Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
AUSTRALIA LEAVES INTEREST RATE UNCHANGED
Published: 5/3/2011 8:34:54 AM
By:
By:
Reserve Bank of Australia decided on May 2 to leave its benchmark interest rate at 4.75 percent as a record-high currency helped contain the temporary spike in consumer prices due to natural disasters.
AUSTRALIA'S UNEMPLOYMENT DROPS TO 4.9% IN MARCH
Published: 4/7/2011 10:16:45 AM
By:
The number of people unemployed decreased by 10,200 people to 592,900 in March.
The ABS monthly aggregate hours worked series showed an increase in March, up 13.1 million hours to 1618.3 million hours.
Labour force participation was 65.8 per cent in March, an increase of 0.1 percentage points from February.
By:
The seasonally adjusted Australian unemployment rate decreased 0.1 percentage points to 4.9 per cent in March, as announced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on April 7.
The ABS reported the number of people employed increased 37,800 people to 11.457 million in March. The increase in employment was driven by an increase in full-time employment, up 32,100 people to 8.106 million, and an increase in part-time employment, up 5,700 people to 3.351 million.The number of people unemployed decreased by 10,200 people to 592,900 in March.
The ABS monthly aggregate hours worked series showed an increase in March, up 13.1 million hours to 1618.3 million hours.
Labour force participation was 65.8 per cent in March, an increase of 0.1 percentage points from February.
AUSTRALIA LEAVES INTEREST RATE UNCHANGEDAUSTRALIA LEAVES INTEREST RATE UNCHANGED
Published: 3/2/2011 10:22:24 AM
By:
Australia's terms of trade are at their highest level since the early 1950s and national income is growing strongly. Private investment is picking up, mainly in the resources sector, in response to high levels of commodity prices. In the household sector thus far, in contrast, there continues to be caution in spending and borrowing, and a higher rate of saving out of current income. The effects of the natural disasters over the summer have reduced output, but production levels should recover over the months ahead, and there will be a mild boost to demand from the rebuilding efforts as they get under way.
Asset values have generally been little changed over recent months and overall credit growth remains quite subdued, notwithstanding evidence of some greater willingness to lend. Business balance sheets generally are being strengthened, and the run-up in household leverage has abated.
The labour market firmed in 2010, with unusually strong growth in employment and a decline in the rate of unemployment. Most leading indicators suggest further growth in employment, though most likely at a slower pace. Reports of skills shortages remain confined, at this point, to the resources and related sectors. After the significant decline in 2009, growth in wages has returned to rates seen prior to the downturn.
Inflation is consistent with the medium-term objective of monetary policy, having declined significantly from its peak in 2008. These moderate outcomes are being assisted by the high level of the exchange rate, the earlier decline in wages growth and strong competition in some key markets, which have worked to offset large rises in utilities prices. Production losses due to weather are temporarily raising prices for some agricultural produce, but these should fall back later in the year. Overall, looking through these temporary effects, the Bank expects that inflation over the year ahead will continue to be consistent with the 2–3 per cent target.
At today's meeting, the Board judged that the current mildly restrictive stance of monetary policy remained appropriate in view of the general macroeconomic outlook.
By:
Reserve Bank of Australia decided on March 1 to maintain its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 4.75%.
The global economy is continuing its expansion, led by very strong growth in the Asian region. Commodity prices have risen further over recent months, pushing up measures of consumer price inflation in many countries. A number of countries have been moving to tighten their monetary policy settings. Overall, though, financial conditions for the global economy remain accommodative.Australia's terms of trade are at their highest level since the early 1950s and national income is growing strongly. Private investment is picking up, mainly in the resources sector, in response to high levels of commodity prices. In the household sector thus far, in contrast, there continues to be caution in spending and borrowing, and a higher rate of saving out of current income. The effects of the natural disasters over the summer have reduced output, but production levels should recover over the months ahead, and there will be a mild boost to demand from the rebuilding efforts as they get under way.
Asset values have generally been little changed over recent months and overall credit growth remains quite subdued, notwithstanding evidence of some greater willingness to lend. Business balance sheets generally are being strengthened, and the run-up in household leverage has abated.
