NSW:Three-year-old dragged under mower in NSW

AAP General News (Australia)
08-02-2011
NSW:Three-year-old dragged under mower in NSW

SYDNEY, Aug 2 AAP - A three-year-old boy is in a NSW hospital with serious arm and
leg injuries after being dragged under a ride-on mower ridden by his grandfather, police
say.

The boy was visiting his grandparents at their Manildra property near Orange about
6pm (AEST) on Monday when he wandered into the front yard.

His 66-year-old grandfather, who was testing the ride-on mower, was unaware the boy
was nearby and the machine hit his grandson who then fell underneath.

Police said the boy was taken to Orange Health Service before being transferred to
Sydney's Children's Hospital suffering serious arm and leg injuries, but the injuries
did not appear life-threatening.

AAP psm/pc

KEYWORD: MOWER

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

FED:News Diary for Wednesday, April 6

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2011
FED:News Diary for Wednesday, April 6
Good Morning News Editors and Chiefs of Staff

Here is AAP's preliminary newslist for Wednesday (not for publication).

This is a guide only and stories, local times and locations are subject to change. In
some cases times and locations may not be available. Story coverage is subject to staffing.

TOP STORIES

COURTS
CANBERRA
- High Court sits - Dasreef Pty Ltd v Hawchar
ADELAIDE
- Supreme Court trial continues for Angelika Gavare, charged over the murder of an Adelaide
pensioner.

BRISBANE
- Morcombe inquest continues in Maroochydore
- Melissa Anne Englart re murder Scott Richard Englart (abduction alert and missing children)
mention only. Toowoomba Magistrates Court
- Police sergeant in Brisbane Magistrates Court for use and supply of drugs
MELBOURNE
1000 - Federal Court hearing continues for News Ltd columnist Andrew Bolt who is being
accused of racially discriminating against Aborigines through his newspaper articles
1000 - Committal mention for 30 people charged over a cannabis trafficking ring
SYDNEY
0930 - Todd Carney. Roosters player drink driving while on P plates. Sentencing Waverley LC.

1000 - Lopeti and others, on trial over inside job on hotel armed robbery - jury out -
Downing Centre District court LG3.

1000 - Greg Fennelly v United Airlines Inc. claim of acciden hearing.

PERTH
- Trial of father and son continues for the murder of a convicted drug dealer and his
wife. (MIKHAILS)

CANBERRA
0900 - Public Health Association of Australia's Communicable Disease Control Conference.

Hotel Realm. 1230 - Opposition education spokesman Christopher Pyne at the National Press
Club.

- Climate change expert Ross Garnaut says he expects the federal government to adopt his
recommendation to provide income tax cuts under a carbon price.

SYDNEY
0845 - 5th International Society for Research on Internet Interventions Conference: State
of the Art Forum. Can the internet and mobile phones be more effective at treating mental
health issues than doctors? UNSW. 1000 - Cate Blanchett launches The Oassis Homeless Short
Film Competition. Oasis Youth Support Network, at Surry Hills.

1130 - RSL NSW and Schools Remember ANZAC Commemoration Service. ANZAC Memorial, Hyde Park.

1400 - Former treasurer Peter Costello to give a speech to Infocus Money Management Leadership
Conference. The Four Seasons Hotel, the Rocks.

- Seven people, including two children, not hurt when several shots fired into a house.

- More than 8000 care sector jobs will be created in western Sydney over the next four
years, a carer's forum will be told.

- Conservation society calls on Barry O'Farrell to stop opening of second Sydney drug
injecting room at Potts Point.

MELBOURNE
- State parliament sitting
1000 - Press preview of Tutankhamun exhibition at Melbourne Museum
1900 - Federal enviroment minister Tony Burke addresses a Stop Alpine Grazing meeting
- The Wonthaggi desalination plant running six to 12 months behind schedule with the builder
facing financial penalties over cost over-runs.

- Council to Homeless Persons (CHP)calling on the Vic govt to implement a plan to end homelessness.

