пятница, 2 марта 2012 г.

Chinese authority lists ten "suitable" E-games for teenagers

Chinese authority lists ten "suitable" E-games for teenagers

BEIJING, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Culture hasrecommended ten cyber games that are suitable for minors to play aspart of its drive to purify the on-line environment for the young.

The ten cyber games published have been selected by theministry's on-line games censorship committee from scores ofgamesrecommended by the Chinese public.

The games are all domestic products. They include five roleplaying games (RPG), four recreation and chess games, and oneeducational game, such as "Warring States II Online,""Rainbow IslandOnline," and "Wonderlands of learning and games."

These games have made their way into the final recommendationlist because they are deemed "healthy" and can "enhanceintelligence," according to the ministry.

The ministry hoped the list could serve as a guidance for parentsto better direct their children in the winter vacation, whichusually lasts nearly two months from January to February each year.

This was the third time for the ministry to publishrecommendedcyber games list. The previous two were made publicrespectively in January 2006 and August 2005 with a total of 25games enlisted.

In the past few years, on-line games have become the favoritepastime of young people. However, it is argued that such socialproblems as game addiction, juvenile delinquency and the advocacy ofbrutality and perversion among minors by on-line violence andpornography have stemmed from an inadequately regulated Internet.

Vic: Former tobacco law firm back doing state govt work


AAP General News (Australia)
08-05-2004
Vic: Former tobacco law firm back doing state govt work

The Victorian government has hired former British American Tobacco law firm Clayton
Utz to fight the state's paramedics' union.

The firm was quietly re-listed as one of the government's preferred legal service providers
several months ago, after it was dumped following the ROLAH MCCABE tobacco case in 2002.

The Department of Human Services has since appointed the firm to represent the Metropolitan
Ambulance Service and Rural Ambulance Victoria in their pay and conditions dispute with
the ambulance employees' union.

In the British American Tobacco case, ROLAH MCCABE, who's since died of cancer, sued
the tobacco company claiming its products caused her illness and the company had sought
to evade its liability.

In March 2002, the Supreme Court found Clayton Utz was complicit with BAT in a scheme
to destroy documents that might be relevant to future prosecutions.

The Court of Appeal overturned the judgment in December that year.

AAP RTV bp/dl/rp

KEYWORD: CLAYTON UTZ (MELBOURNE)

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

WA; New call centre creates 160 new jobs in Perth


AAP General News (Australia)
02-24-2004
WA; New call centre creates 160 new jobs in Perth

PERTH, Feb 24 AAP - Telstra today officially opened a new Perth call centre that has
created 160 new jobs.

Telstra chief of customer sales and service John Rolland said the centre, which will
manage customer sales calls, began functioning in January and would become fully operational
this week.

He said Telstra had also advertised …

FED: Mercury 04 to be biggest anti-terrorism operation


AAP General News (Australia)
01-11-2004
FED: Mercury 04 to be biggest anti-terrorism operation

SYDNEY, Jan 11 AAP - Australia was preparing for its most ambitious counter-terrorism
operation to date in a multi-million dollar joint federal and state training exercise,
federal Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said today.

Known as Mercury 04, the operation will be held over several days in March and involve
authorities in NSW, ACT, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory.

Mr Ruddock said the mock attack would be the first to use equipment purchased for states
and territories to react to chemical, biological and …

Vic: Vic murder rate down 20 per cent: crime stats =2

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Vic: Vic murder rate down 20 per cent: crime stats =2

The police union said the statistics were encouraging, but did not hide a shortageof police on the streets.

Police Association of Victoria secretary Sergeant Paul Mullett said the figures showednot enough arrests were being made in preventing offences.

"If those numbers are down that's an indication to us that there's insufficient policeon the streets for offences such as going equipped to steal, possess weapons and explosives,using drugs, traffic drugs," he said.

"That's a solid indication there are insufficient police proactively patrolling.

"That's what the community wants: a visible police presence proactively preventingoffences before they occur."

He said the government was yet to put on 600 extra police promised before the election last year.

He said a further 600, making a total of 1,200, were needed before the next election in 2006.

AAP adm/gfr/ak/jlw/1

KEYWORD: CRIME VIC 2 MELBOURNE (REOPENS)

четверг, 1 марта 2012 г.

Fed: Govt hoping for more tax reform - Costello

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Fed: Govt hoping for more tax reform - Costello

Treasurer PETER COSTELLO says the federal government will pressure all states to abolishbank account debits tax by 2004 or 2005.

Mr COSTELLO's told Sydney radio 2UE the government will then move to cut stamp dutieson mortgages and leases.

Bank account debits tax is paid to state governments when people take money out oftheir accounts.

AAP RTV lm/dl/jmt

KEYWORD: TAX COSTELLO (CANBERRA)

Vic; Firefighters reinforce defences

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Vic; Firefighters reinforce defences

Victorian bushfire fighters have built a massive containment line on the southern edgeof the Snowy River National Park to protect private property against the fire which hasburnt over 396,700ha.

Department of Sustainability and Environment spokesman IAN MILES says firefightersretreated to the south of the park to prepare for the impact of escalating temperaturesearly this week.

Earlier, water bombing of spot fires in the park were ineffective as the blazes spreadand jumped …