FED:More asylum seekers reach Christmas Island

AAP General News (Australia)
08-13-2011
FED:More asylum seekers reach Christmas Island

Another boat load of asylum seekers has reached Christmas Island.

Fairfax newspapers say the boat, carrying about 62 people, including at least two children
and several women, is the fourth to have arrived since the Malaysia plan was signed by
the federal government.

The small, but crowded boat was escorted by the navy into Flying Fish Cove yesterday
afternoon, bringing the total of asylum seekers set to be sent to Malaysia to 269.

The federal government is being scrutinised by the High Court over its plan to return
800 asylum seekers to Malaysia.

AAP RTV ao/wz

KEYWORD: BOAT (SYDNEY)

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

NSW: Drinking partner of dead vagrant had history of violence

AAP General News (Australia)
02-21-2006
NSW: Drinking partner of dead vagrant had history of violence

An inquest's been told a Sydney man .. who was the last person seen with a murdered
vagrant .. lived by the bottle and had a history of violence.

65-year-old REGINALD THOMAS MAVIN was found bludgeoned to death in the grandstand of
Sydney's Jubilee Park in August 1999.

Glebe Coroner's Court's been told his longtime drinking partner PHILLIP …

FED:Reward for working pensioners

AAP General News (Australia)
04-17-2011
FED:Reward for working pensioners

It's been revealed that pensioners will be able to earn more without losing anything
in an attempt by the federal government to keep them in the workforce for longer.

According to Fairfax newspapers .. an incentive-based program that rewards pensioners
for re-entering or staying longer at work will be included in next month's budget.

From July 1 .. Aussies receiving an age pension will be able to earn up to 10-thousand-400-dollars
.. an increase on the income-free threshold of 26-hundred .. in both investment and wage
income and still receive the maximum rate.

A pensioner who receives income solely through wages may earn up to 48-thousand-980
dollars and receive a percentage of the pension.

AAP RTV ao/nap

KEYWORD: PENSIONERS (SYDNEY)

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

FED:Boat arrivals to continue in 2011: Opp'n

AAP General News (Australia)
12-31-2010
FED:Boat arrivals to continue in 2011: Opp'n

The federal opposition predicts there'll be tsunami of asylum-seeker boat arrivals in 2011.

Opposition spokesman MICHAEL KEENAN says Labor's ended the year with Australia's border
security in tatters .. with 135 boat arrivals carrying more than six-thousand-800 people
this year.

Mr KEENAN says that's 74 more boats and more than four thousand people than last year
.. and a tsunami of boats will continue next year unless Labor changes its failed border
protection policy.

AAP RTV rl/psm/

KEYWORD: BOAT (CANBERRA)

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

POLL10 KOOYONG VIC

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2010
POLL10 KOOYONG VIC

CANDIDATE PARTY VOTES % SWING
------------------------------------------------------
HURD, Steve ALP 0 00.00 00.00
BENSON, Des GRN 0 00.00 00.00
FRYDENBERG, Josh LP 0 00.00 00.00
LAIDLER, John FFP 0 00.00 00.00

FORMAL 0 00.00 00.00

INFORMAL 0 00.00 00.00

TOTAL 0

Two Candidate Preferred:

Candidate1 XXX 0 00.00 00.00

Candidate2 XXX 0 00.00 00.00

2007 result: ALP 24,599; FFP 1,261; LP 45,172; DEM 1,056; CEC 154; GRN 9,686; Formal
81,928; Informal 1,756; Total 83,684.

Swing needed 9.53 per cent.

Retiring member Petro Georgiou (LP).

KEYWORD: KOOYONG - Victoria. 89,659 enrolled. 00.00% counted.

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

Fed: Dutton says looks at what's delivered not what's promised

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2010
Fed: Dutton says looks at what's delivered not what's promised

The federal opposition says KEVIN RUDD's health reform plan is starting to sound a little ad hoc.

The prime minister announced 500 million dollars to cut hospital emergency department
waiting times yesterday .. if the states sign up to his reforms at next week's COAG meeting
.. and is to unveil a 739 million dollar plan for a federal takeover of aged care later
today.

Opposition health spokesman PETER DUTTON's told ABC TV it doesn't look like a proposal
that's been properly thought through .. and the question's whether Mr RUDD can deliver
on his promises.

AAP RTV mb/rl/jmt

KEYWORD: HOSPITALS DUTTON (CANBERRA)

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

AAP Backgrounders and Analyses for the weekend of August 29/30

AAP General News (Australia)
08-28-2009
AAP Backgrounders and Analyses for the weekend of August 29/30
AAP BACKGROUNDERS AND ANALYSES FOR THE WEEKEND OF AUGUST 29/30
For further information please contact Newseds on (02) 93228610/11.

CANBERRA - Brendan Nelson dropped bombshells on both sides of politics this week - one
deliberate and the other unwittingly. (Newscope Federal, AAP News Analysis, by Kate Hannon,
National Political Editor, about 800 words, on file)

CANBERRA - The federal government's budget forecasts are looking increasingly in need
of a major overhaul rather than usual tinkering around the edges. (Economy, AAP Backgrounder,
by Colin Brinsden, Economics Correspondent, about 1,000 words, on file)

SYDNEY - When Robert Menzies performed his "melancholy duty" in 1939, telling Australians
the nation was at war again, few could have imagined the death and destruction that lay
ahead. (WWII, AAP Newsfeature, by Senior Correspondent Doug Conway, about 1,000 words,
on file)

LONDON - When Ilene Adams began her career as a secretary, working in an underground bunker
alongside British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was probably the last place she expected
to end up. (WWII Adams, AAP Newsfeature, by Belinda Tasker, about 1,100 words, on file)

CANBERRA - I have cancer. I am 25 years old. First it was in my brain and now it's spread
to my spine. (Cancer, AAP Feature, by Peter Veness, about 800 words, on file)

SYDNEY - A year in and NSW Labor's gamble of installing Nathan Rees as premier has not
gone according to plan. (Rees Anniversary, AAP Backgrounder with timeline and quotes,
by Nick Ralston, about 1,000 words, on file)

BRISBANE - The jailing of Luke James Colless for 25 years has come after more than two
years of trauma for his victims and a break involving the luck of the Irish. (Colless,
AAP Newsfeature, by Paul Osborne and David Barbeler, 780 words, on file)

MILANG, SA - When the sun is shining it's happy hour, according to a sign in the public
bar at Milang's Pier Hotel. (Murray, AAP Newsfeature, by Larine Statham, about 800 words,
to come Friday afternoon)

HOBART - How can a car parts business with a needy customer like Ford fail, especially
after banking nearly $10 million in recent government handouts and industry help? (ACL,
AAP Backgrounder, by Paul Carter, about 900 words, on file)

ADELAIDE - It started with a Christmas present from his missus. (Brew, AAP Newsfeature,
by Steve Larkin, about 1,000 words, on file)

SYDNEY - The history of Thomas Keneally is vividly documented at his home on Sydney's
northern beaches which he shares with Judy, his wife of 45 years. (Keneally, AAP Feature,
by Judy Skatssoon, about 1,000 words, on file)

JAKARTA - The final chapter of Indonesia's occupation of East Timor began in a most unlikely
place: Thailand. (Timor Independence, AAP Backgrounder, by Adam Gartrell, about 1,200
words, on file)

SPORT
Eds: For further information on sport reads please contact Neil Harvey on (02) 9322 8756.

LEAGUE
SYDNEY, AAP - It wasn't exactly a mid-life crisis, but Brett Kimmorley needed a change.