The labour market firmed in 2010, with unusually strong growth in employment and a decline in the rate of unemployment. Most leading indicators suggest further growth in employment, though most likely at a slower pace. Reports of skills shortages remain confined, at this point, to the resources and related sectors. After the significant decline in 2009, growth in wages has returned to rates seen prior to the downturn.
Inflation is consistent with the medium-term objective of monetary policy, having declined significantly from its peak in 2008. These moderate outcomes are being assisted by the high level of the exchange rate, the earlier decline in wages growth and strong competition in some key markets, which have worked to offset large rises in utilities prices. Production losses due to weather are temporarily raising prices for some agricultural produce, but these should fall back later in the year. Overall, looking through these temporary effects, the Bank expects that inflation over the year ahead will continue to be consistent with the 2–3 per cent target.
At today's meeting, the Board judged that the current mildly restrictive stance of monetary policy remained appropriate in view of the general macroeconomic outlook.
Monday, 2 May 2011
Pierce ejected for 'verbal taunt' in Game 1
Pierce ejected for 'verbal taunt' in Game 1
Posted May 1 2011 9:00PM
MIAMI (AP) -- Paul Pierce got hit - and then run.
Boston's captain was ejected with seven minutes left in Game 1 of the Celtics' Eastern Conference semifinal series on Sunday afternoon after picking up two technical fouls on separate plays in the fourth quarter.
Referee Ed Malloy called a double-technical - and in Pierce's case, it was his second, meaning his night was over.
"It's what we call a verbal taunt," crew chief Dan Crawford said. "He directed profanity towards Wade. And in the rulebook, that is a verbal taunt. And it just so happened to be Pierce's second technical foul."
Miami won the game, 99-90. Game 2 is Tuesday. Pierce did not speak with reporters after the game.
Pierce's first technical came after he was fouled by James Jones on the right wing, a play where Jones made some contact with Pierce's head.
He took exception with that, as did Celtics coach Doc Rivers afterward.
"James Jones was a clear flagrant," Rivers said. "He went right for the head and grabbed. And I thought Dwyane Wade's was an absolute flagrant. He had no intentions ... he was just trying to run through Paul. I told Paul, 'You still don't react."'
The game was aired by ABC, and analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy both thought Pierce's ejection was not warranted.
"You can't toss him out," Jackson said on air.
"I don't think that he could have said anything that would warrant being thrown out of this game," Van Gundy said. "What does it matter? No one hears it. He's talking to Dwyane Wade. You're ruining the end of this game over something that doesn't need to be addressed like this."
The first technical foul was because Pierce made contact with Jones during a dead-ball period. Pierce's head made light contact with Jones during that skirmish, but Crawford said it stopped short of being called a head-butt, which may have merited further sanctioning from the NBA.
"He approached Jones and got right in his face," Crawford said.
In the Celtics' locker room, the sense was that their captain was wronged.
"If anything, you let it go," forward Kevin Garnett said. "The play was called, the foul, whatever was called, it wasn't something that escalated or felt like that needed to be blown out of proportion."
Reserve forward Glen Davis was more succinct.
Boston's captain was ejected with seven minutes left in Game 1 of the Celtics' Eastern Conference semifinal series on Sunday afternoon after picking up two technical fouls on separate plays in the fourth quarter.
The ejection came after a play where he set a screen for Ray Allen against Miami's Dwyane Wade, who was running at him with a good amount of speed. Both players appeared to take offense to the force of the collision, Wade stepping toward Pierce after the play as the Boston forward was saying something to him.
"It's what we call a verbal taunt," crew chief Dan Crawford said. "He directed profanity towards Wade. And in the rulebook, that is a verbal taunt. And it just so happened to be Pierce's second technical foul."
Miami won the game, 99-90. Game 2 is Tuesday. Pierce did not speak with reporters after the game.
Pierce's first technical came after he was fouled by James Jones on the right wing, a play where Jones made some contact with Pierce's head.
He took exception with that, as did Celtics coach Doc Rivers afterward.
"James Jones was a clear flagrant," Rivers said. "He went right for the head and grabbed. And I thought Dwyane Wade's was an absolute flagrant. He had no intentions ... he was just trying to run through Paul. I told Paul, 'You still don't react."'