1000 - United Voice Union presser claiming PPG Industries, which supplies paint and coatings
to Ford, Holden and Toyota, has hired more than 100 strike-breakers. 14 McNaughton Rd,
Clayton.

BRISBANE
- Diplomatic Corps, led by Kevin Rudd, to visit Queensland.

- Greenhouse 2011 continues in Cairns
- The Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal Launch

HOBART
- Outwatching developments on no confidence motion against Tasmanian Children's Minister Lin Thorp.

1100 - Former political rivals Duncan Kerr and Michael Hodgman unite against proposed
job cuts at the Hobart Mercury.

PERTH
- WA parly sits.

ADELAIDE
- State parliament sits.

DARWIN
- No items listed

MEDICAL
- Just one in four Australians is aware that bowel cancer is the nation's second deadliest
cancer, according to a new survey.

FINANCE
ECONOMIC NEWS
Sydney - ABS housing finance for February

EQUITIES:
Sydney - ACCC vs Metcash to resume in Federal Court
Sydney - Seven vs James Warburton in NSW Supreme Court
Melbourne - Computershare Ltd chief executive Stuart Crosby to address American Chamber
of Commerce in Australia luncheon
Sydney - Stockland chief executive Matthew Quinn to address a Committee for Economic Development
of Australia luncheon

SPORT
LEAGUE
SYDNEY - Wrap of NRL news.

SYDNEY - Parramatta hooker Matthew Keating 1000 interview outside Eels offices after being
hospitalised by a dog bite which has put him out of NRL action for several weeks.

SYDNEY - NRL chief executive David Gallop with Dragons winger Jason Nightingale and former
stars Trent Barrett and Hazem El Masri, 1100, Entertainment Centre, Moore Park for schools
program launch.

AFL
MELBOURNE - Media conference with Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse and Carlton coach Brett
Ratten ahead of Friday's MCG blockbuster, 0900, Zinc, Fed Square.

GOLD COAST - Gold Coast's Jarrod Harbrow and Charlie Dixon in media conference, 1030, Suns offices.

PERTH - West Coast and Fremantle news.

RUGBY
SYDNEY - NSW Waratahs team named to play Western Force.

SWIMMING
SYDNEY - World championship trials continue, SOPAC, heats in morning, finals in evening.

SYDNEY - Swimming star Alicia Coutts is hoping to crack the 54-second barrier for the
first time in the 100m freestyle as she bids for a hat-trick of national titles on Wednesday
night.


GOLF
AUGUSTA, Georgia - Preview Aussies in Masters starting Thursday, with factbox.

SOCCER
SYDNEY - ACL match: Sydney FC v Shanghai Shenhua (China), SFS, 2000.

SYDNEY - Follow up from ACL match Melbourne Victory v Tianjin Teda.

BOXING
SYDNEY - Danny Green to announce next fight opponent, 1100, InterContinental Hotel.

BASKETBALL
PERTH - Preview opening match of NBL semi-finals; series one, game 1: NZ Breakers v Perth
Wildcats in Auckland on Thursday.

OLYMPICS
MELBOURNE - Media conference with snowboard cross world champion Alex Pullin and halfpipe
world champions Nate Johnstone and Holly Crawford, 1100, Ice House, Docklands.

TENNIS
CHARLESTON, South Carolina - Samantha Stosur in first match of her Family Circle Cup claycourt
title defence.

RACING
SYDNEY - Preview of Saturday's AJC Australian Derby.

SYDNEY - Acceptances for Group One TJ Smith Stakes and Group One Sires' Produce Stakes
at Randwick on Saturday.

SYDNEY - Australian Easter Yearling sale continues at Newmarket.

MELBOURNE - Preview Caulfield races Saturday.

BRISBANE - Preview Saturday's Doomben races.

MELBOURNE - Review of Sandown races Wednesday.

BRISBANE - Review of Wednesday's Eagle Farm races.