(League Kimmorley Sportsfeature by Steve Jancetic, 756 words with factbox, on file)

CYCLING
MELBOURNE - Amid the wreckage of his disastrous Tour de France campaign, Cadel Evans is
determined to salvage some good from 2009. (Cycling Evans Sportsfeature by Roger Vaughan,
850 words, on file)

WINTER GAMES
CARDRONA, New Zealand - In the fractured world of snowboarding it can be pretty difficult
to sort the wheat from the chaff. (Snowboard Aust Sportsfeature by Glenn Cullen, 777 words,
on file)

RACING
SYDNEY - Australia's newest Group One race holds pride of place as the first elite test
of the 2009-10 season. (Gallops Rose Sportsfeature by Caryl Williamson, 837 words, on
file)

ROUTINERS TO BE SENT FRIDAY
* The Week (includes * Milestones * Quotes * Oddities)
* Checkup medical column

* Postcards from London, Jakarta, Los Angeles, Auckland, Moresby and state based expected
Sunday, 1200.



AAP bwl/apm/mn

KEYWORD: WEEKEND READS UPDATE

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

HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:45, April 20 = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2009
HighLights of the AAP National Wire at 14:45, April 20 = 2

SYDNEY - MTV VJ Ruby Rose has knocked off Antonia Kidman as Australia's favourite female
pay TV personality. (ASTRA. With factbox. Eds: Strictly embargoed until 0001 AEST Monday)

SYDNEY - Legendary Australian film critic Bill Collins will be inducted into the Hall
of Fame at this year's Logie Awards. (Logies Collins)



PORT MORESBY - The Papua New Guinea government spent 3.2 million kina (A$1.6m) of public
money on a three day Australian Prime Minister's official visit to PNG last year. (PNG
Budget)



AUCKLAND - Fiji's regime has begun rebuilding its judiciary with military-approved
judges, a week after the bench was sacked amid political upheaval. (Fiji)



CANBERRA - Weaker demand for beef as a result of the global financial crisis is to
blame for a slight decrease in cattle numbers, new figures show. (Beef)

MELBOURNE - Australia must ramp up taxes on landfill to force the waste management
sector to look at alternatives, an international waste management expert says. (Waste)



SYDNEY - A fan heater has been recalled due to an internal connection which can cause
fires. (Heater)



CANBERRA - Australia needs a flexible strategy that can deal with China as both a benign,
responsible regime, and an aggressive and authoritarian superpower, a new study says.

(China ASPI)



CANBERRA - A special forces soldier seriously hurt by a bomb blast in Afghanistan earlier
this month has returned to Australia for further medical treatment. (Afghan Aust )



BRISBANE - Four people have been charged with stealing fallen branches from the Tree
of Knowledge at Barcaldine in central Queensland. (Knowledge)



CANBERRA - A tribunal is set to examine whether special forces soldiers deserve recognition
for counter-terrorism duties. (SASR )



CANBERRA - People over the age of 65 are being urged to visit their GP for a free vaccination
ahead of this year's flu season. (Flu)



SYDNEY - A Sydney teenager rang his mother a few hours before he went missing in NSW's
Blue Mountains, saying his bushwalk was going fine, an inquest has heard. (Iredale. Wrap
to come)



SYDNEY - A man accused of being a war criminal was a "Serbian hero" whose life was
ruined by an article in The Australian newspaper, a judge has been told. (Vasiljkovic.

Wrap to come)



MURWILLUMBAH - A suburban playground is still a high risk to children a year after
a toddler drowned in a nearby pond, an inquest has heard. (McCarron. Wrap to come)



SYDNEY - Police are continuing to search for the mother of a newborn baby girl left
outside an apartment building in western NSW, fearing for her health. (Baby. Wrap to come)



SYDNEY - An earthworks company reinvented itself as a security fencing specialist before
winning a $7.5 million contract with the NSW's electricity transmission network owner,
a corruption hearing in Sydney has heard. (ICAC TransGrid. Wrap to come)



SYDNEY - A man has been charged over the death of a pedestrian hit by two cars in southwest
Sydney. (Toll NSW. Wrap to come)

Toll NSW. Wrap to come.



MELBOURNE - Covarege of funeral for former anti-corruption royal commissioner Frank
Costigan. (Costigan to come)



MELBOURNE - The number of police walking the beat on Victoria's streets has decreased
dramatically while violent crime has soared, newly released figures show. (Patrol. With
factbox. Eds: Strictly embargoed until 0001 Tuesday)



MELBOURNE - A mother who murdered her two young sons was disadvantaged during her trial
because an eminent psychiatrist was not called, an appeals court has heard. (Fitchett.

Outseeking more)



MELBOURNE - One person is believed to have been killed after a helicopter crash in
remote country on the Victoria-South Australia border. (Helicopter. Outseeking more)



MELBOURNE - The family of dead backpacker Britt Lapthorne believes her body was dumped
in the sea and weighed down just hours after she disappeared from a Croatian nightclub.

(Lapthorne Update)



MELBOURNE - Half of Victorians and Tasmanians believe the great Australian dream of
owning a home is out of reach, a survey says. (Home)



BRISBANE - There are calls for the Queensland government to toughen up rules for four
wheel driving on Fraser Island, after a weekend crash which killed two people and injured
nine others. (Fraser. Wrap to come)



BRISBANE - A jury has been unable to find a verdict in the case of three Gold Coast
businessmen accused of hiding more than $3 million in offshore bank accounts to avoid
paying tax. (Hargraves)



BRISBANE - Queensland Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek says he will give up dentistry
to concentrate on being the alternative premier. (Langbroek. Wrap to come)



BRISBANE - Seven new state schools will be built in Queensland's southeast, generating
thousands of new jobs, Treasurer Andrew Fraser says. (Schools Qld Update)



ADELAIDE - South Australia's Road Safety Minister Tom Koutsantonis has quit the portfolio
after owning up to a shocking record of speeding and other traffic offences. (Koutsantonis)



ADELAIDE - More than 700 convicted offenders in South Australia are now being monitored
after having their details recorded on the Australian National Child Offender Register,
the state government says. (Offenders)



HOBART - Tasmania's suspended police commissioner has failed to have his trial on corruption
charges expedited. (Johnston)

AAP jlw

KEYWORD: HIGHLIGHTS NATIONAL 2 SYDNEY

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

SA: Coroner warns of curtain cord dangers

AAP General News (Australia)
12-15-2008
SA: Coroner warns of curtain cord dangers

ADELAIDE, Dec 15 AAP - A coroner has issued a warning to parents after a 13-month-old
boy died when a cord from a window blind became tangled around his neck.

South Australian Deputy Coroner Anthony Schapel said on Monday the boy died in March
last year after he had been left unattended in his cot for just 10 or 15 minutes.

Mr Schapel said the boy was found hanging from the cord by his father, his death ruled
an accident by police, with no suggestion of neglect or suspicious circumstances.

The coroner said curtain cords were recognised as a safety risk when cots were placed
near windows and he recommended a public education campaign be conducted to warn of the
dangers.

He also agreed with expert evidence from forensic pathologist Roger Byard who argued
for the need to provide proper information and warnings to families when they purchased
products that had intrinsic dangers such as curtains and blinds.

"He told me in plain terms that people need to know that these devices are dangerous,"

Mr Schapel said in his findings.

"He adds that the relative infrequency of deaths is really beside the point when it
is considered that any death of this nature is preventable and should be prevented.

"I agree with that assessment of the situation."

The coroner asked that the name of the dead boy not be published.

AAP tjd/maur/de

KEYWORD: CORD

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

SWM: Hackett misses out on 400m medals

AAP General News (Australia)
08-10-2008
SWM: Hackett misses out on 400m medals

BEIJING, Aug 10 AAP - Australian swim team captain Grant Hackett suffered early disappointment
when he missed out on the medals in the 400 metres freestyle at the Beijing Olympics today.

The 2004 Athens silver medallist faded to finish sixth in the final as South Korean
youngster Park Tae-hwan charged to victory in three minutes 41.86 seconds at the Water
Cube.