The game was aired by ABC, and analysts Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy both thought Pierce's ejection was not warranted.
"You can't toss him out," Jackson said on air.
"I don't think that he could have said anything that would warrant being thrown out of this game," Van Gundy said. "What does it matter? No one hears it. He's talking to Dwyane Wade. You're ruining the end of this game over something that doesn't need to be addressed like this."
The first technical foul was because Pierce made contact with Jones during a dead-ball period. Pierce's head made light contact with Jones during that skirmish, but Crawford said it stopped short of being called a head-butt, which may have merited further sanctioning from the NBA.
"He approached Jones and got right in his face," Crawford said.
In the Celtics' locker room, the sense was that their captain was wronged.
"If anything, you let it go," forward Kevin Garnett said. "The play was called, the foul, whatever was called, it wasn't something that escalated or felt like that needed to be blown out of proportion."
Reserve forward Glen Davis was more succinct.
"A dirty shot," Davis said, adding, "We're awake. Most definitely we smell what's going on, the coffee is brewing. We'll be back Game 2 and it'll be a great game."
Pierce finished with 19 points and seven rebounds on 6 of 14 shooting. It was the second playoff ejection of his career, the other coming against the Indiana Pacers in 2005.
Stefanovic takes home Gold Logie
Channel Nine presenter Karl Stefanovic has won the coveted Gold Logie at the television industry's night of nights in Melbourne after a late voting surge, edging out favourite Rebecca Gibney.
The Today host seemed to be just as surprised by the win as everyone else, saying he did not expect to beat out his competition to claim victory in the most popular personality on Australian television category."I never ever, ever, in my life as a journo thought that I would be standing up here, in front of this crowd on this stage, with this thing in my hand, especially with the class of nominees," he said.
He said the big news events this year - including the Queensland floods and the Christchurch and Japan earthquakes - may partly explain his win.
"I'm incredibly excited and blown away by the support out there," he told said.
"For whatever the reason I am over the moon that this has happened."
He said he thought his career might be over following a post-Logies presenting disaster two years ago, when he appeared drunk on air the next morning, but says he plans to have a few celebratory drinks after last night's win.
"I'm going to try and take it a little bit easier and just enjoy it rather than get poleaxed like last time," he said.
"I thought that it was possibly career-ending. I'm more surprised than anyone else that I'm still here and more than that I'm here getting this award. It's amazing."
Stefanovic, who only returned to Australia yesterday morning after covering the royal wedding in London, also won the Silver Logie for most popular presenter at the ceremony at Melbourne's Crown Casino.
Stefanovic finished his acceptance speech for the Silver with a special word of thanks to his wife Cass for letting him go on weird and wonderful excursions around the world.
"She's a great influence on my life so thank you so much. She's also got the best arse I've ever seen," he said.
He beat out the favourite for the Gold, Packed to the Rafters star Gibney, who won it in 2009.
Also nominated for the top award this year were Gibney's on-screen daughter Jessica Marais, ABC personality Adam Hills, Ten presenter Chrissie Swan and actress Asher Keddie, of Ten's Offspring.
Stefanovic paid tribute to his fellow nominees, telling Hills: "We all know mate if you weren't on the ABC you would have won five of these things."
ABC quiz show Spicks and Specks, hosted by Hills, picked up the award for most outstanding light entertainment program.
Stefanovic also thanked his Nine colleague Laurie Oakes, who was inducted into the Logie Awards Hall of Fame, saying he was the reason he was a journalist.
If the awards are anything to go by Australia's television landscape seems to be changing, with wins more evenly spread across the networks and new programs and their stars taking home Logies.But it was also the first year that the Logies have been solely voted online which may have affected the outcome.
Nine won the most Logies at this year's ceremony, taking out three outstanding and four popular awards.
Seven, Ten and the ABC each won five Logies, but they were distributed differently amongst the popular and outstanding categories.
The silver Logie for most popular actor went to Hugh Sheridan from Seven's popular Packed to the Rafters, which is now in its fourth season.
The silver Logie for most popular actress went to Keddie for her work in Ten's Offspring after just its first series.
Richard Roxburgh took home the most outstanding Logie for his portrayal of an eccentric lawyer in Rake and Claire van der Boom won the most outstanding actress award for the miniseries Sisters of War.
