FILE SAFE SOLD TO RECORDS-STORAGE FIRM.(BUSINESS)

Byline: KEVIN HARLIN Business writer

Colonie ArchiveOne, a Watertown, Conn.-based records-storage and retrieval firm, has purchased File Safe Records Management of Colonie.

Neither company disclosed the purchase price. But the deal gives Archive-One 150 customers in the Capital Region, representing growth of 5 percent for the company.

``This acquisition is a nice geographic fit for us, expanding our physical presence in the Northeast and moving us further toward our goal of being the third-largest records-management company in the United States,'' said Archive- One chief financial officer John Pavlovich in a statement.

No official from the …

SAYS PRIVACY INVADED SOLICITATION ANGERS SENATE AIDE.(Local)

Byline: Dan Janison Capitol bureau

A graduate student employed by the state Senate said he believes that Republican fund-raisers sent him mailings at an address obtained from his Senate personnel records.

But the director of the state Senate Republican Committee, which sent the solicitation, denied that his office uses such records and said the address must have come from another source.

In the past, the Senate has released payroll documents to news media that include employee addresses. According to Robert Freeman of the state Committee on Open Government, there is nothing illegal about such a release by a legislative body.

But Michael H. …

US boy says mom, her friend beat him over food

Bernell McCall told a judge Wednesday his mother and her friend often bound him or locked him in a closet for "stealing" food from the family's kitchen.

The Oklahoma County judge later ordered LaRhonda Marie McCall, 37, and Steve Vern Hamilton, 38, to stand trial on multiple counts of felony child abuse. Both have pleaded not guilty.

According to the boy, who is now in foster care, his mother and Hamilton would use twine, a telephone cord or plastic ties to bind him, whichever was handy, and put him in a closet, the boy said, lifting his arms toward the judge.

"Sometimes they would leave me in …

Study: Young Girls More Likely to Be Fat

STOCKHOLM, Sweden - As every Western nation struggles with child obesity, the Swedes are puzzled by an unusual blip in the data: Why are little girls more likely to be fat than little boys? A recent study by researchers at Sweden's Uppsala University showed that today's 4-year-old girls were six times as likely to be obese compared to 20 years ago - a bigger jump than among boys.

"This indicates that there is a relatively recent change in our lifestyles that is behind this," said Ulf Holmback, the lead researcher for the study published in the April issue of Acta Paediatrica. "But it's difficult to say what that is."

The weight increase itself was expected - Swedes, along …

Industry experts see market volume near to $500 million mark. (ethnic health and beauty market)

Industry experts see market volume near to $500 million mark

CDR Roundup--The ethnic H&BA market continues to grow as various experts agree that it is rapidly closing in on the $500 million mark. Category studies have shown that ethnic hair care was the largest toiletries segment in 1988. Ethnic hair care contributed 9.4% ($441.7 million) of the overall category's $4.7 billion in sales. Including skin care and cosmetics, ethnic H&BAs contribute nearly one-eighth of all U.S. toiletries revenues among all retail trade classes. Ethnic H&BA sales are expected to break $500 million by 1990, and reach as high as $600 million by the middle of the decade.

…

NFL Chief Vows To Grow Network.(Brief article)

By Alex Weprin

At NFL Media's upfront last week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell promised advertisers and media buyers that he'll do what he has to for the NFL Network "to make sure it succeeds and gets the distribution it deserves."

While NFL Network pegged its subscriber base at 43 million, referencing numbers provided by Nielsen Media Research, other estimates have been as low as 31 million, due to the move to sports and premium tiers by some carriers.

NFL Network has struggled to get cable operators to carry the channel in the tiers it wants, resulting in legal battles. This season, the channel will show the first of its Thursday night games …

MENSA OFFERS 2 MEMBERSHIP EXAMINATIONS.(CAPITAL REGION)

ALBANY -- Entrance examinations for membership in Mensa will be offered in Albany and Glens Falls areas this month.

Mensa is an international society. The sole requirement for membership is a score at or above the 98th percentile on any number of standardized I.Q. tests.

Entrance …

Big names flock to Nashville for flood benefit

Nashville Rising was as much a celebration of Music City as it was a flood-relief benefit concert.

Star after star _ including surprise visitor Sandra Bullock _ professed their love and admiration for the city and its people, who have been praised for handling one of the state's most destructive natural disasters with grace, dignity and charity.

"Nashville will rise and that is why we have come together tonight," said Faith Hill, who organized the benefit with husband Tim McGraw. "Musicians, football players, coaches, our elected officials, you in the audience, yes, we are all the same. We're just neighbors who care and friends who want to make a …

NEWSMAKERS

PEOPLE: promotions, appointments and hires

ARCHITECTURE/ENGINEERING

Harrisburgbased Skelly and Loy named Bryan J. Mc Connell wastemanagement services leader of its Monroeville, Allegheny County office. He is a professional geologist with more than 20 years of environmental-management experience with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources and as a consultant. He has a bachelor' s degree in geology from West Virginia University. He is a township supervisor in Boggs Township, Armstrong County, where he also owns and operates a 190-acre beef farm.

East Penns- boro Town ship - based Gannett Fleming Inc. named William B. Achor an envi- ronmental-man- agement …

State Bank Of India To Switch ATM Platforms.(News)

Byline: Ankush Chibber

Opus Software Solutions Pvt. Ltd. has won a US$10 million (7,406 euros) order from the State Bank of India to replace the bank's ATM-processing platform to a dual server-based system, an official from the bank tells PaymentsSource.