China's Zhang Lin (3:42.44) and American Larsen Jensen (3:42.78) collected the silver
and bronze medals respectively.

Hackett started well and early in the eight-lap race but Park, swimming next to him,
kicked in the fifth lap and steadily pulled away from the big man.

"It's not the time I was looking for, obviously I would have loved to have be on the
podium," said Hackett, who will pursue a record third consecutive 1500m gold medal on
the final day of the swimming competition.

"It was a fast field and I thought I had a bit more in me but it didn't come out tonight
unfortunately."

Park also looms as a major threat for Hackett in the 1500m.

"I've trained for the 15(00m), gave that (the 400) the best shot but unfortunately
I didn't quite get what I wanted," said Hackett.

He remained confident for the 1500m.

"Yeah, I know I'm swimming well so I just look forward to getting into the 15(00)."

AAP tw/nh

KEYWORD: OLY08 SWM M400F LEAD

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

Ingate SIParator Tapped as Product of the Year by Unified Communications Magazine

Wireless News
03-25-2008
Ingate SIParator Tapped as Product of the Year by Unified Communications Magazine

WIRELESS NEWS-March 25, 2008-Ingate SIParator Tapped as Product of the Year by Unified Communications Magazine (C)2008 10Meters - http://www.10meters.com

Ingate Systems, which develops firewall technology and products that enable SIP communications for the enterprise while maintaining control and security at the network edge, announced that Technology Marketing Corp.'s (TMC) Unified Communications magazine has named the Ingate SIParator as a recipient of its 2007 Product of the Year Award.
The SIParator is a security edge device that allows businesses to use VoIP and all other forms of SIP communication outside the enterprise network (as well as within the Local Area Network [LAN]) when connecting to SIP trunks or to remote workers by solving the Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal issues with the protocol, while maintaining the security and integrity of the enterprise network. The SIParator works in tandem with an existing SIP-unaware firewall to allow the secure traversal of SIP communications, while leaving the traditional firewall in place to secure data traffic.

"Ingate Systems has proven they are committed to quality and excellence while addressing real needs in the marketplace. Unified Communications is pleased to grant a 2007 Product of the Year Award to their SIParator," said Rich Tehrani, TMC president and editor-in- chief of Unified Communications magazine. "We are proud to honor their hard work and accomplishments and look forward to more innovative solutions from Ingate in the future."

"Unified communications is the next evolution in Internet communications for businesses. Ingate's SIP-enabling security technologies position enterprises to leverage the full breadth of SIP applications to utilize UC now, and in the future," said Olle Westerberg, chief executive officer, Ingate Systems. "Ingate is proud to be honored by Unified Communications with the Product of the Year Award."

Product of the Year winners will be published in the March, issue of Unified Communications magazine.

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

((Distributed via M2 Communications Ltd - http://www.m2.com))

(Copyright M2 Communications Ltd. 2008)

Race: Moonee Valley night meeting called off

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2007
Race: Moonee Valley night meeting called off

Saturday night's Moonee Valley meeting has been abandoned .. after Racing Victoria
officials were told they'd be permitted to stage only one race meeting per day.

The state's Department of Primary Industries says only one meeting a day can go ahead
until next Wednesday .. to minimise the risk of escalating the horse flu crisis.

RV's STEPHEN ALLANSON'S told TVN the feature McEwen and William Crockett Stakes scheduled
for Moonee Valley .. will be added to Saturday's Caulfield card.

AAP RTV TURF mc/gm/wf/tm

KEYWORD: STALLIONS VIC (MELBOURNE)

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

Fed: Turning back IR laws will cause wages blowout: Costello

AAP General News (Australia)
04-16-2007
Fed: Turning back IR laws will cause wages blowout: Costello

The federal government says Labor and the ACTU will spend 100 million dollars .. trying
to overturn the Work Choices laws if elected .. causing a wages blowout and driving up
interest rates.

Treasurer PETER COSTELLO has told The Australian newspaper .. Labor's plan will lead
to a wages explosion across the economy .. at a time when inflation is near to three per
cent.

Mr COSTELLO says with the economy operating on record low levels of unemployment ..

it's critical to maintain a decentralised industrial relations framework .. to avoid putting
pressure on wages.

AAP RTV acb/af

KEYWORD: WORKPLACE COSTELLO (SYDNEY)

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

Vic: DLP loses seat in recount but ALP still short of majority

AAP General News (Australia)
12-14-2006
Vic: DLP loses seat in recount but ALP still short of majority

MELBOURNE, Dec 14 AAP - The Democratic Labor Party (DLP) has lost one of its Victorian
upper house seats to the Labor Party following a vote recount overnight.

But the ALP has still failed to return a majority in the Legislative Council with the
party losing another seat to the Greens.

The Victorian Electoral Commission announced early today DLP candidate John Mulholland
had been replaced in the northern metropolitan electorate by the ALP's Nazih Elasmar.

But Labor's Henry Barlow, who provisionally won the western metropolitan seat, conceded
defeat to the Green's Colleen Heartland after a recount.

The DLP held on to one upper house position in the electorate of western Victoria.

The result gives the ALP 19 seats of 40 seats in the upper house, against the Liberal
Party's 15. The National Party has two, the Greens has three and the DLP one.

MORE cb/br

KEYWORD: POLLVIC DAYLEAD

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

Fed: Modern Life anoint themselves World Happiness Day ambassadors

AAP General News (Australia)
08-07-2006
Fed: Modern Life anoint themselves World Happiness Day ambassadors

Sydney rock band Modern Life will have fans grinning .. when they launch their new
song .. Smile Today .. for free.

You can download it to coincide with World Happiness Day tomorrow.

Guitarist WARWICK SCOTT says the whole thing just ties in perfectly with World Happiness Day.

you can download Smile Today on myspace.com/modernlifemusic for 24 hours from midnight tonight.







The band is made up of SCOTT on guitar .. drummer MICHAEL SUTHERLAND and bass player
DEAN SUTHERLAND .. who all used to be in Skunkhour .. together with guitarist MATT KNIGHT
and vocalist CHARLIE SMITH.

AAP RTV jwm/bart

KEYWORD: SMILE (SYDNEY)

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

In Hong Kong, Grade A leads the way Strong demand outpaces supply for office space in prime areas

