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Wednesday, December 17

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Stun guns save lives, say cops

LIVES have been saved during a trial of the stun guns which will be rolled out statewide from January, according to Queensland police.

Anna Bligh admits to Botox use

QUEENSLAND'S Premier Anna Bligh has admitted to having Botox injections as part of her personal grooming regime - but insists it's no big deal.

Brisbane now bigger than Berlin

BRISBANE and its surrounding area is officially the fastest growing region in Australia and now has a larger suburban area than Berlin and Rome.

Train service back to normal

UPDATE: SERVICES on the Caboolture rail line have returned to normal, after broken tracks were found this morning.

Troops out of Iraq by July

AUSTRALIAN troops will leave Iraq by the middle of next year after the Iraqi government set a deadline for the exit of all foreign forces besides US troops.

Apology over rape remarks

PREMIER Anna Bligh has  chastised Attorney-General Kerry Shine after he claimed some rapes only had a "minor effect" on women.

Hammerhead caught at beach

TWO sharks including a ferocious 3m hammerhead have been caught on a Gold Coast beach, prompting warnings for families preparing for the festive break.

Qantas-Malaysia merger talks

MALAYSIA Airlines has become the latest airline to hold merger talks with Qantas.

Seven held over terror plot

FRANCE'S domestic counterterrorism agency is questioning seven people on suspicion some may have been planning an attack.

Telco tells mum to get a job

STAFF at a major telco company refused to sell a mobile phone to a stay-at-home mother of three because they said she didn't have a real job.

Mining giants axe 545 workers

THOUSANDS of Queensland mining industry jobs are in jeopardy as plummeting global demand signals the end of the resources boom.

Shock end for Cairns dealer

POTENTIAL buyers are circling the failed Cairns dealership Pacific Toyota Group after the auto empire's shock demise.

Top Gear copycat crashed

A MOTORIST was involved in a fatal accident after following advice from TV show Top Gear.

Torture tot left blind, paralysed

A LITTLE boy whose mum was jailed for cruelty was left blind and partially paralysed and spent six months in hospital as a result of the shocking abuse.

Cousins link to accused killer

AUSTRALIAN rules player Ben Cousins has flown back into a storm of controversy amid fresh court claims of links to an accused gangland killer.

Mine jobs go, more to follow

QUEENSLAND'S Budget bottom line has taken a $160 million-plus hit and more than 500 workers have been sacked in the first big round of mining cuts.

Gay basher must pay $40,000

A MAN who said he hated homosexuals and bashed a man causing serious brain injuries has been ordered to pay almost $40,000 in criminal compensation.

Makeover for Chinatown Mall

THE poor aesthetics and bad feng shui of Brisbane's Chinatown Mall is draining its wealth, prosperity and luck, says Brisbane's Mayor.

Grammar lesson for Wayne Swan

FOR someone who is supposed to be fomenting an education revolution, Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan's punctuation is none too flash.

Girl crippled by dad's neglect

AN alternative medicine devotee continually refused to take his critically ill daughter to hospital despite the pleas of friends and family, a court has heard.

Health premiums set to soar

AUSTRALIAN families are facing hefty rises in health premiums of more than $200 next year as the major insurers try to claw back increasing costs.

Anna Bligh admits to Botox use

QUEENSLAND'S Premier Anna Bligh has admitted to having Botox injections as part of her personal grooming regime but insists it's no big deal.

Apology over rape remarks

PREMIER Anna Bligh has  chastised Attorney-General Kerry Shine after he claimed some rapes only had a "minor effect" on women.

Aircon causes house blaze

A MALFUNCTIONING airconditioner is suspected as the cause of a blaze which significantly damaged a house at Rochedale in Brisbane's south.

Crazy Ron's brother faces trial

FINKS bikie Yassar Bakir, and three others have been committed to stand trial on charges of importing chemicals to make the drug fantasy.

Stun guns save lives, say cops

LIVES have been saved during a trial of the stun guns which will be rolled out statewide from January, according to Queensland police.

Brisbane now bigger than Berlin

BRISBANE and its surrounding area is officially the fastest growing region in Australia and now has a larger suburban area than Berlin and Rome.