"The platform would have servers in two locations, Mumbai and Chennai, which will share the load," he says. "Both would run simultaneously, and if one server goes down then the second one takes over."

Opus will replace the existing platform on the bank's 22,000 deployed ATMs first, the official says. "This is part of our drive to …

FOR PRESIDENT CLINTON, IT'S A QUIET ELECTION.(MAIN)

Byline: -- Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- With the campaign for the White House speeding to a finish around him, President Clinton spent Monday quietly signing bills and, for the first time in years, preparing to vote for a presidential candidate other than himself.

He was traveling Monday night to his home in Chappaqua, Westchester County, so he could arise on Election Day to cast a ballot for his wife, Hillary, in the New York Senate race, and for the Democratic presidential ticket of …

Bomb kills 24, wounds over 100 in NW Pakistan

A car bomb exploded outside a crowded market in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least 24 people in the latest attack by suspected militants apparently aimed at avenging an army offensive along the Afghan border.

The bombing, aimed at causing maximum civilian casualties, was the third blast in as many days in or close to Peshawar, the capital of the North West Frontier Province, an area bordering the tribal region where the army is pushing into a key Taliban and al-Qaida sanctuary.

The blast in Charsadda, some 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of Peshawar, was caused by some 90 pounds (40 kilograms) of explosives stuffed into a van, said the senior …

-Audi AG reports increase in September sales in China.

Auto Business News-October 17, 2011--Audi AG reports increase in September sales in China(C)1994-2011 ENPublishing - http://www.enpublishing.co.uk

Auto Business News - 17 October 2011

Audi AG, a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG (Xetra: VW), has reported an increase in sales for the month of September 2011 in China.

The automaker sold 29,188 units in the country last month. This is the seventh consecutive month …

Basics of virus protection.(Tech Q & A)

Here are the answers to your virus protection questions.

Several members of the Society's Technology, Small Business and MAP sections participated in a "hot topic" conference call with Christopher Jenkins, Society chief technology strategist, to get answers to questions on virus protection.

Sending and Receiving Information

Q. If the router still has the manufacturer's default settings, does this increase my vulnerability to hackers?

A. Yes. The default setting of any router includes a publicly available user name and password to access the setup screen of the router itself. Default settings on wireless routers are even less secure since wireless routers normally come without any encryption enabled. In either case, it is possible for an attacker to take control of your router and configure or disable your firewall.

Q. I have a …

SEN. CARDIN, SECRETARY LOCKE ANNOUNCE DIGITAL LITERACY INITIATIVE

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The office of Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., has issued the following news release:

U.

S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) today joined with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and U.

S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski to announce an initiative to expand economic and educational opportunities by increasing digital literacy skills in America. At a public computing center at Coppin State University, the officials unveiled www.

DigitalLiteracy.gov, a new Web site that provides libraries, community colleges, schools and workforce training centers a variety of resources and tools for teaching computer and Internet skills, which are needed in today's economy.

"Technology is the key to jobs in today's economy, but more people need access to computers and the ability to use them," Senator Cardin said. "Coppin State University's community computer center is at the forefront of ensuring that Marylanders have the skills they need to succeed and find jobs. This computer center will help make technology more accessible, and the new website DigitalLiteracy.gov will provide people with the computer and Internet skills needed for the digital age."

"In a globalized, 21st century economy, when you don't have regular access to the high-speed Internet and the skills to use it you confront a narrowed world of educational, business, and employment opportunities," Secretary Locke said. "The tools we are unveiling today will help more Americans gain valuable job skills and augment the Recovery Act investments we are making to expand broadband access and adoption nationwide."

The Coppin State's public computer center is funded through the Recovery Act's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP), an initiative that is investing $4 billion in constructing and upgrading more than 100,000 miles of broadband networks. Additionally, the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), has partnered with nine federal agencies to create www.

DigitalLiteracy.gov to provide librarians, teachers, workforce trainers, and others a central location to share digital literacy content and best practices. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

Susan Sullam, 410/962-4436.

Republic, FDIC Make Up With Failed-Bank Transfer.(Community Banking)(Republic Bank and Trust Co agreed to buy the deposits and some of the assets of Tennessee Commerce Bank from United States. Federal Deposit Insurance Corp)

Byline: Robert Barba

Who says the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. holds a grudge? The agency certainly doesn't when it is looking for the least costly way to resolve a failed bank.

On Friday, Republic Bank and Trust Co. in Louisville, Ky. agreed to buy the deposits and some of the assets of Tennessee Commerce Bank in Franklin from the FDIC. The deal was a bit jarring because Republic and the FDIC spent most of 2011 locked in an ugly battle over the bank's right to front taxpayers their income tax refunds. The two settled in December, with Republic agreeing to end the service after this tax season and the FDIC revoking a consent order against the bank.

With that settlement, it appears bygones will be bygones.

"From our perspective, resolving those issues enabled us to better focus on matters like this," said Steve Trager, the president and chief executive of Republic Bancorp Inc., in an interview Sunday. "From the FDIC's perspective, I think they see us as among the best capitalized, highest performing and most community-minded banks in the country."

The FDIC does not comment on individual institutions, but the acquisition is a clear indication that the FDIC thinks highly enough of Republic to allow it to bid.

Republic Bank is one of the better capitalized banks in the country. According to FDIC data, the bank had a total risk-based capital ratio of 23.44% at Sept. 30, compared to a national average for all banks of 15.52%. That much capital makes them a likely acquirer for banks, both failed and open alike.

"It appears that the FDIC just wasn't happy with the [refund anticipation loan] business," says Daniel Cardenas, an analyst at Raymond James & Associates in Chicago. "Absent that, they are a solid institution: stout capital, no significant credit quality issues and a good management team."