Alex Frew McMillan
International Herald Tribune
03-15-2006
In early 2003, the Hong Kong property market was dead, smothered by SARS and a profound economic slump. Then word came that a Morgan Stanley investment fund was paying 843 million Hong Kong dollars, or $108 million at current exchange rates, for Vicwood Plaza, a 38-floor, commercial building covering 400,000 square feet, or 37,000 square meters, in Sheung Wan, a neighborhood next to Central. It was the first time an international investment fund had bought a whole commercial complex in Hong Kong, and the purchase started a market rebound.''The office market does tend to be the barometer,'' said Guy Hollis, Asia-Pacific head of the international capital group of Jones Lang LaSalle. ''If the office market is going well, everything tends to do well.''Increases in interest rates have been eroding Hong Kong's residential markets; retail and office properties also slowed in the second half of 2005. But industry insiders say the office market looks set for another run because of a shortage of supply and strong demand. And this would mean that another general rally is likely, Hollis said.The commercial market was solid last year, with values up 11.7 percent for Grade A office space, according to CB Richard Ellis. This year, the property agency is predicting a further increase of 10 percent in that category, which is not precisely defined by the industry but generally includes quality fittings and broadband Internet service.Investors that got in at the right time, like Morgan Stanley, have profited. Steady gains in prices, though, could reduce yields for investors trying to follow suit: The more prospective investors pay for a property, the less they stand to profit from rents. But rents have increased rapidly, leaping 55 percent in 2005, according to CB Richard Ellis, with prices expected to rise 20 to 25 percent this year. The figures suggest that commercial-property owners are benefiting from long-term capital gains and short-term improvements in yield. Analysts say the market appears set to stay strong for some time to come, partly because of the worldwide interest in China.There also are several local props that should support the market, particularly the lack of Grade A offices, especially on Hong Kong Island. A series of projects in 2003 and 2004 brought a large amount of new office space on the market just as Hong Kong was struck by SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. The most prominent was Two International Finance Centre, the 88-story building that became Hong Kong's tallest when it was completed in 2003. Government figures show that a total of 5.3 million square feet of Grade A office space was completed in Hong Kong during 2003 and 2004. But the figure plummeted to 335,000 square feet last year; redevelopment of the Furama Hotel in Central into the AIG Tower was the only major project.The situation will not improve soon. April 26 will mark the end of the tender for the Hang Seng Bank Building, a 22-story, 264,000-square-foot building on Des Voeux Road, one of the few sites available for renovation or redevelopment in Central. And in October, Hongkong Land is expected to complete a 110,000-square-foot tower on its Landmark East site in Central. Even so, the pace of the next two years is half that of 2003-04. Only 1.2 million square feet of Grade A space is expected on the market this year and 1.7 million square feet in 2007.Many companies that signed multiyear leases during the SARS crisis are seeing them come up for renewal and suffering some sticker shock. But the financial tenants that make up the bulk of renters in central Hong Kong have been enjoying boom times of their own. They generally appear set on expansions, not just renewals, despite the rent increases.''We anticipated a very huge supply with projects such as the IFC Two building and the AIG Tower,'' said Buggle Lau, chief analyst at Midland Realty. ''But unexpectedly the economy picked up so fast, and the demand is so strong. So the supply again is quite limited. And, on the other hand, demand is still growing.''As a result, any existing Grade A space is being occupied quickly. Two International Finance Centre has only a few 1,000- to 2,000-square-foot units still available. The AIG Tower has just one 7,000-square-foot still empty.Over all, vacancy rates for office space in Hong Kong are at 6 percent, the lowest level in five years.Lau said tenants were being pushed into ''noncore areas,'' basically anywhere outside Central, Causeway Bay and Tsim Sha Tsui, with companies looking into farther-flung neighborhoods like Quarry Bay, West Kowloon and even Mong Kok. This change is having its own effects. According to Colliers International, rents in the Quarry Bay area rose 47 percent in the second half of last year to about 35 dollars per square foot a month. In comparison, Central rose 23 percent to about 75 dollars per square foot a month. The decentralization appears to be continuing, with estimates that 80 percent of all new Grade A office projects during the next five years will be built in outlying areas.Sun Hung Kai Properties is developing a large swath of West Kowloon that will include a 118-story tower, which is intended to usurp Two International Finance Centre's title as Hong Kong's tallest building when it is finished in 2010. The project, the International Commerce Centre, is being built in stages and will eventually total 2.5 million square feet of Grade A office space.Lo King-wai, Sun Hung Kai's deputy general manager for office leasing, said if the project were ready now, it would probably get rents higher than the 35 dollars per square foot that is the going rate per month in Kowloon.''We have spoken to a great number of people in the financial industry,'' Lo said, ''and the general comment from them is that they are still looking for more space in Hong Kong.''There is strong interest from Australia, the United States and Europe on investing in Hong Kong, Hollis said.''The world is literally awash with private equity money,'' he said.''There are literally billions of dollars that would like to get into the commercial market.''

2006 Copyright International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com

Stocks Set to Open Up on Solid IBM Results

AP Online
07-19-2005
Dateline: NEW YORK

A cleaning woman sweeps up the sidewalk in front of the IBM Building in New York, Sunday, July 17, 2005. IBM rebounded from a previous disappointment with second-quarter results announced Monday, July 18, 2005, that, buoyed by improvement in the services division, surpassed analysts' expectations. In the quarter that ended June 30, IBM showed net profit of $1.83 billion, or $1.12 per share, compared with $1.74 billion, or $1.01 per share, in the previous year. (AP Photo/Julia Drapkin)

U.S. stock futures are trading higher Tuesday after International Business Machines reported second-quarter results above Wall Street estimates. Traders will focus on the numerous blue-chip earnings to be reported during the day, including a report from Intel Corp.

Dow Jones futures were recently up 22 points, while Nasdaq futures were ahead 5 points and S&P futures were up 1.3 point.

IBM appeared to shake off its troubled start to the year, bouncing back in the second quarter with higher profit amid signs of renewed demand for its technology services. After the bell Monday, the company reported net income rose 5.4 percent to $1.83 billion, or $1.12 a share, from $1.74 billion, or $1.01 a share, a year earlier. IBM's income from continuing operations came in at $1.14 a share, well above Wall Street's expectations of $1.03 a share.

In Japan, the Nikkei 225 ended up 0.1 percent at 11764.84, with trading in the broader market cautious before Intel's results later Tuesday.

In London, the FTSE 100 index was recently higher 0.2 percent to trade at 5,215.5, with SABMiller PLC leading benchmark gainers after it agreed to buy Colombian brewer Bavaria from Santo Domino Group in a deal valued at $7.8 billion.

In other corporate news, Sanford Weill, who built a Wall Street empire over the course of two decades that became Citigroup, is trying to leave the financial giant, but the board has blocked him, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Weill has spent the past several days trying to get out of his contract in order to launch a private-equity fund, the people say. His contract calls for him to be Citigroup chairman until April 2006.

Hewlett-Packard is expected to announce a restructuring today, and analysts have speculated that the plan includes 20,000 or more layoffs - about one in six of the current jobs. CEO Mark Hurd, who joined the computer and printer giant in late March following the ouster of Carly Fiorina, has said he plans to make significant cost cuts at the company. H-P will provide details of the restructuring plan in a conference call at 8:45 a.m. EDT.

New York state officials and four big chip makers today plan to announce a $580 million research partnership in lithography, a crucial semiconductor manufacturing technology that is facing big changes, the Journal reported Tuesday. The companies - IBM, Advanced Micro Devices, Infineon Technologies and Micron Technology - are expected to each commit $50 million in cash and other contributions over five years to the venture.

On Tuesday, analysts expect Intel to earn 32 cents a share in the second quarter, up from 27 cents a year ago. Ford Motor Co. reports second-quarter earnings before the bell and Wall Street expects 33 cents for the auto giant. Analysts expect Johnson and Johnson to post earnings of 91 cents a share for the second quarter.

Analysts see earnings of 4 cents a share from telecom gear concern Lucent Technologies in its fiscal third quarter. Merrill Lynch reports second-quarter earnings, which will line up against the Street expectation of $1.08 a share. The mean analyst estimate for Boston Scientific Corp.'s second-quarter earnings is 48 cents a share.

Analysts expect Internet company Yahoo to earn 13 cents a share in the second quarter, up from 8 cents a share a year earlier. Drug maker Mylan Laboratories is due to report fiscal first-quarter results before the bell and analysts expect earnings of 20 cents a share.

The Commerce Department is due to release the June housing start report at 8:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday. Economists expect a 2.0 percent increase to an annual rate of 2,050,000 for housing starts in June, while building permits are expected to increase by 1.8 percent to an annual rate of 2,100,000.

On Monday, stocks ended their winning streak as Citigroup delivered the second-quarter earning season's first major disappointment, compounded by some softness seen in Bank of America's results.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 65.84, or 0.62 percent, to 10574.99. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 11.91, or 0.55 percent, to 2144.87, breaking a string of seven straight gains. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index shed 6.79, or 0.55 percent, to 1221.13, also snapping a seven-session run.

Copyright 2005, AP News All Rights Reserved

Arber, Werner

Arber, Werner (1929–) Swiss microbiologist Arber, who was born in Gränichen, Switzerland, graduated from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in 1953 and gained his PhD from the University of Geneva in 1958. He spent a year at the University of Southern California before returning to Geneva where he became professor of molecular genetics in 1965. In 1971 Arber moved to Basel to take the chair of molecular biology.