AAP bwl

KEYWORD: DIARY NEWS WEDNESDAY AM UPDATE

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

QLD:Morcombe confessor not to be believed

AAP General News (Australia)
12-15-2010
QLD:Morcombe confessor not to be believed

By Christine Flatley

BRISBANE, Dec 15 AAP - A man who is expected to make a courtroom confession this week
to abducting and murdering Daniel Morcombe has concocted a story out of revenge and should
not be believed, a detective says.

Detective Senior Constable Virginia Gray told the Brisbane Coroners Court on Wednesday
that a person of interest (POI) in the case - known as P33 - had given police a "disturbingly
detailed account" of how he and his older male lover, P32, had snatched the 13-year-old
from a Sunshine Coast bus stop on December 7, 2003.

The inquest into the teenager's disappearance heard P33 first contacted police in 2004,
where he implicated only P32 in the abduction, claiming P32 had sexually assaulted Daniel
before dumping his body.

However, Det Gray said P33 had gradually expanded his story over the years to implicate himself.

P33 is due to give evidence at the inquest on Thursday.

The latest contact from P33 came in October this year, when he wrote to state coroner
Michael Barnes to confirm his involvement in the crime and give further details about
how it occurred.

Det Gray said P33 gave new details about identifying marks on Daniel's body and the
location of where he claimed the body was buried.

She said both leads had been followed up but had proven unfruitful.

Det Gray said investigations into P33's allegations a police officer had also been
involved had also come to nothing.

Det Gray said he had never been charged with the offence because his stories always
had numerous inconsistencies.

"His admissions don't hold any credibility," she said.

Det Gray told the court she believed he had concocted the story in order to have revenge
on P32, who had reported him to police for possessing child pornography and sexually abusing
his young daughter.

"You see it as being the strong motive to seek revenge on (P32) by implicating him
in this crime?" asked Alan MacSporran SC, who is representing the Queensland Police Service.

"That's correct," Det Gray replied.

P32 told the court on Wednesday afternoon that he shared Det Gray's theory.

"That's all this is about - revenge," he said.

"It's a pack of lies ... it's a load of bull. It's wrong."

He said he didn't believe P33 had anything to do with Daniel's abduction either.

"The only thing I can say is that he wasn't there at the time," P32 said.

Det Gray told the court she believed P33 would make the courtroom confession on Thursday
to gain notoriety.

"I personally believe he just loves the attention," she said.

"He's quite convincing."

"And that's the context that we should judge the evidence we're going to hear tomorrow?"

Mr MacSporran asked.

"That's correct," Det Gray replied.

The inquest will continue on Thursday.

AAP cf/crh/jl/nb

KEYWORD: MORCOMBE WRAP

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

FED:Abbott's tough talk an 'election stunt'

AAP General News (Australia)
08-08-2010
FED:Abbott's tough talk an 'election stunt'

CANBERRA, Aug 8 AAP - The man charged with protecting Australia's borders says a coalition
pledge to introduce tougher penalties for convicted people smugglers is nothing more than
an election stunt.

Home Affairs Minister Brendan O'Connor says Labor itself toughened the relevant laws
three months ago.

"At that time, (Opposition Leader) Tony Abbott had the chance to make amendments, but
he didn't," he said in a statement.

"If Tony Abbott was serious about stopping people smuggling and really wanted these
few small changes he might have had that by now.

"But the truth is, he's not serious - it's just another stunt."

Mr Abbott on Sunday announced that repeat offenders would face a minimum 10-year prison
sentence under a coalition government.

In addition, existing minimum and non-parole periods will be increased for those convicted
of "aggravated" people smuggling, as well as those convicted of crimes involving the preparation
and or provision of false documents.

AAP jcd/rl/jfm

KEYWORD: POLL10 BOAT OCONNOR

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

Vic: Bushfire in SA conservation park under control

AAP General News (Australia)
12-29-2009
Vic: Bushfire in SA conservation park under control

ADELAIDE, Dec 29 AAP - A fire burning in a conservation park between Adelaide and the
Adelaide Hills has been brought under control.

South Australia's Country Fire Service (CFS) called in a number of water bombers to
attack the fire from the air at Black Hill Conservation Park while another 120 firefighters
fought it from the ground.