The tangle with the FDIC, however, left the bank hamstrung.

"It was a short track from settlement to acquisition. I know they've been chomping at the bit," Cardenas says. "Now they can finally put some of the excess capital to work."

The deal even caused some industry observers to wonder if the failed-bank acquisition was discussed as part of the settlement, as Republic is set to lose a business that made it $24.5 million last year.

"No, absolutely not," Trager said. The FDIC said it received a total of four bids from two bidders for Tennessee Commerce.

Republic's bid called for the bank to assume $1 billion in deposits without paying a premium and buy $122 million of the failed bank's assets for $65 million, a 47% discount. The FDIC has retained most of Tennessee Commerce's assets, including a large pool of a equipment loans and two large stakes in other Tennessee community banks, for further disposition. The failure is expected to cost the Deposit Insurance Fund $416 million.

Though Republic and the FDIC's relationship appears patched, Trager said he was not interested in getting involved in a loss-share arrangement with the regulator.

"We are independent in our thinking when it comes to turning around a situation," Trager said. "We'd rather take the risk and accept all of the reward without being bound by an obligation."

The acquisition marks Republic's entrance into Nashville, which Trager described as a natural progression for his company. Although it picked up $1 billion in deposits, Tennessee Commerce only had once office.

"It is geographically convenient and just a great opportunity," Trager said. "We need to spend some time making good contacts and taking care of the depositors. That's the first order of business. Once that is settled, we will aggressively look to expand our physical presence."

The deal won't fill the income gap, but Trager said he is not looking to do so with one transaction. Cardenas says he expects the company to continue to bid on failed banks in states such as Florida, where it has operations.

"We've never been good at hitting home runs," Trager said. "We like being good at hitting singles and that is where we are as we look for opportunities. There can be too much risk in the home runs."

Desert Solitaire; A Quirky Chronicle of Life in the Mojave

DAGGETTLife in a Mojave Frontier TownBy Dix Van DykeEdited by Peter WildJohns Hopkins. 183 pp. $22.95Dix Van Dyke -- strange name, that -- was a descendant ofprominent aristocratic Easterners who found his way west at the turnof the century and settled in a tiny California town called Daggett,in the Mojave Desert. He was 22 years old when he got there in 1901,in the company of his father, Theodore Strong Van Dyke, and hestayed there for the rest of his life. In contrast to the natives ofthe area, many of whom had mixed white and Indian blood, the VanDykes were effete and privileged, yet they soon became respectedresidents -- Theodore Van Dyke as a justice of the peace "renownedover the desert for legal knowledge and for his willingness tolisten patiently to people's troubles and to give sound advice," Dixas Daggett's unofficial historian.

It was a role for which he had absolutely no training. PeterWild, editor of this volume, reports that he was "uneducated" and"had a defective right eye and a speech impediment," and Van Dykehimself -- who writes throughout in the third person -- says that"he was odd . . . and in the evenings read a book instead of playingcards with the others." But these characteristics gave him a certaindistance, and when he began to write his reminiscences four decadeslater he had a clarity of observation with which few others wouldlikely have been blessed."Daggett" is an odd but engaging book. Dix Van Dyke's prosewill not be recommended to students of writing, yet it has aprimitive rhythm and a wry humor that more than compensate for itsnaivete. Somehow it strikes just the right tone for taking us backto a time that, though not really all so long ago, seems to haveoccurred in another universe.The Mojave Desert in the years Van Dyke lived and farmed therewas a place where a keen observer could see the face of Americachanging, and Van Dyke was nothing if not a keen observer. As Wildwrites, "This is not local history with the i's dotted and the t'scrossed but one man's view of an area's final transition from afrontier to civilization," an account written "not by a historian,but by a man who was there, involved, sometimes hotly, with thepeople and events swirling about him."They were not, by and large, great events. Theodore Van Dykewas a person of sufficient renown that he was visited by John Muir,the naturalist, and others of somewhat lesser note, but for the mostpart this is a chronicle of ordinary people living ordinary lives,albeit it in a quite extraordinary place:"Who can define the lure and enchantment of the desert? Manyhave felt it, but none have been able to explain it or the reasonfor it. The overwhelming appeal may be the brilliant, tinted skiesand the eternal sunshine or the marvelous colors of the desertlandscape with its constantly varying shades and shadowsscintillating in the sun. Maybe it is the boundless, vast panoramaof hills and mountains that constantly unfurls before the travelerthat fires the imagination and induces mankind to attempt to performimpossible feats. Yet all over the great desert one finds evidenceof futile hopes: abandoned mines, mill sites, land clearings,orchards, deserted homesteads, and the ruins of farms and otherenterprises that were started and abandoned."American mythology has it that those who undertook this effortwere cowboys, claim-jumpers and other rough and ready men. Indeed afew of these found their way to Daggett, occasionally with violentconsequences. But "most of the inhabitants were industrious,honorable men who paid their debts, kept their word, and werewilling to help their fellows." A number of the local women werewhores -- notably Fat Etta, who adopted "an abandoned female Mexicanbaby and . . . gave up her profession before the girl became oldenough to learn anything about it" -- but most were ordinaryhousewives. There were a handful of black residents, thebeneficiaries of "local tolerance" cut short by a murder, as well asPaiute Indians and Chinese.All of these people tried to make their way in and on theland. Few had much success and in time all faded away: "The desertwas changing from an old era to a new era. No one yet realized it.The change came about gradually. The old inhabitants of the desertwere dying off and a new element replacing them. The old pioneers'ways, faults and virtues were to become traditions." Within a decadeof Van Dyke's arrival, "automobiles were no longer a curiosity," butin his agreeably dyspeptic view, the real end of the good old dayscame with the Uplift, brought in the hands of "a sanctimoniousclique who gathered in the schoolhouse each Sunday and indulged innoisy manifestations of piety." Sic transit gloria mundi.Jonathan Yardley's Internet address is yardleyj@clark.net.