In the early 1950s Giuseppe Bertani reported a phenomenon he described as ‘host-controlled variation’ in which phage (the viruses that infect bacteria) successfully growing on one host found it difficult to establish themselves on a different bacterium. In 1962, he proposed that bacteria possess highly specific enzymes capable of destroying invading phage by cutting up their DNA. The existence of such ‘restriction enzymes’ as they came to be called was later established by Hamilton Smith.

It turned out that, as Arber had proposed, the enzymes attack the invading DNA at a specific site, always cutting them at exactly the same place. It was this property that endowed restriction enzymes with such interest for if strands of DNA could be so manipulated to be cut at particular known points, it only needed the power to join such strands together in desired combinations for genetic engineering to be a reality. As restriction enzymes were found to leave DNA strands ‘sticky’ and ready to combine with certain other ‘sticky’ strands it was soon apparent to molecular biologists that genetic engineering was at last a practical proposition.

For his work on restriction enzymes Arber shared the 1978 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine with Smith and Daniel Nathans.

The Plus Group, Inc. Named One of This Year's Fastest Growing Companies by Inc. Magazine.

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 19, 1998--The Plus Group, Inc., based in Lombard, Illinois, has been named one of the fastest growing companies in the country by Inc. magazine, which today released its annual ranking of the Inc. 500, the comprehensive guide to America's fastest-growing private companies.

The Inc. 500, profiled in a special mid-October issue of the magazine, is an exclusive report on the companies and CEOs who are changing the face of American business. Noteworthy alumni include such household corporate names as Microsoft, Timberland, Dominos Pizza, and Patagonia.

The Plus Group, no. 149 on the list, is a full-service staffing company with 15 offices in five states, offering traditional temporary staffing, permanent placement, Professional Employer Organization (PEO) services, and managed contract services. The Plus Group provides high-quality personnel in information technology, R&D, technical support, light industrial, and clerical/administrative fields to some of the top companies in each of its commercial markets. The Plus Group is also one of the largest and most successful contractors to the Department of Energy's prime contractors at National Laboratory sites nationwide. The Plus Group can be found on the Internet at http://www.staffme.com.

"Our company's growth this year has been primarily fueled by acquisitions, including the purchase of TAD Government Services Group in March of 1998. The outlook for future growth is good, especially in the areas of IT and computer-related industries, where we are servicing many industry leaders," explained TPG Vice President John Seelander.

"We are proud to be included in this prestigious Inc. 500 ranking, which salutes the growth of companies that represent the best of American entrepreneurial spirit. With a growth rate of nearly 100 percent in 1998 alone, our company is making investments in technology and infrastructure now that will help us stay at the forefront of customer service well into the next century."

This year marks the 17th year that Inc. has charted the progress of America's most innovative and successful entrepreneurs. To be eligible for the Inc. 500, companies had to be independent and privately held through 1997 and demonstrate a sales increase from fiscal year 1996 to 1997. Holding companies and regulated banks were not eligible. Inc. verified all information using tax forms and financial statements from certified public accountants, and by conducting interviews with company officials.

Swindling in UNHCR's name, court rejects bail plea.

Senior Civil Judge Mahmood Haroon Saturday rejected the bail plea of an accused involved in depriving people of millions of dollars using the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) name and adjourned the case till July 19.

The accused fooled masses into investing in an Internet lottery and also showed a fake agreement on the letter pad of the UNHCR, signed by its Islamabad engineer general that bore name of John Cosmos as a witness.

A First Information Report (FIR) vide 11/09 dated 01-04-2009 was registered against Javedur Rehman, a resident of National Housing Scheme 1, Rawalpindi, under section 7, 8, 9, 15, 19 and 20 of Prevention of Electronic Crimes Ordinance (PECO) 2007 r/w36, 37 of Electronic Transaction Ordinance (ETO) 2002. The complainant Janas Khan, Peshawar, had lodged the complaint with FIA Crime Circle.

According to FIA, Janas Khan was defrauded in the name of Internet lottery amounting to $1.3 million. 'Hanson Terence' persuaded him through e-mail messages sent and an agreement purportedly signed by 'Teddy Akkson' as UNHCR Islamabad Engineer General, and John Cosmos as a witness on apparently fake letterhead of UNHCR, Islamabad. The accused demanded Khan to pay a 7.5% of the total that was $1.3 Million.

Enticed Khan transferred Rs183,000- to the bank account of Maryam Faqir (Bank, Cress Bank, Islamabad) from Peshawar Cantonment Cress Bank Branch through online banking. Khan allegedly also transferred through online banking Rs.1,399,125 to the bank account of Rehman, Faisal Bank, Blue Area, Branch from Peshawar Cantonment Faisal Bank Branch, paid in cash US $ 20,000 to person namely John Cosmos and sent an amount of 815,29 Pounds and $ 2,700 to Hanson Terence through Western Union.

On Saturday defense counsel of accused filed an application of bail after arrest, in which he stated that his client was involved in the Internet lottery fraud and defrauding people of millions of dollars using UNHCR name. But, the counsel claimed, the fact is that there are many lottery emails on the Internet and no one knows who is running these lotteries. He claimed the FIA could not prove that his client used UNHRC name.

Later FIA enquiry found that the account of Maryam Faqir was operated by Javed-ur-Rehman and she knew nothing about the transactions made in her account. Rehman made unauthorized access to bank account of Maryam and to the confidential information of her bank account and got transferred the money into his account in the same bank.

Accordingly, the competent court issued arrest warrants u/s 87 CrPC. FIA arrested Rehman on 24-05-2011.

On Saturday Senior Civil Judge Mahmood Haroon rejected the bail plea of accused and adjourned the case till July 19.ECe

Copyright Plus Media Solutions Private Limited. All rights reserved.

Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company

Chinese Search Engine, Baidu.com, Sued by Pro-Democracy Advocates for Allegedly Violating 1st Amendment.

New York, NY (PRWEB) June 20, 2011

Chinese pro-democracy advocates are bringing suit against Baidu.com, the largest search engine in China, for violating 1st Amendment rights and filtering or suppressing their content on the Internet. The claim alleges that the search engine conspires with the Chinese government to censor pro-democracy speech and eliminate references to politically sensitive incidents like the Tiananmen Square Protests.

Baidu.com. is a publically listed company on the NASDAQ and currently ranked third for worldwide search volume. While the majority of its users are located in China, the claim says that it is regularly used in many other countries, leading to a sort of business "border crossing."

"Baidu is acting as the arm of the Chinese government," said Stephen Preziosi, the New York City appellate lawyer for the case. "And these polices directly affect the people in the United States that use the service."

He says that that while Baidu.com raises capitol in the U.S. and has filed law suits in the federal court system to defend its intellectual property, it still claims that its censorship practices are a sovereign matter and therefore does not need to conform to U.S. laws.

"Baidu is a publicly traded company that wants to treat the American legal system like a sort of buffet," Preziosi said. "They want to pick and choose the parts that work in their favor."

He cites two elements as the basis for this litigation. The first claim is the violation of the 1st Amendment rights of potentially millions of Chinese speakers in the U.S. and other countries who can only view tightly-controlled results. The second part of the litigation is based on New York Civil Rights and Human Rights laws that do not allow any business that is open to the public to discriminate based on race, creed, religion or political affiliation.

Modern search engines, Stephen Preziosi argues, are a place of public accommodation, just like a restaurant or hotel. If they conduct business within the country, then he says U.S. law has to be applied. While he believes it would be futile to expect Baidu to change their practices, he expressed his hope that the issue will come to the forefront of the discussion in the United States and establish case law and precedent that will ensure the freedom of speech on the Internet.

