Tristar worker sacked after speaking out

A Sydney worker who has spoken out about a redundancy row at a Sydney factory has been sacked by his employer, the Australian Workers Union (AWU) says. Marty Peek has claimed in the media that his employer, Tristar Steering and Suspension, is paying workers to turn up to work and do nothing until the expiry of a redundancy agreement which promises them four weeks' pay for each year of service. Mr Peek, the union shop steward, was on Friday sacked after 35 years of service, with Tristar claiming he had brought the company into disrepute. Advertisement: Story continues below The company said the decision to end Mr Peek's employment related to comments he had made dating back as far as 2001. His termination letter said Tristar was also concerned about two TV interviews he had last month, as well as comments Mr Peek made to Labor's industrial relations spokeswoman Julia Gillard when she visited the factory in February. The letter said Tristar found allegations made by Mr Peek were false and misleading as well as defamatory. The AWU said Tristar was simply trying to silence its workers. "It's a deliberate attempt to quieten the rest of the Rosetta Stone Chinese workforce and dampen down the prospect of any other workers going to the media," said AWU spokesman Vern Falconer. "It's a summary dismissal, they've terminated him without notice and they've denied him his long service leave and other entitlements. "He's distraught." Mr Falconer said Mr Peek had been an advocate for the union, and had become a spokesman because many of his colleagues had English as a second language. He said he feared for the future of other workers at the plant. "The way this company behaves and has behaved, is just extraordinary. I wouldn't put anything past this company to do anything, to systematically dismiss other employees, it wouldn't surprise me," Mr Falconer said. The AWU would now take the matter to the Federal Court on Monday afternoon to try to reinstate Mr Peek. A spokeswoman for Tristar said it was inappropriate for the company to discuss internal disciplinary proceedings at this time. Speaking before the dismissal, Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd said he was deeply concerned for the workers at Tristar. "This has been a despicable scandal which has gone on for far too long," Mr Rudd told reporters. "We need to resolve this matter in the interest of all the workers concerned." The Office of Workplace Services, which has begun action against Tristar, said it would closely monitor the current situation and make contact with the employer and employee.

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That was originally my plan

The young man stood before the judge, his usually neatly trimmed hair now long enough to brush the collar of his prison jumpsuit. Glenn Duffie Shriver had confessed his transgressions and was here, in a federal courtroom with his mother watching, to receive his sentence and to try, somehow, to explain it all. When the time came for him to address the court, he spoke of the many dreams he'd had to work on behalf of his country. "Mine was to be a life of service," he said. "I could have been very valuable. That was originally my plan." Advertisement: Story continues belowEDITOR'S NOTE China, ever more powerful, has become a major instigator of espionage in the United States. First of a two-part series on Beijing's efforts, many successful, to steal American secrets and technology.He had been a seemingly all-American, clean-cut guy: No criminal record. Engaged to be married. A job teaching English overseas. In letters to the judge, loved ones described the 29-year-old Midwesterner as honest and caring a good citizen. His fiancee called him "Mr. Patriot." Such descriptions make the one that culminated in the courtroom all the more baffling: Glenn Shriver was also a spy recruit for China. He took $70,000 from individuals he knew to be Chinese intelligence officers to try to land a job with a U.S. government agency first the State Department and later the CIA. And Shriver is just one of at least 57 defendants in federal prosecutions since 2008 charging espionage conspiracies with China or efforts to pass classified information, sensitive technology or trade secrets to intelligence operatives Rosetta Stone Italian state-sponsored entities, private individuals or businesses in China, according to an Associated Press review of U.S. Justice Department cases. Of those, nine are awaiting trial, and two are considered fugitives. The other defendants have been convicted, though some are yet to be sentenced. Most of these prosecutions have received little public attention especially compared with the headline splash that followed last summer's arrest of 10 Russian "sleeper agents" who'd been living in suburban America for more than a decade but, according to Attorney General Eric Holder, passed no secrets. Contrast that with this snapshot:In Honolulu, a former B-2 bomber engineer and one-time professor at Purdue gets 32 years in prison for working with the Chinese to develop a vital part for a cruise missile in a case that a high-ranking Justice Department official said resulted in the leak of "some of our country's most sensitive weapons-related designs."In Boston, a Harvard-educated businessman is sent to prison, along with his ex-wife, for conspiring for a decade to illegally export parts used in military radar and electronic warfare systems to research institutes that manufacture items for the Chinese military. The Department of Defense concluded the illegal exports "represented a serious threat to U.S. national and regional defense security interests."In Los Angeles, a man goes to jail for selling Raytheon-manufactured thermal imaging cameras to a buyer in Shanghai whose company develops infrared technology. The cameras are supposed to be restricted for export to China because of "their potential use in a wide variety of military and civilian applications," according to court documents.And in Alexandra, Va., there is Shriver, who told the judge quite simply: "Somewhere along the way, I climbed into bed with the wrong people." All five of these defendants were sentenced over just an 11-day span earlier this year. In Shriver's case, when once he asked his Chinese handlers "What, exactly, do you guys want?" the response, as detailed in court documents, was straightforward. "If it's possible," they told him, "we want you to get us some secrets or classified information."

