Fed: Inhumane policy to blame for detention centre fires

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Fed: Inhumane policy to blame for detention centre fires

Refugee activists say flawed and inhumane government policies are to blame for detentioncentre fires which have caused more than $5 million damage.

Coalition for Reform of Refugee Policy spokesman GREG BARNS says the damage is a directresult of the HOWARD government's approach to refugees.

Fires at South Australia's Baxter detention centre over the weekend are estimated tohave caused about $2.25 million in damage.

Up to five separate fires were deliberately lit about midnight Saturday (CDT) in acompound at the detention centre.

The fires forced detainees to be evacuated into another compound, which was also set ablaze.

A fire also broke out in a storage block at Western Australia's Port Hedland centreovernight, causing an estimated $3 million damage.

Mr BARNS says the damage is a result of the federal government's flawed and inhumaneasylum seeker policies.

AAP RTV jwm/smb/rp

KEYWORD: DETENTION FIRE REACT (CANBERRA)

SA: Virgin Blue signs on for new Adelaide terminal

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SA: Virgin Blue signs on for new Adelaide terminal

ADELAIDE, Aug 20 AAP - Virgin Blue today signed to be a tenant of a $200 million terminalto be built at Adelaide Airport.

South Australian Premier Mike Rann said he expected construction of the new terminalwould now start early next year and it would open late in 2004.

Qantas signed to be the terminal's other anchor tenant last month.

Mr Rann said the commitment of both airlines had been critical to the new terminal going ahead.

"I am delighted that Virgin Blue have publicly announced and today signed a letterto Adelaide Airport Limited confirming their involvement in the proposed new terminal,"

Mr Rann said in a statement after meeting with Virgin Blue chief executive Brett Godfreyin Brisbane.

"Virgin Blue told me that they will move into the former Ansett terminal in Septemberand remain there on a temporary basis until construction of the new terminal is completed."

Mr Rann said there would now be a "world-class terminal that will incorporate regional,domestic and international airlines rather than the dogs' breakfast that currently existsat Adelaide Airport".

He said some documentation, design and planning issues still needed to be worked throughwith Virgin Blue.

State Opposition Leader Rob Kerin welcomed today's announcement, saying the currentterminal was unacceptable.

"I urge Virgin Airlines and Qantas to finalise an agreement on the terminal to allowbuilding work to start," Mr Kerin said.

AAP scl/mg/br

KEYWORD: AIRPORT

SA: New twist in Lewis case may allow police in the door

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SA: New twist in Lewis case may allow police in the door

By Tim Dornin

ADELAIDE, April 11 AAP - South Australia's parliamentary speaker Peter Lewis has leftthe door open for police to examine his office files in their investigation of his businessdealings with a convicted armed robber.

After initial comments that he would not, as speaker, give away parliamentary privilegewhich prevents police going into the house, he said today they could go in, if he gavepermission.

"It is not true that I have prevented the examination of any of my files at ParliamentHouse to discover if there is material relevant to the inquiries which the police areconducting into my affairs," he said.

"I have simply said that the police may not enter the parliament house other than bymy invitation."

However, Mr Lewis did not say if he intended to invite police in.

The latest twist in the controversy surrounding the SA speaker came after his refusalearlier today to comply with Liberal Party calls to stand aside while the investigationproceeded.

Opposition legal spokesman Robert Lawson said Mr Lewis was using his position as speakerof the House of Assembly to refuse to allow police to search his parliamentary offices,in a clear conflict of interest.

But Mr Lewis said no such conflict of interest existed.

Last week, the independent MP confirmed police inquiries into his dealings with convictedarmed robber Terry Stephens but denied any wrongdoing.

He said he cut all ties with Mr Stephens once he found out about the extent of Stephens'prior offences.

One of the allegations levelled by Mr Stephens against Mr Lewis was that he took possessionof about 200 antique and valuable guns.

Mr Stephens obtained the guns when he bought the home and assets of former magistrateand convicted paedophile Peter Liddy and later handed them to Mr Lewis to sell.

But Mr Lewis said he never took possession of any guns.

Today, he renewed claims that the whole issue was a smear campaign against him by disgruntledLiberals after he sided with Labor to bring it to government earlier this year.

"The Liberals smear campaign aimed at me will not break my nerve nor my resolve tocarefully consider the manner in which justice can be done and be seen to be done in thisinstance," he said.

Also today, the deputy speaker and fellow independent Bob Such backed Mr Lewis stayingin the speaker's job.

He said he had heard nothing that would require Mr Lewis to stand aside.

