More people would go vegan in the future because eating animal products was an unsustainable practice, according to a Brisbane dietician. The Vegetarian/Vegan Society of Queensland co-founder and dietician Amanda Benham said the popularity of veganism would continue to increase. “The human race has no choice but to move away from eating animal products for [...]

Satellite tracking of almost 70 sex offenders will start in Queensland next week. Police and Corrective Services Minister Neil Roberts hopes all offenders will be fitted with the new technology by the beginning of 2012. Each device, using GPS technology, will cost more than $200,000 per offender. Abakus Elmotech Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of 3M [...]

Young journalists should be critical but not cynical, urged Walkley award-winning journalist Tony Koch at Jschool’s annual graduation ceremony on Friday. Mr Koch, who received an honorary doctorate from Jschool in recognition of his contribution to journalism, said recruits to journalism should uphold the values of the profession and respect their role in society. They [...]

A migraine attack has stopped a District Court trial in Brisbane. A woman in the jury suffered the migraine yesterday afternoon, drawing a complaint from a defence barrister who was worried she hadn’t been paying attention. The jury member listened to barrister Lars Falcongreen’s final statement in the morning but was unable to continue after [...]

A truck jackknifed and rolled at Corinda on Friday afternoon, forcing the road to be closed for hours while emergency crews cleared the scene. The truck was carrying a load of sand which spilt all over the steep street. Senior Constable David Low of Sherwood Police said the accident on Dewar Terrace was caused when [...]

A 20-year-old man was sent to jail for life this week by a Supreme Court judge in Rockhampton after pleading guilty to raping and murdering an elderly woman. The 82-year-old victim died in hospital a week after being attacked in her backyard by David Samuel Aubrey Ray. Ray pleaded guilty to two counts of rape [...]

A positive outlook is absolutely essential for young kids, according to child protection advocate and grieving father Bruce Morcombe. Mr Morcombe was speaking to pupils in Mackay yesterday. He and his wife Denise spoke of the need for kids not to feel weighed down by such events as the tragic abduction and murder of their [...]

Anti-Israel demonstrators were much quieter in Melbourne on Friday night than at the violent July protest that resulted in the arrest of 19 people. The calls for boycotts of the Max Brenner chocolate chain store was restrained compared with the earlier protest where many demonstrators were charged with trespassing and assaulting police. Protest organiser Vashti [...]

Thousands of people gathered in Queen Street Mall on Friday night for a five-hour charity concert that raised more than $15,000 for the victims of the Slacks Creek house fire. Labeled the worst house fire in the state in a decade it claimed the lives of 11 people from the Tongan and Samoan community. Eight [...]

Gold Walkley winner Hedley Thomas has described ABC newsman Paul Lockyer as a “truly outstanding storyteller” and has urged young journalists to follow his example. In his keynote speech at the 2011 MediaPass Student Industry Day in Brisbane, The Australian newspaper’s national chief correspondent paid tribute to the veteran ABC journalist who was killed last [...]

Queenslanders will join the rest of Australia in celebrating the 110th anniversary of the Australian flag on Saturday. According to Australian Governor-General Quentin Bryce the flag has a special place for all. “It is much loved, touched, worn and flown by Australians here and across the world. It graces our most solemn occasions and significant [...]

Protesters clashed outside chocolate cafe Max Brenner yesterday, when those in support of a boycott on the Israeli-owned business were verbally attacked by counter-protesters. About 40 members of the groups Justice for Palestine, Socialist Alliance and the global Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions on Israel movement, marched on the Southbank store in dismal weather conditions. Indignant [...]

The Australian Medical Association has called on the federal government to make it compulsory for alcohol products to carry warning labels such as those found on cigarette packets. The AMA said warning labels were needed to keep consumers aware of the dangers. Federal president of the AMA Dr Steve Hambleton told Newsbytes other countries used [...]

Huge traffic problems have been predicted with the state government’s plan to move public servants to the former QUT Carseldine campus. Bracken Ridge councillor Amanda Cooper said nothing was being done to address the traffic impacts of up to 1000 new workers in the area and residents had wanted the campus to stay. “I know [...]

A one-way train trip from Richlands to the CBD will cost almost $15 in 2014* according to a leaked state government strategy document. The shock figure was revealed at yesterday’s Brisbane City Council meeting by public transport chairman Julian Simmonds, who quoted an internal Translink document projecting big increases in all public transport fares in [...]

Forensic and legal experts have labelled the Brisbane City Council’s bus DNA testing trial “useless” and “bizarre”. Queensland University of Technology senior lecturer in forensic DNA Dr Bill Lott said the kits were a waste of money. “I am somewhat astounded that the BCC would waste money this way, and even more astounded that the [...]

Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon says she is  disappointed Opposition Leader Tony Abbott won’t support all the measures that would deliver the world’s first plain packaging for tobacco products. The  Australian Medical Association has backed the plain packaging reforms and awarded the Australian Government their annual tobacco award for the policy. “You have to wonder whether [...]

Smoking bans to come into force in Queen Street Mall from September 1 will merely shift smokers and their litter to areas nearby, according to the the Queensland Hotels Association. QHA occupational health and safety manager Ross Tims said this week licensed premises would also suffer the full brunt of the laws because tourists and [...]

Queensland children could still be concerned about the floods seven months after the deluge that affected Brisbane, according to a leading child development expert. Queensland University of Technology early childhood Professor Susan Danby (pictured) said the January floods had increased the risk of anxiety in children. “The floods raised real issues of uncertainty and unpredictability [...]

The Queensland Health Department has been accused of letting down children by not having nurses in primary schools to detect health problems. Children affected included those with learning-related problems and children in remote regions, according to critics of the state department. School health programs were failing to diagnose children with health problems that affected their [...]