Picture this: Blipfoto links up with Channel 4

Nathalie ThomasAN ONLINE photo-sharing site that has attracted acult following is poised to announce a tie-up with Channel4.Blipfoto is in talks with several "big brands", including C4, overpotential partnerships as it embarks on the next stage ofexpansion.They are likely to include competitions and other methodsof encouraging current and potential users of the site to createcontent, according to founder Joe Tree.Last year, the firm wasinvolved in several projects, including with the National Theatre ofScotland and the Edinburgh festivals, which helped to spread itsbrand.Since it was set up in 2006, Blipfoto has seen its popularityboom among photography and social networking enthusiasts simplythrough word of mouth.It now has 160,000 unique visitors a month andenjoyed its busiest month to date in March.The partnerships will beone part of a more formal marketing campaign.Blipfoto users uploadone photo a day, taken on that day and add text to describe theimage and the story behind it.The online photo journal has proved sopopular that Blipfoto enthusiasts regularly meet up and there haseven been a marriage between two users in America who met throughthe site.Last year, the firm secured GBP200,000 of investment from astring of backers, including the well known American venturecapitalist Ken Morse.It is currently looking into a second round ofinvestment as Tree seeks to take the fledgling company to the nextstage of development."We have already been approached by investorswho are interested in supporting a second round of investment," hesaid. "We have got big, big aspirations for growth."The companygenerates revenues through subscriptions, although you don't have tobe a member to use the site's more basic functions.Tree saidBlipfoto has always made a strong commitment not to pursueadvertising, which has proved popular among its artisticfollowers."People see Blipfoto as quite a contemplative space. It'ssomewhere were you go to get away from the busy noise of theinternet," he said."We wanted a revenue model which was simple,transparent and benefited everyone."

Owls take flight toward share of title; SCSU claims piece of NE-10 with win, Bryant defeat

For the Southern Connecticut State football team, the highlightof a sensational weekend actually occurred a couple of days afterthe game.

Sure, the Owls reveled in their fifth straight win. Theycelebrated the performance of Jarom Freeman, and they echoed inamazement that they still have a chance to win the Northeast-10.

But what excited the Owls most was when Monday's NortheastRegional Division II poll was released and SCSU had jumped all theway from eighth to fourth.

Southern wraps up the regular season today at Saint Anselm(noon), and a win will give the Owls a chance at a share of theNortheast-10 title for the second straight year and a likely berthinto the NCAA postseason for the third straight year.

Southern must defeat Saint Anselm and hope that Bentley wins atBryant to share the NE-10 title. If that scenario unfolds, andAmerican International defeats Stonehill, it would leave Southerntied with three other teams for the conference title at 7-2, justlike last season.

Fans around the nation will look to see what Freeman, thesophomore tailback from Peekskill, N.Y., can do for an encore today.Last week, he rushed for 418 yards to break the Division II rushingmark of 410, set by Andrew Terry of Ferris State on Oct. 2, 2004. Inall, it was the fourth-highest single-game rushing total in NCAAhistory. Freeman also set SCSU single-game records for all-purposeyards, breaking the mark of 408. He finished with 428. He alsojoined four other Owls with a program-record five touchdowns in onecontest.

He was selected as the national offensive player of the week andneeds 270 yards in the regular-season finale to set a single-seasonprogram rushing record. Brandon Toles, whom Freeman replaced at backduring the season, holds the mark of 1,904 yards. Toles has missedseveral games with leg injuries, but he will play today.

"Knowing Jarom, he was over that on Sunday," Southern coach RichCavanaugh said. "He takes everything in stride. But it was great forJarom and great for the university."

Freeman's outing also undoubtedly helped Southern in thepollsters' eyes. Southern leap-frogged four teams in the Northeastrankings, three of which won their games. It may have been a case ofthe selection committee placing SCSU in a playoff spot realizingthey are one of the most talented teams in the region. Cavanaughsaid that beating Bryant, which entered the game unbeaten inDivision II, helped the Owls' winning index and strength of scheduleimmensely.

Neither is true for Saint Anselm. The Hawks are (0-9) and havestruggled for several years. They have been outscored 432-103 on theseason and rank last or second-to-last in virtually every NE-10statistic.

"They have nothing to lose," Cavanaugh said. "They play hard, andthey haven't thrown in the towel. They play multiple offenses andcreate some problems. We're going to have to play solid basedefense."

Cavanaugh has told his team to expect anything from the Hawks andnot to worry about playoff scenarios or the scoreboard.

"I've told the guys that all they can control is beating SaintAnselm," Cavanaugh said. "I expected to move up in the poll, and I'mpleased to move up to fourth. It's really a case of the fact thatwe've played at a high level since Assumption (the first game in thestreak). We've played better every week."

And Cavanaugh feels that no matter who wins the Bryant- Bentleygame, it will only help his team because the Owls beat both teams.

Bill Cloutier can be reached at bcloutier@nhregister.com

FOOTBALL GAMEDAY PREVIEW

SOUTHERN CONNECTICUT STATE (7-3, 6-2) AT SAINT ANSELM (0-9, 0-8)

- WHEN: Today, noon

- WHERE: Grappone Stadium, Manchester, N.H.