A CFS spokeswoman said on Monday the 15 hectare fire at Athelstone was contained and
was not a threat to property.

AAP jxt/gfr/ldj

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES SA

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

Vic: Bushfires report tabled, recommends major improvements

AAP General News (Australia)
08-17-2009
Vic: Bushfires report tabled, recommends major improvements

MELBOURNE, Aug 17 AAP - The interim report from the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission
has recommended major improvements to bushfire warning systems including a level above
the current top "extreme level".

The report, the blueprint for the state's bushfire response post-Black Saturday, has
been tabled in the Victorian parliament.

"We don't want this tragedy to ever happen again," Victorian Premier John Brumby said.

MORE gr/mn

KEYWORD: TEAGUE REPORT

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

Fed: Overpriced and rotten food sold in remote stores: inquiry

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2009
Fed: Overpriced and rotten food sold in remote stores: inquiry

An inquiry has heard residents of remote Aboriginal communities are routinely being
sold rotten and overpriced food.

Torres Strait and Cape York residents in Queensland have told a federal parliamentary
inquiry into community stores that their local shops often sell substandard food.

Inquiry head RICHARD MARLES says there is also evidence use-by dates are being manipulated.

Meanwhile .. the inquiry's heard a government-run store at Moa Island's been infested with rats.

The inquiry will also hold hearings in South Australia .. the Northern Territory and
Western Australia before reporting to parliament in September.

It aims to increase the life-span of indigenous Australians and improve access to healthy
foods in Aboriginal communities.

AAP RTV ews/pjo/yr/ka

KEYWORD: STORES (CAIRNS)

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

News Diary events for Wednesday, December 3, 2008

AAP General News (Australia)
12-03-2008
News Diary events for Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Good Morning News Editors and Chiefs of Staff

Here is AAP's preliminary newslist for today (not for publication).

This is a guide only and stories, local times and locations are subject to change. In
some cases times and locations may not be available. Story coverage is subject to staffing.

QANTAS
- Qantas and BA in talks about potential merger via a dual-listed company structure.

ECONOMY
- Release of September quarter growth (GDP) figures.

CUP
- Melbourne Cup runner-up, English horse Bauer, could be stripped of second place under
a Racing Victoria investigation.

RIGHTS
- Australia may be a step closer to gaining a bill of rights.

COURTS
SYDNEY
1000 - Inquest continues into carpark death of Thomas Lee. Glebe Coroners Court.

1000 - Inquest into death of Emma Hansen continues. Glebe Coroners Court.

1000 - Publicans v State of NSW over new late night drinking conditions. Supreme Court 12C.

MELBOURNE
0930 - Sentence of a man found guilty of murdering a cabbie while trying to car-jack his taxi.

1000 - Appeal judgment for police killer Bandali Debs who has appealed his conviction
and sentence for the cold-case murder of a teenage prostitute.

ENTERTAINMENT
- AFI Awards preview.

- UncharTED band competition.

- TiVO launch for 2009.

CANBERRA
- Federal govt to take control of Murray-Darling Basin from the states after overnight
oppn backflip.

0745 - Australian Federal Police's Bomb Data Centre's annual conference, Hotel Realm Barton.

Contact: 6223 0900 - House of Reps sits.

0900 - Senate sits.

SYDNEY
0900 - Australian Tourism Export Conference. The Hilton Hotel, Sydney.

1030 - Australia's only disabled crew for the Sydney to Hobart announced. Cruising Yacht
of Australia, Beach Road, Rushcutters Bay, Sydney.

1740 - Ian Macfarlane delivers the 2008 Lowy Lecture on Australia in the World. Sofitel
Wentworth Hotel, Sydney.

- 3yo boy critical after balcony fall, Checking.

- Motorcyclist and pillion passenger shot while riding a western Sydney highway.

MELBOURNE
0730 - Flight carrying Aussies stranded in Thialand arrives.

0930 - New grants for research into depression announced at beyondblue.

- Toddler critical after three-car collision. Watching.