Brisbane's greatest light show

THIS Brisbane home must boast the most impressive Christmas light display in Australia - assuming you don't happen to live next-door.

Trio face fantasy drug trial

THREE people have been committed to stand trial on charges of importing a commercial quantity of the main ingredient in the drug fantasy from China.

Labor's appeal grows

PREMIER Anna Bligh can be thanked for a rise in the Labor Party's stocks, despite her personal approval rating dropping, says a senior Labor MP.

Recycled water gets thumbs-up

THE long-running stink over drinking recycled sewage has not held water in a street taste test with 80 per cent of people giving it the all-clear.

Man, 82, 'a wheelchair stalker'

AN 82-year-old man, who uses a wheelchair, has been accused of stalking a wheelchair-bound woman in his housing complex.

Hammerhead caught at beach

TWO sharks including a ferocious 3m hammerhead have been caught on a Gold Coast beach, prompting warnings for families preparing for the festive break.

Regional unis in jeopardy

QUEENSLAND'S three regional universities face an uncertain future and mergers with peers or TAFE under radical proposals for higher education.

Man dies in Coast crash

ONE man died and several other people, including a child, were taken to hospital after a multi-vehicle crash on the Sunshine Coast last night.

Mining giants axe 545 workers

THOUSANDS of Queensland mining industry jobs are in jeopardy as plummeting global demand signals the end of the resources boom.

Mine jobs go, more to follow

QUEENSLAND'S Budget bottom line has taken a $160 million-plus hit and more than 500 workers have been sacked in the first big round of mining cuts.

Schools safe from dozers

QUEENSLAND'S Education Minister Rod Welford has rejected a Labor backbencher's call for rundown schools in the north of the state to be bulldozed.

Makeover for Chinatown Mall

THE poor aesthetics and bad feng shui of Brisbane's Chinatown Mall is draining its wealth, prosperity and luck, says Brisbane's Mayor.

Shock end for Cairns dealer

POTENTIAL buyers are circling the failed Cairns dealership Pacific Toyota Group after the auto empire's shock demise.

Gay basher must pay $40,000

A MAN who was bashed and suffered permanent brain injuries will receive a payout of almost $40,000 in criminal compensation.

Grammar lesson for Wayne Swan

FOR someone who is supposed to be fomenting an education revolution, Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan's punctuation is none too flash.

Torture tot left blind, paralysed

A LITTLE boy whose mum was jailed for cruelty was left blind and partially paralysed by the abuse but his new carer says he knows he's now safe.

Girl crippled by dad's neglect

AN alternative medicine devotee continually refused to take his critically ill daughter to hospital despite the pleas of friends and family, a court has heard.

Security to tackle revellers

ONE of Brisbane's most notorious drinking strips has hired its own mobile security to keep drunken revellers in check after they leave the venues.

Zoo vets save orphan possum

A LITTLE brushtail possum joey weighing only 105g has survived a brutal mauling by a cat which left her riddled with wounds and puncture marks.

Australian charged with drug smuggling

THAI customs have charged an Australian man with smuggling drugs after arresting him at a Bangkok airport with packs of heroin allegedly strapped to his body, officials said on Wednesday.

Questions raised over anti-skin cancer video

THE artistic integrity of an anti-cancer rap has been questioned and internet users think it's the work of a clever marketing department.

Premier uses Botox - 'but so what?'

QUEENSLAND Premier Anna Bligh has admitted to using Botox to reduce wrinkles, but says it is no big deal.

'Immune' Tassie devil has cancer

THE race to save the endangered Tasmanian devil from extinction has suffered a serious scientific setback.

Man admits attack on remote nurse

A MAN has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a nurse in a remote Torres Strait community.

Rape sentence cuts 'out of touch'

BILAL Skaf and his brother have failed to get their gang rape convictions overturned, but have won a sentence cut.

NRL player was 'moshing not punching'

THE dangers of moshing have been demonstrated in a Sydney court during a hearing into an alleged assault by NRL player Ben Pomeroy at a heavy metal concert.