"From what I know of this matter ... I don't believe I've heard anything that wouldwarrant Peter being required to stand aside," he said.

AAP tjd/cjh/de

KEYWORD: LEWIS NIGHTLEAD

NSW: "No vacancy" sign up at several universities

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NSW: "No vacancy" sign up at several universities

Several universities have already hung out the NO VACANCY sign across all faculties,even before students accept their first round offers.

The University of Wollongong, Macquarie University and the University of New SouthWales have already issued offers equivalent to all course capacities.

This means little or no opportunities are left for students hoping to score a placein the upcoming second round of offers by the University Admission …

i-mode mobile Net service on the way, NATION

Pichaya Changsorn
The Nation (Thailand)
10-01-2001
Marubeni said it would bring DoCoMo's i-mode, Japan's hugely popular mobile
Internet system, to the domestic market this year.
The launch of i-mode would be in the same timeframe as the planned
upgrading of local cellular phone systems to the 2.5-generation (2.5G)
wireless technology by the two major operators, Advanced Info Service (AIS)
and Total Access Communication (TAC), at the year-end.
"We're going to transfer i-mode-like content, which is very popular in
Japan, to Thailand," said Ko Mori, president of Marubeni Thailand.
"We're talking to TAC and AIS, which are going to introduce 2.5G at
the end of the year. We're also in talks with CP-Orange." CP-Orange is
shaping up as the newest cellular phone system provider in Thailand with
its announcement recently that it had awarded a US$250 million (Bt11 billion)
contract for Motorola to install its network to enable it to launch the
service by year-end.
The i-mode plan for Thailand could likely involve the linking up of
Marubeni with Thai partners in new joint ventures, Mori added without elaborating.
The Japanese trading house already has 64 joint ventures operating in Thailand
in industries ranging from hospitals, agriculture, multiplex theatres,
textiles and steel to power plants, automobiles, chemicals, insurance,
IT and software.
In contrast to the slow start of mobile Internet services everywhere
else in the world through the so-called WAP (wireless application protocol)
system, i-mode has become an instant phenomenon in Japan with more than
6 million users registered within the first 14 months of its inception
in February 1999. Mori did not say what specific i-mode contents Marubeni
is thinking of introducing here. But in Japan, i-mode services include
road traffic navigation; guides to movies, restaurants and shows; games;
cartoons; virtual pets; banking; and air ticketing.
DoCoMo introduced i-mode in Japan on its 2.5G network and is planning
to go to 3G by 2003. For Thai cellular companies, upgrading to 2.5G from
the current second-generation wireless network will require marginal investment
compared to the huge cost for 3G.



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INC. NO PORTION OF MATERIALS CONTAINED HEREIN MAY BE USED IN ANY MEDIA
WITHOUT ATTRIBUTION TO WORLDSOURCES ONLINE, INC.

COPYRIGHT 2001 BY WORLDSOURCES ONLINE, INC.

Fed: CASA is punishing Ansett, chief executive says

AAP General News (Australia)
04-15-2001
Fed: CASA is punishing Ansett, chief executive says

Ansett says Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority is punishing the airline for
being honest about its own problems.

Ansett's 10 Boeing 767s were grounded on Thursday due to concerns over safety procedures
and systems.

CASA has given the company three weeks to show why it should not lose its operating licence.

The airline has borrowed 747s from one of its own international routes and from Singapore
Airlines to help fly home 37,000 passengers home from Easter holidays tomorrow.

CASA director of aviation safety, MICK TOLLER, says CASA last week considered grounding
the entire Ansett fleet and blames the company's new management team for the crisis.

But Ansett chief executive GARY TOOMEY says that the airline's new management team
has worked with CASA since December to revise management structure

The New Zealand-based airline boss, who is also chief executive of Ansett owner, Air
New Zealand, returned from New Zealand to Melbourne tonight.

AAP RTV imc/wz

KEYWORD: ANSETT (MELBOURNE)

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

NSW: Doctors remove hand of first hand transplant paitent

AAP General News (Australia)
02-03-2001
NSW: Doctors remove hand of first hand transplant paitent

Doctors have removed the hand of the world's first hand-transplant patient CLINT HALLAM
at a secret hospital location in London.

Australian microsurgeon Professor EARL OWEN, a co-leader of the international transplantation
team which attached the hand on September 23, 1998, says the hand was removed in a short
operation around 8 am (AEDT) today, Autralian time.

Prof OWEN says the hand was removed at Mr HALLAM'S request after his body …