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Could you help Max clean up his act?

MOST parrots are colourful birds but cheeky Max even turns the air blue. When RSPCA inspectors rescued him from a Leicester home on Monday, they got an earful of X-rated language. Now living at Woodside Animal Centre, in Braunstone Frith, the abusive avian has settled down as he adapts to his new environment, although care assistants expect him to be cursing again in no time. They hope to find the foulmouthed five-year-old a home where he can learn new vocabulary. Woodside manager Lisa Smith said: "Max is a cheeky chappy and he does talk - although all we've heard at the moment is blasphemy. "But he's only young so there's the potential for him to learn so much more."Whoever takes him has on has to bear in mind he could live for another 70 years. It's a massive responsibility but he will make a great pet for someone who has had experience with parrots. "He needs someone who will be home a lot of the time, otherwise he'll be very bored - he needs a lot of attention. "He'll also need a big cage and the opportunity to get out." If you are interested in giving Max a home, call the centre on 0116 233 6677. MANILA, Philippines - Recognizing the very significant role the Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) plays in the overall scheme to improve learning outcomes among school children, the Department of Education (DepEd) will join the world in the Rosetta Stone celebration of International Mother Language Day (IMLD) on Monday, February 21.Through Memorandum No. 19, series 2011, Education Secretary Armin Luistro said that DepEd supports the declaration of the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to celebrate such to promote linguistic and cultural diversity as universal values that strengthen the unity and cohesion of societies.With theme "Making Every Child a Reader through MTB-MLE," Luistro said that the celebration challenges DepEd to explore more possibilities on how MTB-MLE can help our country achieve the 2015 Education for All (EFA) goals, particularly in making every child a reader. A UNIVERSITY has become the first in the country to train midwives in sign language. Midwifery students at De Montfort University will be taught by Belgrave charity Action Deafness. Deaf mum Jayne Smith, 28, said she would have appreciated a signing midwife during the delivery of her daughters Charlotte, five, and Angela, three. She said: "It would have made me feel more confident when asking questions about my health and my babies' health. "It is a fantastic idea. It would help them understand the emotional issues, difficulties and barriers that exist for deaf people."Bernadette Gregory, senior lecturer in midwifery at De Montfort, said: "We hope to teach the next generation of midwives how to communicate and provide better care to these women. "I believe we are the first university to run this type of training and I that hope by highlighting this issue, midwives and other health care professionals will introduce it into their training." Dr Joanna Downes, from Action Deafness, said the course would "enlighten the student midwives on the psychological, emotional, social and communication issues facing deaf parents and hearing parents of deaf babies".