Boat people 'seasonal, with new tactics'

THE Federal Government denies Australia is becoming a bigger target for illegal boat people, despite six boats making it into Australian waters in recent months.

Tony Mokbel's brother jailed for drugs

MILAD Mokbel's kids have been left without the care of either parent, who are both serving time.

Sharks player in court over Korn punch

CRONULLA Sharks rugby league player Ben Pomeroy is in a Sydney court, accused of punching a man in the face at a heavy metal concert.

Attorney-General sorry he said rapes had minor effect

QUEENSLAND Attorney-General Kerry Shine has apologised after saying some rapes have only a "minor effect" on women.

Cousins admits friendship with accused killer

BEN Cousins has admitted he is friends with accused gangland killer Angelo Venditti.

Bogus Qantas engineer risked lives

A PATHOLOGICAL liar who put lives at risk by faking his way into an aircraft engineer's job with Qantas has been sentenced.

'Prince Omar' jailed over $7m scam

A CONMAN who made $7 million posing as a rich Arabian prince must give up his lavish life and spend 12 years in jail.

2008 one of hottest, craziest years ever

WE'VE sweated through one of the top 10 hottest years, with global climate extremes.

Mergers, money pushed in uni review

INCREASED deregulation of Australia's universities is vital, a review of the sector says.

Depression rife among young women

YOUNG Australian women are making more claims for anti-depressants than any other prescription medicine.

Man charged over actor's bizarre death

A MAN will face court early next year in relation to the death of American woman Joyce Germain.

Ford to fly flag in Car of the Year

FORD will fly the flag for Australian car producers in this year's Wheels magazine Car of the Year (COTY) award.

Call to give poor students more cash

STUDENTS struggling to survive on meagre incomes while at university should be given a break, a review of tertiary education said.

'Voucher system' for uni placements

INCREASED deregulation is the key to stopping a decade-long decline in Australia's universities, a review of the sector says.

Couple dead in BP servo murder-suicide

A MAN who fatally gunned down a woman working at a service station in Sydney's southwest has been found dead at a nearby home.

Brakes put on leading motor show

NEXT year's Sydney motor show has been axed.

Parents warned of 'windows to horror'

A SHARP rise in the number of children injured in horror falls from residential buildings in New South Wales has forced experts to send a stern warning to parents to "Lock your windows".

Stab victim tops HSC maths course

HE was stabbed through the heart in a vicious assault less than a year ago but New South Wales HSC student John Danieli has defied all the odds to top the state in general mathematics.

State legalises brutal cage fighting

CAGE fighting - a brutal martial art in which opponents are fenced into a ring so they cannot escape - has been legalised in NSW, outraging doctors who say it should be banned.

Feng shui to rescue retail, Lord Mayor says

THE aesthetics of one of Brisbane's iconic tourist destinations are draining its wealth, prosperity and luck.

Think it and researchers could see it

JAPANESE researchers have reproduced images of things people were looking at by analysing brain scans, opening the way for people to communicate directly from their mind.

Angry protesters target historic Acropolis

FURY over the shooting death of a young man in Greece has erupted again, with protesters targeting the historic Acropolis.

OPEC agrees to record oil cuts

OPEC agreed today to a record cut in oil output of two million barrels a day, Saudi Arabian oil minister Ali al-Nuaimi said.

Iraqi doctor sentenced over bombings

AN Iraqi doctor found guilty of trying to murder hundreds of people in failed car bombings in London and Glasgow has been jailed for at least 32 years.

Guantanamo 'worst place on Earth'

AN Algerian-born man who has just been freed from Guantanamo Bay has described the US "war on terror" camp as the worst place on Earth, in an interview published in a Bosnian newspaper.

Arrests over building tycoon's death

FIVE young men have been arrested in connection with the brutal murder of one of Papua New Guinea's richest and most successful businessmen.

Deadline set for troops in Iraq

AUSTRALIAN troops look set to leave Iraq by the middle of next year after the Iraqi Government set a deadline for non-US forces.

Driver 'dispute' behind bus crash

ISRAEL'S Transport Minister Shaul Mofaz has blamed a row between two drivers for a bus crash in a desert ravine that killed 24 people, most of them Russian travel agents.