- INTERNET: www.sportingnewsct.com

- WEATHER: Clearing, temperatures in the 40s with light winds.

SOUTHERN OFFENSE VS. SAINT ANSELM DEFENSE

This is a mismatch. The Owls are among the nation's leadingoffensive units, and the Hawks are last in the conference in scoringdefense, allowing 48 points a game. Expect QB Steve Armstrong and RBJarom Freeman to have a field day. Senior defensive end Casey Larsonis the Hawks' top player. He was preseason All-America second-teamselection and leads the team with 65 tackles.

SAINT ANSELM OFFENSE VS. SOUTHERN DEFENSE

Conor Cahill leads the Hawks' ground game with 487 yards.Quarterback Nick Barese has thrown for seven touchdowns and rushedfor three. His best game was a 256-yard effort against Merrimack.Chris Lorenti leads four SCSU players who have more than 60 tackleson the season with 69.

SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS

Brandon Toles is back, but he will not return kicks yet. MartinManson handles punt returns and Jerrell Milligan has been solidreturning kicks.

DID YOU KNOW?

Over the course of their five-game winning streak, the Owls haveoutscored their opponents 221-68.

STREAKS AND STATS

Ken Knapczyk is in his second season with a record of 0-19. SCSUhas won five straight games overall and four straight against theHawks, outscoring them 225-23.

PREDICTION

Southern not only needs the win, but it has to send the NCAAselection committee a message that this was never a contest. Itshouldn't be. SCSU 50, SAINT ANSELM 6.

- Bill Cloutier

Bvo: Olympic beach volleyball results

AAP General News (Australia)
08-18-2004
Bvo: Olympic beach volleyball results

ATHENS, Aug 17 Reuters - Collated olympic beach volleyball results. (Updates with remaining
match)



Men's preliminary round matches



Group A

Bjorn Maaseide/Iver Horrem (Norway) beat Daxton Holdren/Stein
Metzger (U.S.) 14-21 21-15 16-14

Ricardo Alex Santos/Emanuel Rego (BRA) bt Andrew Schacht/Joshua Slack (AUS) 21-17 21-17



Group B

Stephane Canet/Mathieu Hamel (FRA) bt Andreas Scheuerpflug/Christoph Dieckmann (GER)
17-21 21-18 15-10

Benjamin Insfran/Marcio Henrique Araujo (BRA) bt Francisco Alvarez Cutino/Juan Rosell
Milanes (CUB) 23-21 22-20



Group C

Javier Bosma/Pablo Herrera (ESP) bt Paul Laciga/Martin Laciga (SUI) 21-19 17-21 15-9

Nikolas Berger/Florian Gosch (AUT) bt Robert Nowotny/Peter Gartmayer (AUT) 21-17 21-17



Women's preliminary round matches



Group A

Sona Novakova/Eva Celbova (CZE) bt Ryoko Tokuno/Chiaki Kusuhara (JPN) 23-21 21-12

Kerri Walsh/Misty May (USA) bt Marrit Leenstra/Rebekka Kadijk (NED) 21-11 21-13



Group B

Dalixia Fernandez Grasset/Tamara Larrea Peraza (CUB) bt Leigh Ann Naidoo/Julia Willand
(RSA) 21-19 21-16

Adriana Behar/Shelda Bede (BRA) bt Lucilla Perrotta/Daniela Gattelli (ITA) 21-17 21-17



Group C

Ana Paula Connelly/Sandra Pires (BRA) bt Efthalia Koutroumanidou/Vasiliki Arvaniti
(GRE) 21-13 21-14

Ann Hakedal Nila/Ingrid Torlen (DEN) bt Susanne Lahme/Danja Musch (GER) 13-21, 21-17, 15-12



REUTERS jjs/rca

KEYWORD: OLYR BVO COLLATED

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

NSW: Woman winched to safety after breaking leg bushwalking

AAP General News (Australia)
04-10-2004
NSW: Woman winched to safety after breaking leg bushwalking

A woman has been winched to safety after falling down a ravine and breaking her leg
while bushwalking west of Sydney today.

A Westpac Lifesaver Helicopter spokesman says the 59-year-old woman's friends called
for help after her fall at Lithgow.

The Roseville woman is now on her way to Royal North Shore Hospital in a stable condition.

AAP RTV smb/lm H

KEYWORD: WINCH (SYDNEY)

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

Qld: Police search for youth after boy set alight

AAP General News (Australia)
02-04-2004
Qld: Police search for youth after boy set alight

Police are searching for a teenage thief wearing a HARRY POTTER watch who set a 12-year-old
boy alight after he refused to hand over his wallet.

GEORGE COOK is in Brisbane's Royal Children's Hospital with burns to his chest, stomach,
arms, hands and fingers.

He was walking to shops in Bundamba, west of Brisbane, when he was approached by a
youth, aged between 14 and 16.

When GEORGE refused to hand over his wallet, containing $5, he was kicked to the ground,
squirted …

Fed: No passenger screening on regional flights

AAP General News (Australia)
12-05-2003
Fed: No passenger screening on regional flights

Passengers will be able to board regional flights without being screened despite a
new $93 million package to bolster security at the nation's airports.

The government yesterday announced a new round of security upgrades to help protect
Australia's skies from a terrorist attack.

Most of the package will be funded by extra money collected from the $10 Ansett ticket tax.

Under the $93 million package, hardened cockpit doors will be installed in all planes
with more than 30 seats, new freight screening technology will be trialled and all pilots
will undergo security background checks.

