A Cairns woman has been accused of spitting in the face of her taxi driver and stealing his phone. Police say the 32-year-old woman took the phone during the cab ride and when she arrived at her destination, left the cab to get money to pay the fare. When she returned to the taxi with […]

A spectacular bright flash and enormous explosion witnessed by Brisbane residents has been put down to a positively charged lightning strike, with a second sighted in the Ipswich area. After the flash and loud rumble, Higgins Storm Chasing’s Facebook page was inundated with comment about people’s own experiences of the lightning strike. Some described a […]

A gas bottle explosion is the possible cause of a fire that destroyed a house in Maryborough yesterday. The two-storey timber house was completely engulfed in flames by the time rural firefighters arrived at 11.30am. It is believed no one was home at Nangarin Rd house at Oakhurst, on the outskirts of Maryborough. A spokesperson […]

A 15-year-old boy has an exciting story to tell after he was rescued by a helicopter from dense bushland on Fitzroy Island near Cairns yesterday. The boy went bushwalking with his carer and after reaching the lighthouse at the high point of the island, he left the track and became lost in bushland. Urgent calls […]

Farmers from Victoria’s Gippsland region took their campaign against coal seam gas exploration to Melbourne on Sunday, with hundreds of supporters backing their call for a ban on new coal mines and CSG exploration. The protesters marched from city square to the state library, where a petition signed by 1000 people was handed to Greens […]

A judge told the District Court today that a father of two took advantage of a vulnerable 14-year-old girl under his care for his own “sexual gratification”. Steven Andrew Brady, 36, pleaded guilty to charges of indecent treatment, unlawful carnal knowledge and maintaining a sexual relationship with a child under 16. Judge Richard Jones labelled […]

A police officer faces the end of his career after being assaulted while arresting a drunken man north of Brisbane last year, the District Court has been told. Judge Philip Robin QC said as an unintended consequence of the incident Sen. Const. Mark Zeller had seriously injured his knee while struggling with Brent James Mattingley, […]

A District Court judge has described a street robbery in Brisbane’s Forest Lake last year by a gang of juveniles as a disgraceful cowardly act. Judge Philip Robin, QC, told Brendan Scott Williams, now 18, he was part of a gang of six or seven drunken, rowdy teens roaming the streets. He told Williams: “You […]

In the wake of record fuel prices across Queensland, motorists say increased shopper docket discounts will have a “dramatic impact” on where they fill up. According to locals, most drivers go out of their way to shop at Coles or Woolworths in order to take advantage of the discounts. The shopper dockets offered by major […]

About 600 angry protesters converged on Brisbane’s King George Square on Saturday to oppose Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s asylum-seeker policy. The policy, which declares that asylum-seekers arriving by boat without a visa will be sent to Papua New Guinea and will never be admitted to Australia, drew strong reactions from speakers. “If deterrents worked, hundreds […]

Pruning of street trees could prove costly for Brisbane residents. People could face hefty fines for cutting too much off street trees, Opposition councillors warned at this week’s Brisbane City Council meeting. “It is a poor law because it is not in simple language and anyone who reads this local law is still left without […]

New South Wales won the first round of rugby league’s State of Origin in Sydney tonight 14-6, signalling the possible end to the Maroons’ seven-year series winning streak. Jarryd Hayne spun out from a tackle to score the first try of the night, putting the Blues in the lead within the first five minutes of […]

Fines will double from $150 to $300 for misuse of disability allocated carparks on the Gold Coast, while people with permits may have to show photo ID with their displayed permit. Chairperson of the council’s Community and Cultural Development committee, Cr Bob La Castra, said the move was to show people that, “Hey, we’re serious […]

The city council administration is keeping information about changes to the new city plan secret, Opposition and independent councillors claimed at yesterday’s council meeting. Opposition leader Milton Dick asked the Lord Mayor what changes were being made to the plan after chair of the Neighbourhood Planning and Development Assessment committee Cr Amanda Cooper revealed the […]

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has promised there will be no “trickery” in the forthcoming budget for Brisbane city. Opposition leader Milton Dick accused the Lord Mayor of tricking ratepayers by re-announcing existing projects in the budget. “Why are you treating ratepayers with such contempt?” Cr Dick asked. But Cr Quirk told today’s council meeting re-announcements […]