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Egypt Live Report

But one possible minor inconvenience following his departure from office: the Swiss government has just ordered a freeze on any assets belonging to him and his entourage, the Swiss foreign ministry said. Ah well. Advertisement: Story continues below 1750 GMT: In London, David Cameron, prime minister of the former colonial power, Britain, found a new adjective, to say it had been a "remarkable", before urging whatever government is formed to "put in place the building blocks of a truly open, free and democratic society." "As a friend of Egypt and the Egyptian people we stand ready to help in any way that we can," he added. 1745 GMT: Voicing a key concern of western governments, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel urged the new leadership that will emerge to respect the country's 1979 peace treaty with Israel. Saying "I rejoice with the people in Egypt," and urging all to work together in peace, she added: "We also expect the future Egyptian government to continue to keep the peace in the Middle East, in that the agreements made with Israel are respected and Israel's security is guaranteed," she said. 1742 GMT: And the leading opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei has also welcomed the announcement. "We have got our life back," he told Al-Jazeera television in an interview. 1732: In Cairo, Egypt's powerful Islamist opposition group the Muslim Brotherhood hailed the resignation and "thanked the army, which kept its promises." 1729 GMT: In Washington, US Vice Rosetta Stone V3 President Joe Biden has also opted, like German Chancellor Merkel, for the cautiously diplomatic word "historic". Lebanon's Hezbollah also used the word, though adding crucially that it was a "historic victory", as car horns blared and fireworks exploded in Beirut. 1727 GMT: Turkey's foreign minister has congratulated the Egyptian people on toppling Mubarak and said he hoped a new system would emerge in the wake of the veteran president's departure. "Congratulations to the Egyptian people. And we hope that a system meeting the expectations of the Egyptian people will emerge," Ahmet Davutoglu said in a message on his Twitter page. 1720 GMT: Cyberactivist Wael Ghonim has tweeted "congratulations to Egypt, the criminal has left the palace" in Arabic. "Welcome back Egypt," he added in English on his Twitter page, as celebrations continued in cities around Egypt. Ghonim, 30, a Google regional marketing executive, emerged as a spokesman of the uprising after his release on Monday following 12 days in custody. 1714 GMT: In Amman, Jordan's powerful Muslim Brotherhood said Mubarak's decision should be a "lesson" to all Arab regimes. "Arab regimes should learn a lesson from what happened. All Arab peoples suffer from the corruption of their regimes," Jamil Abu Baker, the movement's spokesman, told. 1710 GMT: In Berlin, German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed Mubarak's decision to resign as a "historic change". We can expect a lot of these sorts of rather guarded comments from Mubarak's former western allies. 1707 GMT: "As Mubarak decided to step down, geopolitical concerns eased and (New York) crude oil prices retreated toward $86," said Sucden analyst Myrto Sokou. "The potential shutdown in the operations at the Suez Canal looks very unlikely for the near-term." 1704 GMT: World oil prices slide and European stock markets bounce following news of Mubarak's resignation. Brent North Sea crude for delivery in March sank to $100.43 per barrel, before pulling back to $100.75, down 12 cents from yesterday closing level. 1703 GMT: Iran says Egyptians have achieved a "great victory" with the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak.

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I felt that isolation big-time

While death stalks the pages, love underpins the whole story; namely, how a dead mother's love offers protection against the most evil of evils. The ultimate fantasy of maternal love sustains Harry time and again when he is caught in the grip of Lord Voldemort and his ilk, and that love sees him through to the bitter end. Absent or dead parents are a remarkable feature of children's literature. The Famous Five would surely not have had so many adventures if there had been more parental involvement in their lives, other than mad Uncle Quentin and ineffectual Aunt Fanny. Roald Dahl also liked to kill off the parents or make them truly awful, like the Dursleys. For Shelley, Croft and Vanheusden, the books took off for them when they were on the brink of adolescence; at an age when they were starting to form their own opinions and imagining life outside the family. And they felt the pain of Harry's abandonment, even if they weren't orphans. Supermarket worker Christian Peris, 19, was sucked into Potterdom when he was grounded as a teenager. ''The only place I was allowed to go was the library and I started to read it. I was immediately drawn in because Harry was living in a cupboard under the stairs and I was more or less confined to my room. I felt very close to him.'' ''I didn't have the best childhood,'' says Shelley. ''I guess I could identify with Harry wanting to get away to this magical place where anything was possible. My parents divorced at a young age and they always fought, so it could be quite hard at home, especially having to go from one parent to another. I felt that isolation big-time. By the age of 13, I was aware that families didn't come in one set type and they were all pretty much stuffed up in their own ways. I longed for what Harry wanted the perfect family with two parents who loved him.'' McDonald's Rosetta Stone Greekemployee Vanheusden, 20, whose home in Frankston is adorned with posters, went through a similar experience. ''When I was 12, my parents separated and I had two younger sisters. I felt I had to be there for them all the time and not focus on how I was feeling. I had to get away from it all. Reading Harry Potter was about focusing on me for a change and not everybody else. I felt very alone. I couldn't go to anyone. I had to be there for my sisters, but there was no one really there for me, so these books were a form of escape.'' The books also served as a moral compass, informing young readers' choices on how to live. When The Philosopher's Stone first came out, it caused an outcry among some religious members because of its use of magic. But the entire story spun out over seven volumes revealed itself to be an intensely moral fable with the tenets of Christianity at its core; namely, good triumphing over evil, life and love winning out over death, and justice meted out to those who deserve it. Harry triumphs over adversity using old-fashioned courage and integrity, as well as magic. And he's so ordinary! Not blessed with film-star good looks or a particularly high IQ, like swotty Hermione, he's a shining beacon for normality. Every day, his actions are repeated around the world by regular Joe Soaps reaching unprecedented heights for causes they believe in. Says Crombie: ''It does have huge effects on the decisions I make in life.