An Office of Transport Security will be set up and an independent inspector of Transport
Security will be appointed.

However, Mr ANDERSON says passenger screening at all regional airports is not warranted.

But Labor's transport spokesman MARTIN FERGUSON says the package does not go far enough.

Meanwhile, the Liquor Hospitality Miscellaneous Workers' Union says the package is
a blow for regional tourism.

AAP RTV sal/sb/psm/

KEYWORD: AIRPORTS (CANBERRA)

2003 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

Fed: Non-residential building set for 15pc growth - AIG

00-00-0000
Fed: Non-residential building set for 15pc growth - AIG

CANBERRA, April 30 AAP - Non-residential construction is poised to make a major contributionto economic growth over the next two years, the Australian Industry Group (AIG) said today.

The AIG's latest Construction Outlook Report found that growth in non-residential constructionturnover was projected to be 15 per cent in 2002-3 and 12.5 per cent in 2003-4.

It reported solid growth of 10.1 per cent in 2003, maintaining the recovery of the previous year.

Non-residential construction employment increased by 6.4 per cent in the 12 monthsto the end of February 2003.

Companies are planning for another 5.4 per cent increase by the end of the year followedby a further increase of 5.3 per cent in the first half of 2004.

The report said exports were becoming increasingly important, with revenue from overseasconstruction business expected to grow by 12.4 per cent in 2003, followed by a strong25.1 per cent rise in 2004.

This would result in exports accounting for 9.6 per cent of all construction revenue.

The survey was undertaken in conjunction with the Australian Constructors Association.

Surveyed companies employ almost 30,000 employees and have a combined turnover of $10billion, or about 25 per cent of total industry activity.

AIG deputy chief executive Heather Ridout said the strong projections were good newsfor industry generally and the Australian economy.

"The projected growth should help offset any slowing in residential construction, providingan almost seamless transition of work for the industry," Mrs Ridout said in a statement.

"This also provides continued demand downstream in other construction-related industries."

Mrs Ridout said the upbeat growth forecasts reflected solid expansion in mining andheavy industry construction combined with a continued recovery in non-residential building.

Companies also expected a significant increase in infrastructure work, led by large-scalecivil engineering road and rail projects, principally in New South Wales and Victoria.

AAP dep/pw/br

KEYWORD: CONSTRUCTION

WA: Thousands turn out to protest for peace

00-00-0000
WA: Thousands turn out to protest for peace

PERTH, Feb 16 AAP - A strong anti-war message was delivered to John Howard's governmentby thousands of people who turned up to a peace rally in Perth yesterday afternoon.

The rally, which police estimate was attended by about 10,000 people, featured speechesby WA Greens MP Dee Margetts and WA Democrats Senator Brian Grieg.

Banners with slogans such as "You Can Bomb the World into Pieces but You Can't Bombit into Peace", "No Blood for Oil", "Bring Back the Troops - Deport Howard", echoed thesentiments of thousands who had turned up to similar rallies across the nation this weekend.

People from all walks of life including parents, children, senior citizens and studentsvoiced their opposition to a war in Iraq by marching around the city centre chanting forpeace.

AAP ajm/gjr/ts )

KEYWORD: IRAQ DEMO WA

Vic: Grocon shuts down building sites ahead of secret ballot

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Vic: Grocon shuts down building sites ahead of secret ballot

A Grocon spokesman says the company's seven Melbourne projects won't come to a standstilltomorrow.

The spokesman says subcontractors and their employees will continue to work to a normal schedule.

He says only Grocon's direct employees will be absent from the sites.

AAP RTV bja/clr/jas/rp

KEYWORD: GROCON 2 MELBOURNE (REOPENS)

Qld: Qld firies left behind

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Qld: Qld firies left behind

By Gillian Ballard

BRISBANE, Aug 8 AAP - Queensland firefighters have been withheld from an Australiaand New Zealand team headed to the United States to battle forest fires because of a loomingbushfire threat at home.

A formal request from the US last weekend called for specialised fireline supervisors,fire aviation officers and aircraft-based infrared fire mappers to help fight the worstforest fires in 50 years in western America.

But there were no Queenslanders in the group of 48 because of near-record low rainfallacross the state and further dry conditions forecast.

Queensland Fire and Rescue Service Commissioner Lee Johnson said today the absenceof key personnel would pose a risk to Queensland's fire season response because only ahandful of people had the qualities the US was looking for.

"While we would like to participate and have several highly qualified officers whocould provide benefit, it is not critical at this stage of the success of the operationin the USA," Mr Johnson said.

A spokesman for Mr Johnson said only a certain number of people in the QFRS had therequirements and skill base that the US wanted.

"It's not so much the people on the ground to do the firefighting, it's the peopleto actually do the team-leading and (who) have the range of high level of accreditationthat's required," the spokesman said.

"Those same people if they left from Queensland would be the ones who would head uptask forces in Queensland if and when we have a fire situation in Queensland."

The addition of the Balonne and Wigamba Shires brings the total number of drought declaredshires in Queensland to 38 or 16 per cent of the state, further indicating the fire dangerwhich may lie ahead.

AAP gb/jfs/sc/cjh

KEYWORD: FIREFIGHTERS QLD NIGHTLEAD

NSW: DoCS says stood-down workers still being paid

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NSW: DoCS says stood-down workers still being paid

SYDNEY, Feb 28 AAP - Four NSW Department of Community Services officers investigatedfor sending pornographic emails were stood down on full pay, the department chief saidtoday.

DoCS director general Carmel Niland today said the four officers were stood down inFebruary last year, charged with disgraceful conduct.