ABC reporter Sarah Ferguson and the Four Corners program won the award for most outstanding public affairs report for their investigation Smugglers Paradise.
Ten proved to be popular with viewers, winning five of the 12 publicly voted awards but none of the peer voted outstanding awards.The network scored wins in the popular categories with new shows The Circle and Offspring, as well as established programs MasterChef and Bondi Rescue.
In contrast the ABC won five of the ten peer voted outstanding awards but none of the viewer voted popularity awards.
Seven has scooped the pool in previous years with popular shows Packed to the Rafters and Home and Away but this time the network won just five Logies, two outstanding and three popular.
Packed to the Rafters won the most popular drama series for the third year running, as well as Sheridan's win, but after only two Logies from 15 nominations, Australia's love affair with the Seven drama may be starting to wane.
Transformers 3 on July 1st
Transformers 3
Paramount and DreamWorks have officially announced that they will be making Transformers 3, and releasing the film on Friday, July 1st 2011. No word on if Michael Bay or stars Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox are set to return, but I would be really surprised if it didn’t happen.
Summer 2011 is really beginning to shape up as
Royal wedding dress may go on display
The dress was the nation's best-kept secret until the moment Catherine arrived at Westminster Abbey. (AFP: Odd Andersen)
The wedding dress which dazzled the 2 billion people who watched Friday's wedding of Catherine Middleton and Prince William could go on public display, Prince Charles's Clarence House office said.
The intricately decorated gown created by Sarah Burton of the Alexander McQueen fashion house was roundly praised for its modern take on traditional designs, drawing comparisons to the 1956 wedding dress worn by Grace Kelly. "The Duchess of Cambridge is considering a number of options to give members of the public the opportunity to see close up the skilled British craftsmanship that went into the making of her wedding dress," a spokesman said.
The palace official could not disclose when or where the dress might go on display, although many of Princess Diana's gowns went on show at London's Kensington Palace.
The dress was the nation's best-kept secret until the moment Catherine stepped out of the car at Westminster Abbey, with even the gown's team of embroiderers at Hampton Court Palace unaware of what they were working on until Friday morning.
At that iconic moment, designers worldwide frantically sketched plans for imitation dresses, which are expected to be in mass production by June.
Source code on May 5th
trailer
When decorated soldier Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal) wakes up in the body of an unknown man, he discovers he's part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train. In an assignment unlike any he's ever known, he learns he's part of a government experiment called the "Source Code," a program that enables him to cross over into another man's identity in the last 8 minutes of his life. With a second, much larger target threatening to kill millions in downtown Chicago, Colter re-lives the incident over and over again, gathering clues each time, until he can solve the mystery of who is behind the bombs and prevent the next attack. Filled with mind-boggling twists and heart-pounding suspense, Source Code is a smart action-thriller directed by Duncan Jones (Moon) also starring Michelle Monaghan (Eagle Eye, Due Date), Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air, The Departed), and Jeffrey Wright (Quantum of Solace, Syriana). -- (C) Summit
OSAMA BIN LADEN DEAD (CNN News)
U.S. forces kill elusive terror figure Osama bin Laden in Pakistan
By the CNN Wire Staff
(CNN) -- Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the worst terrorist attacks on American soil, is dead, officials said -- almost 10 years after the attacks that killed about 3,000 people.
The founder and leader of al Qaeda was killed by U.S. forces Monday in a mansion in Abbottabad, north of the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, along with other family members, a senior U.S. official told CNN.
In an address to the nation Sunday night, U.S. President Barack Obama called bin Laden's death "the most significant achievement to date in our nation's effort to defeat al Qaeda."
"Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan," Obama said. "A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body."
A congressional source familiar with the operation said bin Laden was shot in the head.
A U.S. official told CNN that bin Laden was buried at sea. The official said his body was handled in the Islamic tradition, but did not elaborate.
Half a world away, the scene outside the White House was one of pure jubilation.
Hundreds reveled through the night, chanting "USA! USA!" Others chanted "Hey, hey, hey, goodbye!" in reference to the demise of bin Laden. Many also spontaneously sang the national anthem.
