SOURCE Regal Beloit Corporation

Citron, Inc. Enters Into Merger Negotiations with Project Rainmaker, Ltd.

DENVER, Co., July 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Citron, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: CTRN), a Texas corporation, announced that it has entered into merger negotiations with Project Rainmaker, Ltd., a United Kingdom based company that specializes in internet website management and marketing. The terms of the agreement would call for the exchange of shares of 100% Project Rainmaker, Ltd. for shares of Citron, Inc. to be determined.

Management of Citron, Inc. expects to release additional information regarding the merger shortly.

SOURCE Citron, Inc.

     -0-                             07/14/98 

/CONTACT: Seth Cayer, for Citron, Inc., 706-343-0096/

(CTRN)

CO: Citron, Inc.; Project Rainmaker, Ltd. ST: Colorado, Texas, United Kingdom IN: MLM SU: TNM

RB -- ATTU009 -- 7905 07/14/98 10:02 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com