- Rare Harley Davidson motorcycle, worth $38,000, stolen.

BRISBANE
0650 - Qantas flight from Thailand via Singapore arrives in Brisbane.

0830 - Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson to open Australian Institute of Criminology International
Conference on Homicide, Gold Coast.

0900 - Send-off for Sea Shepherd ship Steve Irwin. Ships leaves 1300 AEST.

0930 - State parliament sits.

1100 - Jetstar executive Unni Menon media doorstop to mark departure of Jetstar's inaugural
daily Brisbane-Darwin-Denpasar service.

FINANCE:

Sydney - Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) commodity price index for November

Sydney - Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) business indicators data for September quarter

Sydney - Australian Industry Group/PricewaterhouseCoopers Australian Performance of
Manufacturing Index for November

Sydney - TD Securities-Melbourne Institute inflation gauge for November

Sydney - Quarterly Rabobank Rural Confidence Survey

Sydney - 25th national Chartered Secretaries Australia conference (day 1 of 2)

Sydney - 10th Papua New Guinea Mining & Petroleum Investment Conference (day 1 of 3)

SPORT:
CRICKET

ADELAIDE - Second Test: Australia v New Zealand, Adelaide Oval, day 4.

BRISBANE - Sheffield Shield: Qld v SA, Gabba, Day 4.

SYDNEY - Preview of Sheffield Shield match between NSW and Tasmania at Bellerive Oval
starting on Tuesday.



GOLF

MELBOURNE - Latest after players go from the Australian Masters to prepare for the
Australian PGA in Coolum.



RUGBY

CARDIFF - Latest on Matt Giteau investigating a release to play in France, look forward
to Barbarians match/tour analysis.

SYDNEY - NSW Waratahs announcement.



AFL

SYDNEY - New Swans draft picks Lewis Johnston and Dan Hannebery available, along with
coach Paul Roos.

ADELAIDE - Power media session.



RUGBY LEAGUE

WOLLONGONG - New St George coach Wayne Bennett conducts first media session at the
Dragons. Club CEO Peter Doust and selected players also available.

MELBOURNE - Storm coach Craig Bellamy available for his first training session back with club.



SURFING

SUNSET BEACH - Roxy Pro at Sunset Beach continues.



RACING

SYDNEY - Entries taken for Saturday's Festival Stakes at Rosehill.

MELBOURNE - Nominations for Caulfield Saturday.

AAP bwl

KEYWORD: DIARY NEWS WEDNESDAY AM UPDATE

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

Vic: Murder suspect dodged noose for 1968 killing: reports

AAP General News (Australia)
04-29-2008
Vic: Murder suspect dodged noose for 1968 killing: reports

A man being hunted following a brutal killing in the Melbourne suburb of Frankston
.. is reported to have narrowly escaped being sentenced to death over the stabbing murder
of his teenage girlfriend in 1968.

News Limited and Fairfax websites have reported LEIGH ROBINSON was sentenced to death
for fatally stabbing his 17-year-old girlfriend 16 times in the heart.

The death sentence was commuted to 30 years' jail with a minimum of 20 years in 1969.

Victoria Police have announced they're looking for ROBINSON over the murder of 33 year
old TRACEY GREENBURY .. who was shot dead on a neighbour's front doorstep about 9am (AEST)
yesterday.

Police have refused to confirm ROBINSON's record.

AAP RTV jrd/crh

KEYWORD: GREENBURY (MELBOURNE)

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

Qld: Harness racers return to interstate competition

AAP General News (Australia)
12-27-2007
Qld: Harness racers return to interstate competition

BRISBANE, Dec 27 AAP - Queensland's racing industry is taking a major step in its recovery
from the devastating equine influenza (EI) outbreak with seven top harness racers preparing
to travel to Victoria.

They will be the first Queensland race horses to travel interstate since the EI outbreak
in August.

Seven of the state's best harness racing horses this morning entered a purpose-built
quarantine area established at the Rocklea showgrounds in Brisbane's south.