In New York, a cheering crowd gathered at ground zero -- the site where the twin towers of the World Trade Center once stood. Strains of "God Bless America" could be heard intermittently trickling through the crowd.
One former New York firefighter -- forced to retire due to lung ailments suffered as a result of the dust from ground zero -- said he was there to let the 343 firefighters who died in the attacks know "they didn't die in vain."
"It's a war that I feel we just won," he said. "I'm down here to let them know that justice has been served."
Bob Gibson, a retired New York police officer, said the news of bin Laden's death gave him a sense of "closure."
"I never thought this night would come, that we would capture or kill bin Laden," he said. "And thank the Lord he has been eliminated."
The news also brought some relief to family members of those killed on 9/11.
Jim Riches, who lost his firefighter son when the World Trade Center's north tower collapsed, said he was gratified when he learned of bin Laden's death.
"(My) son still isn't coming home," he told CNN. "(There's) no closure, but at last at least some justice for the murder of 3,000 Americans, finally."
"This is important news for us, and for the world," Gordon Felt, president of Families of Flight 93, said in a statement. "It cannot ease our pain, or bring back our loved ones. It does bring a measure of comfort that the mastermind of the September 11th tragedy and the face of global terror can no longer spread his evil."
Bin Laden eluded capture for years, once reportedly slipping out of a training camp in Afghanistan just hours before a barrage of U.S. cruise missiles destroyed it.
He had been implicated in a series of deadly, high-profile attacks that had grown in their intensity and success during the 1990s. They included a deadly firefight with U.S. soldiers in Somalia in October 1993, the bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa that killed 224 in August 1998, and an attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 sailors in October 2000.
In his speech, Obama reiterated that the United States is not fighting Islam.
"I've made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims," Obama said.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, released a statement Monday morning welcoming the death of bin Laden.
"As we have stated repeatedly since the 9/11 terror attacks, bin Laden never represented Muslims or Islam. In fact, in addition to the killing of thousands of Americans, he and al Qaeda caused the deaths of countless Muslims worldwide," the statement said.
While the death of bin Laden "is a significant victory," the war on terrorism is not over, said Frances Fragos Townsend, former Homeland Security advisor to President George W. Bush.
"We've been fighting these fractured cells. We've seen the U.S. government, military and intelligence officials deployed around the world," Townsend said. "By no means are these other cells nearly as dangerous as he is, but we will continue to have to fight in chaotic places."
U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world were placed on high alert following the announcement of bin Laden's death, a senior U.S. official said, and the U.S. State Department issued a "worldwide caution" for Americans.
The travel alert warned of the "enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counter-terrorism activity in Pakistan." Some fear al Qaeda supporters may try to retaliate against U.S. citizens or U.S. institutions.
But for now, many Americans were soaking up the historic moment.
"It's what the world needed," said Dustin Swensson, who recently served in Iraq and joined the revelers outside the White House. "(I'll) always remember where I was when the towers went down, and I'm always going to remember where I am now."
CNN's Ed Henry, Jeanne Meserve and Elise Labott contributed to this report
(From CNN News
US tracked bin Laden to luxurious compound (ABC News)
US tracked bin Laden to luxurious compound
Bin Laden's building was about eight times the size of other nearby houses. (AFP Photo)
United States forces finally found Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden not in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan's border, but in a million-dollar compound in an upscale suburb with his youngest wife, US officials said.
They were led to the fortress-like three-storey building after more than four years tracking one of bin Laden's most trusted couriers, whom US officials said was identified by men captured after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
"Detainees also identified this man as one of the few Al Qaeda couriers trusted by bin Laden," a senior administration official said in a briefing for reporters.
"They indicated he might be living with or protected by bin Laden."
Bin Laden was finally found - more than nine-and-a-half years after the 2001 attacks on the United States - after authorities discovered in August 2010 that the courier lived with his brother and their families in an unusual and extremely high-security building, officials said.
"When we saw the compound where the brothers lived, we were shocked by what we saw: an extraordinarily unique compound," a senior administration official said.
"The bottom line of our collection and our analysis was that we had high confidence that the compound harboured a high-value terrorist target," another administration official said.
"The experts who worked this issue for years assessed that there was a strong probability that the terrorist who was hiding there was Osama bin Laden."
