The manufacturer ships most orders within 24 hours. by Mairi Beautyman Interior Design · November 6, 2007 High pressure laminate manufacturer Abet Laminati, headquartered in Italy, recently picked up ISO 9001 certification--an international standard for a quality management system. The certification recognizes practices that meet customer satisfaction. The manufacturer, which turns 50 this year, is committed to shipping the majority of customer orders within 24 hours, supplying technical data online and via a toll free number, and "quality, design-driven laminates at competitive prices." "There is no higher standard for customer satisfaction," says Tony Damiano, president, ABET. "We have taken a back seat to no one in design. This puts us at the forefront in service as well." Abet Laminati transitioned from a leather tanning company to a decorative HPL laminate producer in 1957.

(AFX UK Focus) 2007-11-09 16:09 GMT: Md. Senate votes for slot referendum

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - The Maryland Senate voted Thursday to hold a referendum next year on whether to legalize slot machine gambling in a constitutional amendment. Senators also voted for a bill that includes details of legalizing up to 15,000 slot machines.

The first vote late Thursday night needed a three-fifths vote, or 29 out of 47 senators, to send the politically difficult matter to voters in November 2008, and 31 senators voted for it.

The Senate then voted 25-20 to pass a separate measure that includes the details of Gov. Martin O'Malley's slot machine proposal, which has yet to be approved by the House of Delegates.

Republicans ridiculed the idea of seeking a constitutional amendment, saying Democrats were using the state constitution to avoid making a tough political decision on their own.

'Look at me and I will kill you'

Glenn Agliotti lay pinned beneath a robber, his hands bound. He could smell the alcohol on his attacker's breath as he plunged into a father's worst nightmare - his daughter was in the robbers' clutches. He looked into the 17-year-old girl's eyes and saw terror. The man they call the The Landlord told her to try to stay calm. She tried. And then he heard her scream: "No! No! No!" Agliotti on Tuesday told Johannesburg's Wynberg magistrate's court how his fiancee, Lelani Kyprianides, was molested too on March 5. The man on trial for the murder of mining tycoon Brett Kebble came face to face with the three arrested and charged for the violent robbery: Selby Khumalo, 28, Vincent Ditlhase, 30, and Mncedisi Makamo, 25. Agliotti, 51, recalled every detail. He revealed how the robbers humiliated and pistol-whipped his family and how he eventually managed to free them from their restraints using his teeth.

23/11: Police roadblocks days ahead of Hindraf rally

Dozens of roadblocks set up by police as a security measure ahead of a rally organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) caused massive traffic jams at various road and expressways in the Klang Valley today. Among the roads affected were Jalan Ampang, Jalan Duta, the Federal Highway, Grand Saga Highway and several areas in Puchong. It is learnt that an order from Bukit Aman was also sent out to Selangor and other state police contingents neighbouring the city for roadblocks to be place at roads leading to Kuala Lumpur. City police chief DCP Datuk Zul Hasnan Najib Baharuddin said the roadblocks were put up at all entry points leading to the city as a preventive measure and to curb crimes due to the rally planned by Hindraf this Sunday. Hindraf had applied for a police permit with Cheras police to hold the assembly opposite the British High Commission to hand over a memorandum to Queen Elizabeth over issues of economic disparities among the Malaysian Indian community.