Winners of almost $5 million in prizemoney, the horses will spend seven days in the
quarantine station under a purpose-built marquee in the centre of the showground.

The trotters will be flown to Victoria, where they will spend a further week in quarantine
before competing in Melbourne's Inter Dominion from February 16.

Queensland Harness Racing spokesman Damian Raedler said it marked a big step in the
recovery from EI, which has ensured strict movement restrictions on horses in Queensland's
south-east and in NSW.

"It's a good move for the national industry and, I suppose, the southern hemisphere
industry with New Zealand counted in," Mr Raedler said.

"It's also good for Queensland as it gets our elite horses back to top company in these
races in the south."

AAP dmc/lc/jl/mn

KEYWORD: STALLIONS QLD

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

NSW: Drought worsens after brief recovery

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2007
NSW: Drought worsens after brief recovery

More than three-quarters of New South Wales is now in drought.

State Primary Industries Minister IAN MACDONALD says farmers need a repeat of the rains
that fell in late June and early July .. within days .. not weeks.

He says last month's drop in drought figures hasn't lasted .. and good rainfall's desperately
needed to ensure decent yields from winter crops.

The area in drought rose six per cent last month to 75.8 per cent of the state.

Areas that moved back into drought include parts of Armidale .. Casino and Kempsey
.. and the whole of Tweed-Lismore .. Condobolin and Coonabarabran.

AAP RTV sk/jmt

KEYWORD: DROUGHT NSW (SYDNEY)

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

Fed: Collins subs fixed at last

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2007
Fed: Collins subs fixed at last

By Max Blenkin, Defence Correspondent

CANBERRA, April 3 AAP - It's taken most of a decade but Australia's Collins submarines
may finally be able to shed the "dud sub" tag.

Prime Minister John Howard today inspected HMAS Waller, the first of the Collins boats
to be retrofitted with a computerised combat system similar to what's in use on US nuclear
attack submarines.

The rest of the Collins fleet will progressively be refitted with this new system by
the end of the decade under a remediation program launched in 2002.

It's been a long voyage but the Collins subs may at last demonstrate the complete range
of capability envisaged when the project was launched back in the early 1980s.

In May 1983 the then Labor government invited tenders for a replacement diesel electric
boat to replace ageing British-built Oberons which first entered service in 1967.

The winner was an Australianised version of the Swedish Kockums Type 471 with a contract
for the deal worth about $5 billion signed in June 1987.

The Collins submarines were named after eminent World War Two fleet commander Vice-Admiral
Sir John Collins (1899-1989).

The keel for HMAS Collins was laid at the brand new factory at Osborne, Adelaide, in
February 1990. It was launched in 1993 and delivered to the navy in 1996.

The last of the six, HMAS Rankin, was delivered in 2001.

There may have been some brief thought about making the new submarines nuclear-powered
but that was never seriously contemplated.

Instead, the Collins boats are powered by electric engines while underwater and large
diesel motors while surfaced. The diesels also charge a vast bank of batteries.

This technology makes the Collins boats not all that different from the German U-boats
which waged war in the North Atlantic during World War Two - except in one crucial area.

That was the decision from the outset to equip the Collins boats with a computerised
combat system.

The plan was to link together the sensors (sonar arrays, periscope and radar) communications,
navigation and weapons systems so that a sailor sitting at a console in the control could
manage all vital functions.

Unsurprisingly, this didn't work very well. Through the 1990s the delays accumulated
as scientists struggled to integrate the disparate elements of this system and get them
to all operate in harmony.

But that wasn't all. Propellers shafts leaked and propellers suffered fatigue failures,
sea water contaminated the fuel, engines proved unreliable and periscopes vibrated excessively
.

Worst of all, the Collins boats were too noisy, a potential death sentence for a vessel
intended to operate in near total silence.

The navy well knew about all these problems - and so too did the taxpayers of Australia
on October 8, 1998 when the Sydney Daily Telegraph published its infamous "Dud Subs" story
which, among other claims, suggested the Collins boats made as much noise as a rock concert.