Little Adolf Hitler denied birthday cake

THE father of a toddler called Adolf Hitler Campbell says it is unfair that a store denied him a birthday cake with his child's name on it.

'Dark energy' controlling universe

MYSTERIOUS "dark energy" works simultaneously to expand the universe and shrink objects inside it, astronomers in the United States said.

Gang teen gets life for boy's death

A TEEN gang member has been jailed for life over the shooting death of a boy, with the judge saying "you have no honour".

Wall St shrugs off grim economic reports

WALL Street shrugged off a series of grim corporate and economic reports and swung higher in opening trade as the market awaited a likely cut in interest rates from the Federal Reserve.

Doctor guilty of failed bomb attacks

IRAQI doctor Bilal Abdulla, a self-confessed terrorist, has been found guilty of failed bomb attacks on London and Glasgow.

Thief returns last words of dead girl

A BURGLAR with a conscience has been caught on CCTV returning the diary of a young woman killed in a car crash in Australia.

Fish market bans tuna huggers

THE world famous Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo is sick of bad behaviour by foreign tourists and is banning them from its tuna auctions for one month.

Careless shots cost Australia

HONOURS were almost even after an absorbing day of cricket to begin the Test series between Australia and South Africa at the WACA ground.

Harrington voted Tour's best

PADRAIG Harrington has been voted PGA Tour player of the year by his peers, becoming the first European player to win the award.

Tasmania close to points

TASMANIA has limped to within 45 runs of taking first-innings points against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield cricket match at Bellerive Oval.

Sharks in court over Korn punch

CRONULLA Sharks rugby league player Ben Pomeroy has faced a Sydney court today, accused of punching a man in the face at a heavy metal concert.

Cousins grateful to Tigers

11:40am: BEN Cousins expressed his gratitude to coach Terry Wallace and Richmond today for giving him the chance to resurrect his AFL career.

Nichols signs with Roar

QUEENSLAND Roar young gun Mitch Nichols has agreed to a new two-year deal, but midfielder Chris Grossman is leaving the club.

Horizons on the mend

SYDNEY'S top-ranked Magic Millions contender Horizons is recovering from a knee injury but trainer Gai Waterhouse is confident she will start.

Cousins bargain for Richmond

IF Ben Cousins can't turn his back on his sordid life of the past 10 years, a bomb will explode at Punt Rd at some point in the next few months.

Dokic Fed Cup chance

JELENA Dokic is under strong consideration for a surprise recall to the Australian Fed Cup team next month, team captain David Taylor says.

Warnie gave up his secrets

SEVERAL people have commented on how relaxed this South African team is compared with previous touring squads. That is good news.

Young gun shoots back

DAVID Williams is poised to rebound from a horror five months to reclaim a starting role for Danish first division leaders Brondby.

Three jockeys down

RACING'S horror run of race falls continues, with jockeys hitting the turf in three states ¿ the victims including Damien Oliver and Clare Lindop.

Qld job likely for Henry

NORTH Queensland Cowboys coach Neil Henry is set to retain his job as Mal Meninga's right-hand man in the all-conquering State of Origin squad.

Olympic miss saves swimmer

MISSING out on an Olympic swimming berth may have saved the life of world record-holder Jade Edmistone, who has revealed her private battle with cancer.

Smith's spin can't hide flaws

EXCLUSIVE: BATTLES between South Africa and Australia have always had hype, but the Proteas have never lived up to the billing and haven't been able to deliver.

Warne spilled beans, says Smith

SOUTH African skipper Graeme Smith has claimed Shane Warne turned secret informant and gave him the keys to dethroning Australia's batsmen.

Lions take rookie Spackman

AFTER fitting out Brisbane fans in the club's colours for the past two years, Adam Spackman is now sizing up a Lions guernsey for himself.

Moshing Shark 'stuck fist out'

CRONULLA Sharks rugby league player Ben Pomeroy is in a Sydney court, accused of punching a man in the face at a heavy metal concert.

Qld job likely for Henry

NORTH Queensland Cowboys coach Neil Henry is set to retain his job as Mal Meninga's right-hand man in the all-conquering State of Origin squad.