One of the officers was dismissed in January this year, while the investigation wascontinuing into the remaining three officers, she said.

But Ms Niland said all four were suspended with full pay consistent with industrialrelations practices.

Opposition community services …

NSW: Road closures due to bushfires

AAP General News (Australia)
12-30-2001
NSW: Road closures due to bushfires

SYDNEY, Dec 30 AAP - Road closures because of the NSW bushfires as at 21.15 (AEDT):





SOUTHERN SYDNEY

* Picton Road is closed between MacArthur Drive at Wilton and the F6 Freeway at Bulli.

* Appin Road is closed from Appin to Bulli Tops

* Heathcote Road closed between the Princes Highway and New Illawarra Road.

* Princes Highway and F6 Freeway are open.

* Royal National Park closed from Loftus to Stanwell Tops. All access roads are closed.

* Lawrence Hargrave Drive between Princes Highway, Helensburgh and Lady Wakehurst Drive
is now open.



ILLAWARRA

* Motorists are advised to avoid the Illawarra Highway between the Hume Highway and
Robertson because of thick smoke and poor visibility.



SOUTH COAST

* Turpentine Road (Braidwood to Sussex Inlet Rd) is closed.

* Araluen to Moruya Road closed.



BLUE MOUNTAINS

* Local road closures in Warrimoo.

* Great Western Highway between Penrith and Springwood open but visibility is reduced.



WINDSOR AREA

* Blaxland Ridge Road at Wheeny Creek closed.

* Putty Road closed between Bulga and Colo River Bridge.

* Upper Colo Road at Colo closed.



SOUTH WESTERN SYDNEY/SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS

* Hume Highway's speed limit reduced from 110kph to 80kph because of poor visibility.

* Wilson Drive closed between Picton and Colo Vale.



CENTRAL COAST

* Wisemans Ferry Road closed at Spencer.



AAP dmc/jmd

KEYWORD: BUSHFIRES NSW ROADS (FACTBOX UPDATE)

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

QLD: Gvt acting on meningococcal outbreak

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-2001
QLD: Gvt acting on meningococcal outbreak

BRISBANE, Aug 19 AAP - The Queensland government was doing all it could to combat the
outbreak of the deadly meningococcal disease, Premier Peter Beattie said today.

Two more cases of the disease, that has claimed seven lives in Queensland this year
including two teenagers in last fortnight, were reported yesterday.

Queensland Health has established a hotline for anxious parents while medical authorities
have warned the disease was likely to increase over the next month.

"The rapid way it happens is just traumatic but we are doing everything we can," Mr
Beattie told a media conference.

"The health department is monitoring the situation and we are very concerned," he said.

The manager of the health department's communicable disease unit, Linda Selvey, has
called for public calm after being inundated with inquiries for vaccination.

"Parents should not panic. Meningococcal is an uncommon disease and the risk of contracting
the illness is low," Dr Selvey said.

Meningococcal usually infects children up to five years of age, adolescents and occasionally
young adults.

Mr Beattie said the disease was a worldwide problem and Queensland would play its part
in research.

"This is an international problem and if we can improve our knowledge about it then
Queensland will be there," he said.

AAP geb/cdh/bwl

KEYWORD: MENINGOCOCCAL DAYLEAD

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

Vic: Denso, Austrim announce job losses

AAP General News (Australia)
04-03-2001
Vic: Denso, Austrim announce job losses

Car component manufacturer Denso says it'll close one of its four Victorian plants
in July, resulting in the loss of 170 jobs.

A company spokeswoman says workers at the Altona plant were told last Friday they were
to lose their jobs, and had been offered counselling, career guidance and time off to
attend job interviews.

Products made at Altona will be made at the Croydon plant.

Meanwhile, Austrim Textiles Group, a subsidiary of Austrim Nylex, has also revealed
plans to reduce its workforce, blaming the recent lowering of import barriers for a decline
in the industry.

The company says its review of activities would involve the probable merger of operations
as well as lowering labour costs through redundancies.

The company couldn't say how many jobs would be affected.





However, Bendigo Bank says it'll create up to 40 programming and development jobs over
the next 18 months as it expands it information technology section in Bendigo.

AAP RTV db/clr/jn

KEYWORD: JOBS VIC (MELBOURNE)

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

Qld: More bad jobs figures to follow today s, says opposition

AAP General News (Australia)
01-11-2001
Qld: More bad jobs figures to follow today s, says opposition

BRISBANE, Jan 11 AAP - The opposition today warned unemployment would rise in Queensland
if the Beattie government was re-elected - after the state's jobless rate broke the eight
per cent barrier.

Unemployment in Queensland rose to 8.2 per cent in December from 7.9 per cent the previous
month, according to the latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures.

Liberal leader David Watson said worse unemployment figures were on the way because
of the uncertain political climate resulting from the state government's crisis over the
vote …

Fed: Depression the hidden side of diabetes experts

AAP General News (Australia)
08-22-2000
Fed: Depression the hidden side of diabetes experts

Experts say depression is a hidden complication of diabetes, affecting up to one-third
of patients.

Diabetes Australia clinical nurse consultant JOHN KILMARTIN says United States research
shows that depression in people with diabetes is two to three times greater than in the
general population.

He says the psychological aspects of diabetes diagnosis are underfunded and often overlooked
by practitioners including GPs and specialists.

Diabetes Australia educators, psychologists and endocrinologists today launched the
Australasian Society for Psychological Research into Diabetes at a conference in Cairns.

The society will foster academic research but also feed some action back to the coalface
by training doctors to look after the mental health of their diabetes patients.