The home is in Abbottabad, a town about 60 kilometres north of Islamabad, that is relatively affluent and home to many retired members of Pakistan's military.
Abbottabad, a popular summer resort, is located in a valley surrounded by green hills near Pakistani Kashmir. Islamist militants, particularly those fighting in Indian-controlled Kashmir, used to have training camps near the town.
Bin Laden's building, about eight times the size of other nearby houses, sat on a large plot of land that was relatively secluded when it was built in 2005.
When it was constructed, it was on the outskirts of Abbottabad's centre, at the end of a dirt road, but some other homes have been built nearby in the six years since it went up, officials said.
Elaborate security
Intense security measures included 3.6-metre to 5.5-metre outer walls topped with barbed wire and internal walls that sectioned off different parts of the compound, officials said.
They said two security gates restricted access, and residents burned their trash, rather than leaving it for collection as did their neighbours.
Few windows of the three-storey home faced the outside of the compound, and a terrace had a 2.1-metre privacy wall, officials said.
"It is also noteworthy that the property is valued at approximately $1 million but has no telephone or internet service connected to it," an administration official said.
"The brothers had no explainable source of wealth."
US analysts realised that a third family lived there in addition to the two brothers, and the age and make-up of the third family matched those of the relatives - including his youngest wife - they believed would be living with bin Laden.
"Everything we saw, the extremely elaborate operational security, the brothers' background and their behaviour and the location of the compound itself was perfectly consistent with what our experts expected bin Laden's hide-out to look like," another Obama administration official said.
A small US team conducted a helicopter raid on the compound on Sunday afternoon, officials said.
After 40 minutes of fighting, bin Laden and an adult son, one unidentified woman and two men - identified as the courier and his brother - were dead, officials said, and Mr Obama was preparing a television address to the nation.
- Reuters
(From ABC news http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/02/3205727.htm)
Sunday, 1 May 2011
Sony says sorry for PlayStation breach (ABC News)
Sony says sorry for PlayStation breach
The PlayStation Network and Qriocity streaming music service were shut down on April 20. (AAP: Supplied, file photo)
Sony executives bowed in apology and said the company would begin restoring its PlayStation Network and Qriocity online services in the next week and improve security measures after the breach that hit 77 million accounts.
"This criminal act against our network had a significant impact not only on our consumers, but our entire industry," Sony executive deputy president Kazuo Hirai said.
"These illegal attacks obviously highlight the widespread problem with cyber security.
"We take the security of our consumers' information very seriously and are committed to helping our consumers protect their personal data."
The electronics giant held an unusual Sunday news conference on the breach, which was feared to have involved the theft of details on 10 million registered credit cards and which the company has said was carried out by hackers.
The PlayStation Network and Qriocity streaming music service were shut down on April 20 after what Sony described as an "external intrusion" and remain offline as the company upgrades security and works with US federal investigators.
The United States, Britain, Australia and Hong Kong are investigating the hacking and theft of personal data which included names, gender, addresses, email addresses, birthdays and login passwords for the PlayStation network and Qriocity networks.
A US House of Representatives panel on Friday sent a letter to Mr Hirai with questions on the data breach.
It also asked Sony to explain why it believes credit card information was not taken despite being unable to determine the exact scale of the theft.
"We do not have clear evidence but we also cannot rule out the possibility of credit card data theft," Mr Hirai told reporters on Sunday.
"We have to regain the trust and confidence of our users."
By way of compensation, Sony said it would offer customers free downloads, services and 30 days free premium membership periods for eligible customers.
Sony said it had worked with security firms and "implemented significant security measures to further detect unauthorised activity and provide consumers with greater protection of their personal information" and would create a new security officer position.
It said it would add automated monitoring to help defend against any new attacks, and offer enhanced levels of data protection and encryption, and additional firewalls.
Sony is being sued in a US court by gamers who have accused the company of being negligent and breaching its contracts with PlayStation Network users.
The company has not indicated whether it has identified a culprit in the intrusion.
Analysts say the company faces the prospect of global legal action and costs in beefing up security and compensating consumers. Sony shares fell more than eight per cent in Tokyo trade last week.
- AFP
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