Fun run attracts thousands to support breast cancer research

Thousands gathered in Brisbane on Sunday to run in support of breast cancer research. They were part of the 120,000 people Australia-wide taking part in the nation’s largest community fundraising event, the Mothers Day Classic. The annual event gives people of any age or athletic ability the chance to take part in a 4.5km or 8km walk and run. “Its a good opportunity to show the girls to get involved in things like this and to look after you body and be fit,”... Read More

Johnston kicked out of council again, fined $5500

Police were called to escort independent Nicole Johnston from today’s Brisbane City Council meeting after she refused to obey a suspension order. She was also threatened with a fine of $5,500 for disobeying the ruling. Cr Johnston was last ejected from the council in March in a blaze of publicity on the day former lord mayor Campbell Newman announced his resignation. Today she was repeatedly ordered to leave the meeting by chairman Cr Krista Adams and CEO Colin Jensen... Read More

Street poll: Do we need a publicly-funded National Broadband Network?

The National Broadband Network is the largest single infrastructure investment in Australian history, with an estimated cost of $35.7 billion. The federal government hopes the network, which may perform up to one thousand times faster than current average wireless, will mean immediate advantages in education, health, and even civic spirit. But reception to the plan has been divided. The Opposition and major telecommunication companies have attacked the Gillard government for... Read More

Do newspapers have a future?

With the continual rise of online news and the closures of many newspapers around the world, it’s important to ask: do newspapers have a future? To save costs many newspapers have cut jobs, outsourced subediting or gone completely online in response to the growing popularity of online news. Several high-profile journalists and academics have had different views on the outlook for newspapers. Some say that it is a matter of time before traditional newspapers disappear,... Read More

Body found in Ipswich creek

Human remains were found wrapped in plastic bags in a creek in Ipswich this afternoon. A man walking his dog in Thomas Purnell park saw the remains under the railway bridge adjacent to Bundamba Creek and reported it to police at 3:15pm. Constable Justin Laird was the first police officer on the scene. Inspector Kevin Keillor said an identification had been made of “a female of unknown age” but it was too early to determine a cause of death. Scenes of Crime and... Read More

Street poll: Should Osama bin Laden have been shot or captured?

Ten years after 9/11 US special forces shot and killed bin Laden in a raid on his house in Pakistan. His body was hastily buried at sea. Two different versions of the attack and the manner of bin Laden’s death have so far been released by the US government. Some commentators such as QC Geoffry Robertson have said the US should have tried bin Laden in a public court as with the Nuremberg trials after World War II. This would help dispel the myth that he was a mystical hero... Read More

Asian fusion the key to new life for Brisbane restaurants

Brisbane’s restaurants have fallen under harsh scrutiny from critics and the press alike. Its culinary scene has received harsh criticism over the years, with claims that Brisbane food culture represents a “cultural desert”. Alchemy Restaurant manager Edward Bray rejects the criticism. “I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a cultural desert as such, it’s constantly evolving, desert sort of evokes barren, and I wouldn’t say it’s barren... Read More

Street poll: How will you celebrate Mothers Day?

This Sunday 46 countries around the world will honour their mothers with this ancient Greek custom. Australia is one of those countries that commemorates Mothers Day on the second Sunday of May. Founders of the modern observance of Mothers Day were Americans Anna Jarvis and Julia Ward Howe. It is an opportunity for people to express their gratitude to mothers and grandmothers for their positive input and commitment to families and society. A heart-warming celebration, it has... Read More

Street poll: Should we have an R18+ classification for video games?

Questions have been raised about whether Australia should have an R18+ classification for video games. The Attorney-General of South Australia John Rau has supported the idea – with the condition that the classification MA15+ be removed. “By abolishing the MA15+ classification, we will create a clear distinction between games that may be suitable for children and those that are suitable only for adults,” Mr Rau said. We asked people in Brisbane their views.  Read More

Street poll: Death of Osama bin Laden

US president Barack Obama announced yesterday that the most wanted man in the world, Osama Bin Laden, had been killed by US forces in Pakistan. Osama Bin Laden, head of Al Qaeda was responsible for the deaths of nearly 3000 people during the September 11th terrorist attack in New York. He has been in hiding since 2001. This news has been greeted with widespread jubilation but also fear of reprisals. We asked people in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall their reaction to... Read More