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Such incitement only fuels anti-Jewish sentiment

Whether Thomas really meant that Israel should disappear, or that a mass expulsion of Jews should take place is unknown. But her words echo a worrying trend in which people are openly talking about a world without Israel. And I just don't mean the Iranian President who wants Israel wiped off the map. Such incitement only fuels anti-Jewish sentiment. Over the last week, a Jewish student wearing a yarmulke was assaulted at Sydney University. Unsurprisingly, The Northwest Intelligence Network reports: "A palpable animosity against Israel and the Jews, most recently exacerbated by media bias with regard to the nature of the aid flotillas to Gaza, are generating a new and vicious level of anti-Semitism worldwide." Across the Arab world, hateful and anti-Semitic newspaper cartoons have fanned the flames of intolerance. In Al-Watan, Qatar, a hook nosed, black-hatted Jew with tentacles holds a bloody knife and a gun; in Al Iqtisadiyya, Saudi Arabia, a flag with the Swastika is shown over a Star of David, with an image of a skull and crossbones. The Turkish government has labelled the Israeli raid a massacre, and likened it to 911. Its ambassador to the US said last Friday that Hamas is a key and necessary part of the "Final solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Such comments, inadvertent as they may be, would horrify those who know history. Turkey, part of NATO, who wants to Rosetta Stone Japanese become a member of the EU, should do well to avoid its self-righteous outbursts and look back at its past - specifically the Armenian Genocide and the way it has treated the Kurdish Independence movement that by some estimates has so far led to the death of 40,000 lives. Thankfully, the history books are slowly being corrected. Here is what Tony Blair, Special envoy of the Quartet of Middle East peace mediators, said yesterday about the flotilla incident: "There's no question that there are rockets fired from Gaza and that there are people in Gaza who want to kill innocent Israelis. When it comes to security, I'm 100 per cent on Israel's side. Israel has the right to inspect what goes into Gaza." Kuwaiti journalist Abdallah Al-Hadlaq agrees, writing that the outcome of the Israeli navy's operation was "in direct proportion to the violence" of the flotilla activists. He further notes that the flotilla organisers are known to have ties with global and regional terror organisations. Robert Fulford tries to explain the enmity towards Israel by quoting from The Israel Test, a book by George Gilder. Gilder writes: "Without oil, beset by passionate enemies, Israel has nevertheless achieved astonishing, unprecedented success. It now stands second only to the United States in microchips, telecom, software, biotech, medical devices and renewable energy. Per capita, it's easily the most innovative country on the planet." Fulford ends his article with this question: "Gilder's "Israel test" asks how others respond to this achievement. Do we study, admire and emulate it? Or do we consider it a devilish trick and hope to see it destroyed? I think we all know the answer.

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Welcome to the hangover

Welcome to the hangover after the party . . . Kym Vercoe gets to grip with the aftermath of the great recession. Photo: Heidrun Lohr Reader rating: Rating: 45 out of 5 stars (11 votes) Genre Theatre B-Sharp, Belvoir St, November 26Until December 19THE Sydney trio Post's contribution to this two-part response to the worldwide market meltdown is titled Everything I Know About The Global Financial Crisis In One Hour. In this case, ''everything'' equates to a gleeful ''not much''. Unlike David Hare's doggedly inquiring The Power of Yes, which made an attempt to unravel the credit crunch debacle, Zoe Coombs Marr, Natalie Rose and Mish Grigor explain the global financial crisis not as it happened, but ''as you reckon it happened''. And so, for 45 minutes, the trio delivers a series of increasingly off-kilter riffs assembled from recorded free-association sessions. Absurd conspiracy theories arise and are repeated like truths. Who's to blame? Bernie Mac and (novelty goods chain) Granny May's? Colonel Sanders and Daddy Warbucks? Advertisement: Story continues below And what of the central importance to the world economy of corn, especially Canada Goose Danmark the popped variety? Nonsensical diagrams plotted on a blackboard add to the confusion. Everything I Know makes for a playful tilt at the way in which the language of the so-called experts is filtered, sorted and appropriated. It's funny and free of po-faced finger-pointing, though as its structure repeats, it begins to feel like a capitulation to the complexity of the crisis; a response from individuals who didn't feel the house of cards crashing in on their heads. Instead they dance to Korn's cover of Cameo's Word Up! They wave their hands in the air like they just don't care. The second part (The Market Is Not Functioning Properly), made by the documentary performance company Version 1.0, is a more gripping and personal statement. While three screens show flickering footage of Obama, Bush and Rudd expressing dreary reassurances, and interview subjects ponder their own predicaments, performers Kym Vercoe and Jane Phegan embody market hysteria and to a large extent, the Gen-X predicament. The party is over. Welcome to the hangover. Watching them lay out a sheaf of monthly bills - the kind we all juggle - and attempt to consolidate their finances (on credit, of course), most will be struck by how distressingly normal it now feels to be up to the eyeballs in debt.

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