Justified or not, this served to focus the government's attention. Then defence minister
John Moore commissioned Malcolm McIntosh and John Prescott to review the problems and
propose a way forward.

They reported in June 1999. By this stage various fixes were under way. The US Navy
came to the party, allowing use of its underwater acoustic test range to isolate noise
problems which have now been fixed.

The US Navy also provided some black boxes to augment the combat system to make it
at least usable.

McIntosh and Prescott noted that the combat system remained the principal technical
challenge to be resolved. They concluded that only so much could be achieved with the
legacy system.

One observer explained it in computer terms - Collins was stuck with 286 equivalent
processors when the world had moved on to Pentiums.

In 2002, the government approved a replacement combat system, opting for the Raytheon
CCS Mark II tactical command and control system, known in US service as AN/BYG-1, in a
contract worth $444 million.

This had the effect of cementing the already very close links with the US Navy.

With the new combat system will come new heavyweight torpedoes, the Mark 48 ADCAP (advanced
capability), an improved version of the existing Mark 48 torpedoes.

Each weighs 1.6 tonnes, has a range of more than 40 kilometres and can sink almost
any vessel afloat. The Federation of American Scientists website suggests a price of $US3.5
million each.

AAP mb/sb/maur/de

KEYWORD: SUBMARINES (AAP BACKGROUNDER)

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

Fed: Beazley demands clean fight in leadership vote

AAP General News (Australia)
12-03-2006
Fed: Beazley demands clean fight in leadership vote

CANBERRA, Dec 3 AAP - Opposition Leader Kim Beazley has appealed for a clean fight
in tomorrow's Labor leadership battle with challenger Kevin Rudd.

The Labor caucus will vote tomorrow on whether to replace Mr Beazley and deputy leader
Jenny Macklin with Mr Rudd and health spokeswoman Julia Gillard.

While Mr Rudd appears to be slightly ahead on votes, internal party polling which claimed
the foreign affairs spokesman had failed to land a punch on the government during the
AWB scandal was leaked to News Ltd papers overnight.

Beazley supporters also told newspapers that Mr Rudd had an explosive temper and that
his running mate, health spokeswoman Julia Gillard, actually hated him.

Mr Beazley did not confirm or deny today whether he condoned the leaking of the internal polling.

"As I said, I want a clean fight and I would urge everybody engaged in this to ensure
that in the remaining 24 hours left, it is," Mr Beazley told the Ten Network.

"And what I want out of this is no retribution for any people but a focus on the main game."

MORE mfh/jm

KEYWORD: LABOR BEAZLEY

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

FED: Wrong body arrives in Melbourne from Iraq - report = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2006
FED: Wrong body arrives in Melbourne from Iraq - report = 2

The Defence Department said later that the return of Private Kovco's body to Australia
has been delayed.

It said in a statement that an error occurred in Kuwait and the incorrect casket was despatched.

The department said Private Kovco's body will be flown to Australia immediately, by
private charter if necessary.

It said the cause of "this unacceptable, terrible mistake" will be the subject of a
thorough investigation, and "no stone will be left unturned" to get to the bottom of the
mix-up.

AAP ao

KEYWORD: KOVCO BODY 2 MELBOURNE (REOPENS)

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

SA: Bouncer charged over hotel patron death

AAP General News (Australia)
04-19-2005
SA: Bouncer charged over hotel patron death

A former bouncer has been charged with manslaughter following the death of an Adelaide
man at a beachside hotel.

Police have charged the former security officer over the death of DOMENIC ESPOSITO,
who died at the Ramsgate Hotel in Adelaide's west on February the 28th.

Mr ESPOSITO, 25, had been drinking with two friends and witnesses say they were all
intoxicated and refused to leave the hotel when asked to by security staff.

Police were escorting the trio through the hotel foyer when Mr ESPOSITO died.

The former bouncer, from Fulham in Adelaide's west, has been granted bail ahead of
a court appearance next week.