"Search engines have become the modern-day town square -- a place where people go to gather news and information -- and Baidu is dictating how it should operate," he said. "They are telling us what can or cannot be said in our own town square."

The case is Zhang et al v. Baidu.com Inc et al, US District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 11-03388.

About the Law Office of Stephen Preziosi

Mr. Preziosi established the Appellate Law Firm after years of extensive experience working for law firms in New York City and throughout the state of New York. He now heads the Appellate Practice at his own law firm and is the official "go to" lawyer for a dozens of law firms throughout the state of New York whenever there is a trial or appellate issue that needs thoughtful consideration and insightful exposition.

#Z##

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/6/prweb8580945.htm

Felix Sturm Vs. Matthew Macklin World Middleweight Championship on EPIX.

Saturday, June 25 in Cologne, Germany Live to the U.S. Exclusively on EPIX and EpixHD.com

NEW YORK -- Liveworld championship boxing returns to EPIX with the World Boxing Association (WBA) middleweight title fight between defending champion FELIX STURM and top-rated contender MATTHEW "Mack the Knife" MACKLIN, televised live to the U.S. from the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany, Saturday, June 25, exclusively on EPIX, the multiplatform premium entertainment service. EpixHD.com will stream the fight live as part of a free two-week trial offer. The live broadcast and the live stream on EPIX and EpixHD.com, respectively, will begin at 5 p.m. ET.

FELIX STURM vs. MATTHEW MACKLIN WORLD MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP LIVE ON EPIX and EpixHD.com - JUNE 25 (Photo: Business Wire)

As has become the custom, EPIX will once again present the closed-captioned simulcast of this world championship rumble on a jumbotron in Times Square in New York City (Broadway at 44th St.).

"The middleweight division is one of boxing's most storied and exciting divisions and EPIX looks forward to exclusively broadcasting the Sturm-Macklin middleweight title fight to the U.S. It should be a very exciting match-up," said Mark Greenberg, President and CEO of EPIX.

Sturm (35-2-1, 15 KOs), of Leverkusen, Germany, is a three-time middleweight champion. His current reign as WBA champion, now in its fourth year, began on April 28, 2007 with a 12-round decision victory over defending champion Javier Castillejo, avenging a previous world title loss. Sturm has successfully defended the title nine times since with the most recent title defense taking place in February, a seventh-round TKO of Ronald Hearns, son of the Hall of Famer Tommy Hearns.

Macklin (28-2, 19 KOs), hails from Birmingham, England, though the proud Irishman travels on an Irish passport. He enters this world championship battle riding a four-year, 11-bout winning streak, including a third-round TKO victory of Wayne Elcock for the British middleweight title in 2009 and European middleweight championship victories over Amin Asikainen (TKO 1) in 2009 and Shalva Jomardashv (TKO 6) and Ruben Varon (W 12) in 2010. He is currently world-rated No. 2 by the WBA and No. 4 by the World Boxing Organization.

About EPIX

EPIX, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM) and Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF), is a next-generation premium entertainment channel, video-on-demand and online service launched on October 30, 2009. With access to more than 15,000 motion pictures spanning the vast libraries of its partners and other studios, EPIX provides a powerful entertainment experience with more feature films on demand and online and more HD movies than any other service. It is the only premium service providing its entire monthly line-up of new Hollywood titles, classic feature films, original series, music and comedy specials through the linear channel, video-on-demand and online at EpixHD.com, the leading online destination for movies.

EPIX has made the commitment to deliver the industry's most expansive online collection of movies, making more than 3,000 titles available on EpixHD.com. The service is available to over 30 million homes nationwide through distribution partners including Charter Communications, Cox Communications, DISH Network, Mediacom Communications, NCTC, Suddenlink Communications and Verizon FiOS. In addition, Netflix members can instantly watch an array of new releases and library titles from EPIX streamed over the Internet from Netflix 90 days after they premiere in premium pay TV and on demand, giving EPIX another distribution channel to bring its films to more consumers. For more information about EPIX, go to www.EpixHD.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6744569&lang=en

Untangling web of online healthy eating sites.(Food)

Boy do I love the Internet. Long after I've recycled my favorite magazines, the content lives on online, giving me 24/7 access to information that can help me eat well and stay on my weight-management plan with the click of a mouse.

True, a website can't actually put a meal on the table, but buried in the layers of pop-ups for special cookies promising to peel off the pounds and flashing ads for skinny jeans lies some terrific information.

I've done my fair share of reading and web surfing over the years and I keep coming back to two magazines and their companion websites for solid nutrition information and healthy, tasty and user-friendly recipes: EatingWell and Cooking Light.

Eating Well first came on the scene in 1990 and in 2002 morphed into EatingWell (one word) and eatingwell.com.

A recent issue featured a piece on how celebrity chefs Bobby Flay, Mario Batali and others approach healthy potluck suppers with tasty recipes such as Ming Tsai's Sesame Chicken Cucumber Noodle Salad.

That same issue also showcased summer fruit desserts with odd names but tasty results like Cherry Raspberry Buckle (it's like a soft moist cake) and Apricot Grunt (similar to a cobbler).

At this writing, EW's website features pieces on seven tricks to cut calories without noticing and one showcasing 20-minute meals that will help you slim down.

Both the magazine and website provide full nutrition information on all the recipes.

On the Cooking Light side, I admit a bit of a bias: it was the first magazine I subscribed to in 1990 when I set out to drop 100-plus pounds and I was featured in the January/February 2001 issue.

Recipes in the early '90s were basic and simplistic and over the years have evolved with reader palates into sophisticated fare staying true to its "light" mission.

And, the CL test kitchens are second to none (I've been there).

The May issue featured a bevy of good stuff like healthy morning meals (part of its 12 Healthy Habits series), Mark Bittman's recipes for heating things up with fresh chilies, lightening up cream pies and a guide to choosing sustainable fish and shellfish. All recipes have complete nutritional information.

The website, cookinglight.com, features almost everything you'll find in the newsstand issue, plus a searchable recipe database.

If you want content that's less food-focused and more health- and style-driven, you'll find it at Health magazine, health.com, and Women's Health magazine, womenshealthmag.com. Great information and tasty recipes, too.

Try this recipe: Here's a sample of a 30-minute dinner I found at EatingWell.com. If only there was an e-commerce link that could deliver this to my door.

* Don Mauer welcomes questions, comments and recipe makeover requests. Write him at don@theleanwizard.com.

Manulife Arranges $117 Million in Financing for 48.6MW Wind Farm in Southwestern Ontario.

- Manulife Forms Financing Syndicate; Provides $60 Million To Support Project Developed By International Power Canada

- Project Expected To Be Operational in 2011

TORONTO, Oct. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Manulife Financial today announced the completion of a $117 million financing with International Power Canada ("IPC") for the construction and long term operation of a 48.6 megawatt ("MW") wind farm in south-western Ontario.

Manulife formed and led a syndicate of Canadian life insurance companies to provide a total $117 million in construction and term loans for a term of approximately 21-years term to support the Pointe-Aux-Roches Wind Power Project. Manulife is the arranger and agent with an investment of $60 million.

The 48.6 MW Pointe-Aux-Roches Wind Power Project consists of a twenty-seven 1.8 MW wind turbines located in the Town of Lakeshore, on the south shore of Lake St. Clair in south-western Ontario, approximately 35 km east of Windsor, Ontario. The Project has received required environmental permits and approvals and construction of the project is expected to be completed in 2011.

International Power Canada, Inc. (formerly AIM PowerGen Corporation) is a wholly owned subsidiary of International Power plc, a publicly traded UK based power generation company. Based in Toronto, Ontario, IPC is one of Canada's largest independent wind power developers with a significant pipeline of potential wind and solar projects at various stages of development throughout Canada. To date, they have completed construction of 178 MW of wind power projects in Ontario.

