Mars probe killed by software update

Please! Everyone! Try to keep the Microsoft jokes to a minimum! NASA has reported that a software patch uploaded to the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft in June 2006 directly caused its failure some five months later. Because of the patch, the spacecraft...

Police concerned about Skyfire underage drinking

Police have criticised underage drinking at the Skyfire show in Canberra at the weekend. They say a large group of young people were drinking alcohol around the stage in Commonwealth Park and at other locations around the lake. Water police rescued a young man who had...

Algae warning issued for Lake Burley Griffin

The National Capital Authority has issued a warning to swimmers about the raised level of algae in Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra. A medium level warning exists for the East Basin, Central Basin, West Basin and West Lake. That means it is unsafe to swim in those areas or...

Canberra to celebrate 94th birthday

ACT Chief Minister Jon Stanhope will be wielding a large knife this afternoon, but it will not be to slash budgets. Mr Stanhope will cut a giant chocolate cake to mark Canberra's 94th birthday in Commonwealth Park. The celebration is expected to attract 30,000 people and...

12yo charged with raping woman

I only have brief details on this. A 12-year-old boy has been charged with raping a 23-year-old woman in a car park in the Queensland city of Townsville. Police allege the woman was attacked as she walked through an inner-city car park yesterday morning. She was allegedly...

Confirmed death in WA cyclone

An update to the quoted new story. There has been a death confirmed in a railroad camp (not mining as previously stated). A woman has been killed becuase of her accomodation collapsing due to the high winds and rain from cyclone George.  One feared dead in WA cyclone...

'Are You Being Served' actor Inman dies

Actor John Inman, best known for his role as camp shop assistant Mr Humphries in the long-running BBC comedy Are You Being Served has died, aged 71. Inman, who later became a pantomime regular, was one of the sitcom's most memorable cast members and his catchphrase "I'm...

Rat poison found in cereal packet, Qld police say

Queensland authorities have issued a consumer alert after a food tampering incident involving cereal bought from a Gold Coast supermarket.Police were notified by a woman who found a foreign green substance in a box of cereal purchased from an Aldi store at Southport Park....

Gold Coast stars in new TV show

"The Gold Coast and far north Queensland will star in a multi-million dollar television series that will screen later this year. Many of the 13 episodes of Sea Patrol were filmed in the sunshine state. Producer Hal McElroy says the Gold Coast has proved an ideal base. "We...

Music execs criticise DRM systems

"Almost two-thirds of music industry executives think removing digital locks from downloadable music would make more people buy the tracks, finds a survey. The Jupiter Research study looked at attitudes to Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems in Europe music firms. Many of...

Top beach volleyballers play on Gold Coast

"The country's best beach volleyballers will hit the sand at Surfers Paradise today in the Volleyball Tour Australian Championships. Five rounds have been held at venues around Australia in the past four months. Gold Coast competitor Nicole Sanderson says it will be a tough...

Two die in 'brutal' crash

"A 19-year-old man police believe is responsible for a head-on crash which killed two men near Werribee this morning remains in a critical condition in hospital. A 31-year-old Corio man and a 29-year-old man from Waurn Ponds both died instantly when their car and the...