AAP RTV sl/jo/rt

KEYWORD: RAMSGATE (ADELAIDE)

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

Qld: Record number of visitors for BAC

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-2004
Qld: Record number of visitors for BAC

BRISBANE, Dec 22 AAP - More than 15 million passengers have passed through Brisbane
Airport this year, exceeding the previous record by more than 1.5 million.

Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) corporate relations manager Jim Carden said today
the massive increase had been sparked by the injection of new airlines, coupled with competition
and high aircraft load factors.

"Brisbane Airport has never been this busy. Even the taxis are struggling to keep up
with the demand," he said.

Mr Carden said to top it all off, this Christmas period was shaping up to be the busiest
festive season yet.

He said indicative figures showed December would easily eclipse even July's record-breaking
effort of 1.042 million domestic travellers and 313,892 international visitors.

This proved aviation was a multi-million dollar drawcard for the Queensland Tourism
industry, he said.

Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) figures show interstate visitors to Queensland spend
an average of $933 each, while international passengers spent $1,277 per visit.

AAP am/sc/jnb

KEYWORD: AIRPORT QLD

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

Water in basement closes Oak Park's Maze Library

Oak Park's Maze Library, 845 Gunderson Ave., was closed Saturday for cleanup after the weekend rainfall that left much of the Chicagoland area flooded.

"When the staff arrived Saturday morning for work at about 9:30 a.m. we noticed water coming up through the floor on the lower level," Assistant Branch Manager Ben Iglar-Mobley said. "The restrooms are on the lower level and we can't open if there's no restroom access and it didn't seem safe because there was about an inch of water."

Iglar-Mobely said there was no sewage, but that the carpet was soaked and the water was "creeping" toward the elevator.

Maintenance workers arrived on the scene and vacuumed out the water and turned on the fans to help dry the floor.

"The water was contained in the meeting room, however we do have five Internet computers down there but we shut them down and there was no damage to them," he said.

Branch Manager Nadine Thompson said the library has had some water seepage before, but not at the level of flooding that occurred over the weekend.

"We're a lot luckier than some of the households around here. We're not sure where it's coming from - our maintenance people are looking into it. This lower level was a new addition when the branch was remodeled two years ago," Thompson said.

The only damage was to the linoleum that buckled.

"We didn't lose any books or equipment," Thompson said.

3DVirtual.com Offers Reality Shopping Mall on Internet.

LONGBOAT KEY, Fla., Dec. 4 /PRNewswire/ --

3Dvirtual.com today announced its plans to add new features to the virtual shopping mall in the next several months. 3Dvirtual.com is a distinctive 3D reality shopping mall where visitors walk in 3D universes similar to a video game. The first mall consists of 3D reality shops and showrooms for movies, music, gifts, electronics, cards, toys, food, cars and games. Visitors can chat, listen to the radio and watch movie previews on TV. Guests link directly to Amazon, EBay, Carprice, Disney store, and other Internet sites by clicking on shop windows.

"Navigating in a 3D environment is easier for the user than typing web addresses," said Oz Sarl, founder of 3D Virtual. "All that's needed is to click on shop windows."

Santa Claus will be visiting the mall starting December 1 near a giant Christmas tree and kids will be able to send him their gift lists. Santa will answer the with an e-greetings card. A 3D toys store is open and visitors can "walk" into it to discover the latest promotions and best sellers for this Christmas.

Features planned for the next two months include live music and shows, private salons where guests can meet and chat, a science fiction universe, and a shopping gallery on a beach. 3DVirtual is a great opportunity for smaller websites to get real exposure on the web. They can have a shop window or a 3D shop next to top vendors and quickly build a brand identity.

Developed in joint venture by Oz Sarl of France and U.S.-owned Wilmare L.L.C., 3Dvirtual.com has a team of specialists in Microsoft, Visio and Autodesk development tools. For more information visit www.3dvirtual.com .

CONTACT: Fabrice Zaphiratos, or Oz Sarl of 3Dvirtual.com, 331-3009-6461, email, contact@3dvirtual.com, or Web, http://www.3dvirtual.com .

This release was issued through DigitalWork.com - Your Business Workshop For more information visit http://www.digitalwork.com