Young in hunt as skipper

BACK-ROWER Dean Young has been nominated as the man to fill one of rugby league's most prestigious positions - captaining the mighty Dragons.

Souths' fans stick with Crowe

REDFERN is a long way from Tinseltown, but it seems Russell Crowe is far from out-of-touch with Rabbitohs fans - they agree that the club needs to stand on its own.

Picker brothers sign new deals

TALENTED brothers Michael and Ben Picker have signed new contracts with Canberra - with the two younger members of the Picker clan emulating older sibling Joe.

Clinton puts beef back on

THE 2008 NRL season was tough both mentally and physically for Brisbane prop Joel Clinton. But the former Penrith junior has bulked up again for 2009.

Sharks fear $1m Bird bill

CASH-STRAPPED Cronulla fear a lost court case to Greg Bird could prove a financial catastrophe for the club. Sources say a court case loss could cost up to $1million.

Local honour better than Golden Boot

PAIN caused by the "hurtful" reaction to Billy Slater's World Cup final gaffe has finally been erased by an honour the Storm flyer reckons surpasses his Golden Boot.

Henjak confident Hodges will bounce back

BRISBANE coach Ivan Henjak is confident troubled centre Justin Hodges will return to training hungry to defend his reputation as one of league's top players.

Daunting NZ return looms for Rovelli

NEW North Queensland Cowboys signing Grant Rovelli has well-and-truly bid farewell to his former New Zealand Warriors teamates - well at least he is trying to.

Blackburn sack Ince as manager

BLACKBURN Rovers want a successor to Paul Ince in place by this weekend after the struggling Premier League club sacked him as their manager.

Soccer fans boycott Keanu flick

FED-UP soccer fans are boycotting Keanu Reeves' new sci-fi thriller - because their stadium gets blown up by aliens in it.

Nichols signs with Roar

QUEENSLAND Roar young gun Mitch Nichols has agreed to a new two-year deal, but midfielder Chris Grossman is leaving the club.

Young gun shoots back

DAVID Williams is poised to rebound from a horror five months to reclaim a starting role for Danish first division leaders Brondby.

Careless shots cost Australia

HONOURS were almost even after an absorbing day of cricket to begin the Test series between Australia and South Africa at the WACA ground.

Tasmania close to points

TASMANIA has limped to within 45 runs of taking first-innings points against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield cricket match at Bellerive Oval.

Smith's spin can't hide flaws

EXCLUSIVE: BATTLES between South Africa and Australia have always had hype, but the Proteas have never lived up to the billing and haven't been able to deliver.

Warnie gave up his secrets

SEVERAL people have commented on how relaxed this South African team is compared with previous touring squads. That is good news.

Warne spilled beans, says Smith

SOUTH African skipper Graeme Smith has claimed Shane Warne turned secret informant and gave him the keys to dethroning Australia's batsmen.

Horizons on the mend

SYDNEY'S top-ranked Magic Millions contender Horizons is recovering from a knee injury but trainer Gai Waterhouse is confident she will start.

Three jockeys down

RACING'S horror run of race falls continues, with jockeys hitting the turf in three states ¿ the victims including Damien Oliver and Clare Lindop.

Atkinson out in cold

GOLD Coast driver Chris Atkinson is fighting to rebuild his shattered career after Subaru's sudden withdrawal this week from the World Rally Championship.

Ogorevc takes Prestige again

MARK Ogorevc emulated world champion Steve Glasson in capturing his second Bribie Prestige Singles in a row after a battle with Ben Twist.

Harrington voted Tour's best

PADRAIG Harrington has been voted PGA Tour player of the year by his peers, becoming the first European player to win the award.

Cousins a pal of accused killer

AUSTRALIAN rules player Ben Cousins, newly signed to Richmond, has admitted he is friends with accused underworld murderer Angelo Venditti.

Cousins link to accused killer

AUSTRALIAN rules player Ben Cousins has flown back into a storm of controversy amid fresh court claims of links to an accused gangland killer.

Tennis, December 17

Soccer, Decenmber 17

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Cricket, December 17

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Lawn Bowls, December 17