"We are very pleased to be entrusted by International Power to arrange and provide financing for their Pointe-Aux-Roches wind power project," said Bill Sutherland, Senior Managing Director and Head of the Canadian Project Finance Team at Manulife Financial. "As one of Canada's industry leaders in financing renewable energy generally, and wind energy projects in particular, Manulife supports projects like Pointe-Aux-Roches that are environmentally friendly and help buttress the long-term economic growth of Ontario, Canada and North America."

"The Pointe-Aux-Roches financing represents the first financing under Ontario's new Feed-in Tariff program. We are pleased that Pointe-Aux-Roches is moving forward and will soon be providing clean, renewable energy to the province," said Mike Crawley, President of International Power Canada. "We are deeply committed to this business and appreciate Manulife's support of the industry and its expertise in providing financing on this project."

This wind farm financing is one of six that Manulife expects to close in 2010 in North America. The company anticipates following up on this success by completing similar renewable power project financings in 2011. Manulife is a leading arranger and provider of debt financing for renewable energy projects in Canada. In the past five years, it has arranged $1.8 billion and provided $840 million in financing for 13 projects in Canada.

Electricity generated by the Point-Aux-Roches Wind Power Project will be sold to Ontario Power Authority under a Feed-in-Tariff Contract ("FIT Contract").

About Manulife Financial

Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group operating in 22 countries and territories worldwide. For more than 120 years, clients have looked to Manulife for strong, reliable, trustworthy and forward-thinking solutions for their most significant financial decisions. Our international network of employees, agents and distribution partners offers financial protection and wealth management products and services to millions of clients. We provide asset management services to institutional customers worldwide as well as reinsurance solutions, specializing in life and property and casualty retrocession. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$454 billion (US$428 billion) as at June 30, 2010. The Company operates as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

About International Power

International Power plc is a leading independent electricity generating company with 32,358MW gross (20,671MW net) in operation and 4,567MW gross (1,452MW net) under construction. International Power has power plants in operation or under construction in Australia, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Puerto Rico and Thailand. International Power is listed on the London Stock Exchange with ticker symbol IPR. Company website: www.ipplc.com

SOURCE Manulife Financial

Maine's State Web Portal Ranked First in the Nation in E-Governance.

The state of Maine ranked first of all 50 states regarding the electronic delivery of public service and citizen participation in governance, according to a recent survey conducted jointly by Rutgers University and San Francisco State University.

The survey praised Maine's state Web site, www.Maine.gov, for its overall score and gave exceptionally high marks to Maine for service delivery, citizen participation, security, and usability.

"We are extremely pleased at the recognition in this survey," said Richard Thompson, Maine's Chief Information Officer. "We place a priority on creating innovative, secure, and useful online services that make a difference to citizens and businesses. The Internet provides opportunity for new ways for citizens to engage and interact with government as well as an efficient way to conduct business." Maine.gov received the highest ranking, with Oregon, Utah, South Carolina, and Indiana rounding out the top five ranked state Web sites.

According to the E-Governance survey report, "States across the United States are increasingly developing Web sites to provide their services online; however, e-government is more than simply constructing a Web site. The emphasis should be more focused on using such technologies to effectively provide government services."

Maine ranked first among all states in the survey categories of service delivery and citizen participation, and fourth in security. These rankings reflect the number of interactive government services that can be completed online through Maine.gov, and the numerous opportunities for public comment and involvement. About Maine.gov Maine.gov (http://www.Maine.gov) is the official Web portal of the state of Maine and a repeat winner in the Center for Digital Government's "Best of the Web" competition. Maine.gov is a service of the Information Resource of Maine, a collaborative effort between the state of Maine and Maine Information Network, LLC., part of the NIC (NASADQ: EGOV) family of companies. About NIC NIC is the nation's leading provider of official government portals, online services, and secure payment processing solutions. The company's innovative eGovernment services help reduce costs and increase efficiencies for government agencies, citizens, and businesses across the country. NIC provides eGovernment solutions for more than 3000 federal, state, and local agencies that serve 97 million people in the United States. Additional information is available at http://www.nicusa.com.

Keywords: Technology, Internet, Internet, Web Portals, World Wide Web, Maine.gov.

This article was prepared by Internet Business Newsweekly editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2009, Internet Business Newsweekly via VerticalNews.com.

New media approaches mainstream status: while traditional media still holds strong in Singapore, new media is edging ever-closer to mainstream status. Magz Osborne looks at media consumption trends in the Lion City.(country focus: singapore)

ACCORDING to the Nielsen Media Index 2007 survey, traditional media continue to sustain their mass audience presence. But Internet and cable TV, traditionally seen as 'new' or 'alternative', have moved a step closer to 'mainstream' media status with about half the population viewing cable TV weekly and slightly more than half using the Internet daily.

The television landscape in Singapore has experienced some changes in the past year--from the increase in cable television channels to the launch of IPTV and Video-on-Demand broadband TV services like mio TV, M2B World and MobTV. Despite the influx of changes, terrestrial TV continues to be a staple in the Singaporean media diet--more than eight in 10 (83%) viewed TV yesterday and 96% watched TV within the past week.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

"Television has evolved in recent years in terms of new and varied content, delivery and platforms. This fragmentation, together with the changing population dynamics and the increasingly hectic and mobile lifestyle of people in Singapore presents a challenge for broadcasters to hold their audience although terrestrial TV has so far managed to maintain its audiences," said Rebecca Tan, Executive Director of Nielsen Media Research, Singapore.

With a three percentage point increase recorded from last year, almost half of the Singapore population (48%) is now subscribing to cable television. Past week cable viewership increased by over two %age points to 47%, while yesterday viewership also increased from 35% to 37%. This continued expansion of the subscriber and viewership base to the masses enables cable TV to inch from its original position as an alternative medium towards 'mainstream' medium status.

"Cable has seen much growth in the last few years and continues to exhibit high potential. With the cable take-up nearing half the population in Singapore, cable TV is now a maturing medium. Cable continues to cater to the niche interests of different groups, yet increasingly is gaining broader reach," said Tan. "As the operator adds more digital content channels to its selections, this will cater to more audiences with varied interests. in addition, attractive perks for subscribers who take up integrated services provided by StarHub could also be attributed for the growth of cable TV in Singapore."

"We have seen several new developments on the television front--with the entrance of additional subscription-based TV operators and more Video-on-Demand options available this year. We can expect to see more adjustments in the viewing patterns and habits of people in Singapore in the near future," Tan adds.

Broadband usage at home and wireless internet usage in the past year also saw continued growth. One in two (51%) people reported yesterday usage, while almost three in five (58%) claimed to have used the Internet in the past week.

"The Internet has truly become embedded into people's lifestyles, with users not only from the PMEBs and student groups, but among the masses such as the blue collars and housewives," said Tan. "The fast penetration of Internet in the general population coincides with the continued development of Internet-related technologies whereby we are constantly offered better and more efficient Internet services, such as higher speed upgrades, more wireless options by existing ISPs, free 'hot spots' in the form of Wireless@SG."

Meanwhile StarHub saw its first decline in profits in 11 quarters, attributed to the S$246million (US$170million) the triple-play provider reportedly paid for the exclusive rights to English Premier League (EPL) soccer. This is around 4 times the price for the exclusive Singapore rights for the previous three seasons, 2004-07. Third-quarter net profit fell by 0.2% to $81.3million (US$56.4million), despite a rise in subscription plan prices to offset the price paid for lucrative EPL rights.

Its rival Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) beat market expectations with a 3.3% rise in quarterly earnings. Net profit for its fiscal second quarter amounted to S$988million (US$170million), attributed to a strong showing by its local operations and regional mobile associates.