Mr KILMARTIN says the ultimate aim will be to ensure health staff delivering care to
people with diabetes are trained in psychotherapy, to help their clients cope with the
disease.

AAP RTV rr/sc/jn

KEYWORD: DIABETES (BRISBANE)

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

Striking cleaners to consider new peace offer

AAP General News (Australia)
04-07-2000
Striking cleaners to consider new peace offer

More than 2000 striking school and public building cleaners will meet next week to
consider a new peace offer from their employer.

Menzies Property Services has made an improved offer to 2200 employees, prompting the
Miscellaneous Workers Union to recommend its members vote on Monday to return to work.

The cleaners walked off the job today to protest against the company's plans to cut
working hours by 24 per cent.

The peace offer includes a lesser reduction in working hours and increased job security.

Under the original cuts the union claimed cleaners would have just six minutes to clean
a classroom and three minutes to clean a toilet.

AAP RTV pwa/smf/rp

KEYWORD: CLEANERS (SYDNEY)

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

WA: Investigation launched into diesel spill = 2

AAP General News (Australia)
01-10-2000
WA: Investigation launched into diesel spill = 2

Mr Tinapple said it was the third offshore fuel spill in WA in six months and the second
involving Apache Energy.

"It is a worry and we are standing on the companies …

VIC: NSW man in court over death of Melbourne man

AAP General News (Australia)
08-20-1999
VIC: NSW man in court over death of Melbourne man

MELBOURNE, Aug 20 AAP - A New South Wales man has been charged with murder after the
discovery of a man's body in Melbourne's outer southeast yesterday.

Victoria police said today that a 28-year-old man from Moulamein, in southern NSW, had been
charged with murder and would face Deniliquin Magistrates Court today, where detectives would
seek his extradition to Melbourne.

The man was arrested yesterday after a man's body was discovered inside an Emerald Court
house in Narre Warren at 5.10am.

AAP ra/jm/de

KEYWORD: BODY DAYLEAD

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

VIC: Brumby unfazed by union walkout at state conference

AAP General News (Australia)
02-27-1999
VIC: Brumby unfazed by union walkout at state conference

By Krista Hughes, State Political Correspondent

MELBOURNE, Feb 27 AAP - Victorian building unions delivered a body blow to opposition
leader John Brumby at the party's crucial state conference today by walking out on his opening
address and calling for new direction and leadership.

Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) secretary Martin Kingham said Mr
Brumby was a puppet of Right factional leaders, warning the ALP risked not only writing off
the next election but the one after without a new direction and …

FED: Signs emerge of dipping consumer confidence over Xmas

AAP General News (Australia)
12-09-1998
FED: Signs emerge of dipping consumer confidence over Xmas

By Liz Rudall and Nhada Goodfellow

CANBERRA, Dec 9 AAP - Signs of a dip in consumer confidence emerged today despite last
weeks interest rate cut and a day ahead of employment figures expected to reveal a rising
jobless rate.

The Westpac Banking Corp/Melbourne Institute index of consumer sentiment suggested
confidence was faltering in December as family finances deteriorated and major household
purchases were put on hold.

The index fell by a seasonally adjusted 1.6 per cent in December.

But Westpac Banking Corp chief economist Nigel Stapledon said despite the surprising fall,
over the long term confidence was still rising, with consumers remaining relatively upbeat.

"The December reading is a little surprising, coming as it did after the Reserve Banks cut
in official interest rates," Mr Stapledon said in a statement.

"(But) in trend terms consumer sentiment has been rising for six consecutive months -
consumers still remain upbeat."

On December 2 the Reserve Bank of Australia cut official interest rates by a quarter of a
percentage point.

Mr Stapledon said consumers assessment of the current conditions was the major contributor
to the fall in sentiment.

Respondents were reporting deteriorating family finances over the past 12 months, and
saying it was a bad time to buy major household items.

Meanwhile, the Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business said today
its leading indicator, which predicts movements in unemployment, fell for the fifth month in a
row in October - due mainly to a decline in job vacancies.

And economists predicted the unemployment rate - due to be unveiled by the Australian
Bureau of Statistics tomorrow - would have risen slightly in November, after falling to an
eight-year low of 7.7 per cent, seasonally adjusted, in October.

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) senior economist Michael Blythe warned that "the
possibility of a weak November outcome cannot be ruled out".

He said the October federal election could have bolstered employment outcomes in recent
months, but this was not expected to have a major impact.

GIO Australia chief economist Akis Haralabopoulos said the employment outlook appeared
reasonable.

"The main leading indicators of employment continue to suggest that employment growth
through the rest of 1998 will remain respectable," he said.

But Mr Haralabopoulos said it was likely employment growth would slow from current rates
through 1999 as economic conditions eased.

Meanwhile, Bankers Trust Australia estimated unemployment would come in at 8.0 per cent,
with strong employment growth expected to keep a lid on the unemployment rate.

Colonial State Bank chief economist Craig James also forecast an unemployment rate for
November of 8.0 per cent.

AAP ear/ss/kr

KEYWORD: ECONOMY NIGHTLEAD

1998 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.

VIC:Man sought over double homicide

AAP General News (Australia)
02-21-2011
VIC:Man sought over double homicide

MELBOURNE, Feb 21 AAP - Victoria Police detectives have released an image of the man
they wish to question in relation to a double homicide east of Melbourne.

A 30-year-old and a 29-year-old who lived at the same home in Moe were killed in the
driveway to the block of units where they lived about 12.30am (AEDT) on Saturday.

Both men suffered stab wounds after a fight thought to have been sparked by a parked car.

Police want to speak with …