Analysts point to a rise of almost 10% for SingTel's revenue in Singapore, as well as overseas operations accounting for 53% of the group's underlying net profit- with India's Bharti posting a 73% rise in profits.

SingTel has also boosted its mioTV offering via agreements with more major movie studios--and the launch of Singapore's first Tamil movie channel. Having already launched on-demand services Sony PIX and PIX THRILLER, SingTel announced new agreements with NBC Universal, 20th Century Fox, Disney-ABC International Television and Eros International.

To coincide with the Deepavali celebrations, Eros Bollywood hit mio TV screens on 8 November. Titles include a mixture of the latest movies such as Salaam-E-Ishq, Cheeni Kum, Nishabd, Eklavya, Namastey London, Partner, as well as classic Bollywood favourites like Mother India, Devdas, Mughal-E-Azam, Sholay--all subtitled in English.

Also to coincide with Deepavali, came the launch of Tamil Box Office (TBO), Singapore's first Tamil movie channel. TBO offers movies and programmes that go behind the scenes in Kollywood on TBO Star and also features local entertainment shows.

SINGAPORE

Population 4.5million

TV households 1.1 million (99.4% of homes)

Cable TV households (StarHub) 490,000

IPTV 10,000 (SingTel mio TV)

Internet broadband users 730,000

Fixed telephone lines 1.8million

Mobile phone users 4.6million

HDTV not disclosed

Source: Singapore Dept of Statistics, StarHub, Infocomm Development Authority

First Russian Hosted PBX strengthens BroadSoft's market position in Eastern Europe; National Telecom Operator leverages BroadWorks platform to provide added value through voice.

M2 PRESSWIRE-30 May 2006-BroadSoft Inc: First Russian Hosted PBX strengthens BroadSoft's market position in Eastern Europe; National Telecom Operator leverages BroadWorks platform to provide added value through voice(C)1994-2006 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:30052006

Gaithersburg, Maryland - BroadSoft Inc, the leading provider of VoIP application software, today announced that Russian national operator RTComm, has selected BroadSoft's BroadWorks VoIP application platform to deliver the first hosted PBX services to the Russian marketplace. RTComm will use the BroadWorks platform to assist service providers in opening up a new market for affordable IP based corporate triple-play applications and hosted PBX services.

RTComm will offer BroadWorks' hosted PBX applications to service providers as part of its corporate over IP (CoIP) product, helping them to deliver a complete suite of enhanced PBX functionality over an IP connection to their customers. Correspondingly, end-users will benefit from flexible communications capability throughout the enterprise and access to true business-grade triple-play services at highly economical rates.

"RTComm joins the large number of incumbent service providers using BroadSoft's VoIP application platform to offer the first compelling hosted PBX opportunity in their home market. As businesses realise that they don't necessarily need to rip out their old systems and build a new one from scratch in order to enjoy a wealth of feature-rich VoIP applications that will help profitability and productivity levels on a daily basis, we expect RTComm to see an upsurge in demand from a cross-section of enterprise users," explained Michael Tessler, President and Chief Executive Officer for BroadSoft. "RTComm leads the market in Eastern Europe by deploying the BroadWorks platform to offer the most valuable and vital voice services to business consumers for increased productivity and efficiency in communications."

About RTCOMM

RTCOMM (Synterra Group) is one of the leading companies in the Russian telecommunications market and has extensive experience in operating in a modern and competitive communication market. RTCOMM has the most developed IP-network in Russia with access points in 150+ cities, the international backbone PoPs is London, Frankfurt and Riga, over 80 gateways to local access networks in Russian regions and over 1000 customers: national and international carriers, oil and metal holdings, banks and financial companies, etc. RTComm offers Internet wholesale services for Russian and CIS ISPs, VPN services (Layer 3, Layer 2, Layer 1) for business customers, VoIP services for business customers, Wi-Fi and videoconference Centrex solutions for fast start customer sites, Data Centers facilities and Managed service solutions.

Additional information is available at www.rtcomm.ru

About BroadSoft

BroadSoft's VoIP application software is revolutionizing the delivery of hosted telephony and multimedia services. Its flagship BroadWorks technology empowers wireless and wireline carriers to deliver next-generation voice and multimedia applications and advanced features that increase revenue, enhance competitive differentiation and elevate customer satisfaction. BroadSoft's family of carrier-class software products delivers the scale, open architecture and reliability that the world's leading telecommunications companies demand to serve mission-critical enterprise and residential broadband customers. BroadSoft's leads the VoIP applications market with 6 of the top 10, and 11 of the top 25, largest carriers worldwide including BellSouth, Korea Telecom, Singtel, Telefonica de Espana, Telstra, T-Systems, Verizon and XO Communications. Additional information is available at www.broadsoft.com.

BroadSoft and BroadWorks are registered trademarks of BroadSoft, Inc. All other names are trademarks of their respective companies.

CONTACT: Hilary Tomasson, BroadSoftTel: +1 240 364 5147e-mail: htomasson@broadsoft.com

((M2 Communications Ltd disclaims all liability for information provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data prepared by named party/parties. Further information on M2 PressWIRE can be obtained at http://www.presswire.net on the world wide web. Inquiries to info@m2.com)).

Cleveland-Cliffs Announces Ratification of Contracts.

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc announced today that United Steelworker-represented employees at Empire and Tilden Mines in Michigan, and Hibbing Taconite and United Taconite Mines in Minnesota have ratified new four-year labor agreements. Cleveland- Cliffs manages and holds substantial equity positions in all four mines.

The Company stated that these agreements will provide significant benefits to both the Company and its employees. The Company further stated that it achieved its bargaining objectives by obtaining agreements comparable to other United Steelworkers of America contracts in our industry.

The new agreements provide employees a nine percent wage increase over the next four years, and for the Company to put over $220 million into pension plans and retiree health care accounts during the term of the contracts. This accelerated funding will better secure employee post-employment benefits, and reduce the Company's future years employment legacy costs.

In turn, employees and future retirees will share a greater percentage of their health care insurance cost, with the Company's share of future retirees health care premiums to be capped at 2008 levels. In addition, the union has agreed to certain workforce flexibility provisions and other work rule modifications that will improve mine productivity. Any future staffing reductions would be achieved through normal attrition.

John S. Brinzo, Cliffs' chairman and chief executive officer, stated, "These new agreements are a major step in securing the future of the Company, which will benefit our employees and all the stakeholders in the mines we operate. The benefits of these agreements, together with the current demand in the industry, will give Cliffs and its partners the opportunity to operate our mines at capacity and improve their cost structure so that they remain competitive at all points in our business cycle. We appreciate the hard work and dedication of everyone involved in these negotiations."

Cleveland-Cliffs Inc, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is the largest producer of iron ore pellets in North America and sells the majority of its pellets to integrated steel companies in the United States and Canada. The Company operates six iron ore mines located in Michigan, Minnesota and Eastern Canada.

References in this news release to "Cliffs" and "Company" include subsidiaries and affiliates as appropriate in the context.

This news release contains predictive statements that are intended to be made as "forward-looking" within the safe harbor protections of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Although the Company believes that its forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are subject to risk and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from statements for a variety of factors. Reference is also made to the detailed explanation of the many factors and risks that may cause such predictive statements to turn out differently, as set forth in the Company's Annual Report for 2003 and Reports on Form 10-K and 10-Q and previous news releases filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are publicly available on Cliffs' website. The information contained in this document speaks as of the date of this news release and may be superceded by subsequent events.

    Contacts:    Media:  (216) 694-4870    Financial Community:  (800) 214-0739 or (216) 694-5459   

News releases and other information on the Company are available on the Internet at http://www.cleveland-cliffs.com/ .

CONTACT: Media, +1-216-694-4870, or Financial Community, +1-800-214-0739, or +1-216-694-5459, both for Cleveland-Cliffs Inc

Web site: http://www.cleveland-cliffs.com/