Julian Assange’s mother Christine fears for her son’s life. She told a Wikileaks forum in Brisbane at the weekend the Australian government was not doing enough to help her son. “Our government does not stand up for its people and does not stand up for the freedom of press,” she said. Ms Assange said Julia […]

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 […]

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 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 […]

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 […]

A paraplegic man has been given a reduced jail sentence by a Supreme Court judge because of the extra difficulties faced by disabled people in prison. Dean Justin Hinton pleaded guilty on Friday to eight charges including one count of possession of a dangerous drug (methamphetamine) exceeding two grams and one count of unlawful possession […]

Closed circuit television cameras with speakers installed in Fortitude Valley and the CBD will have no real effect on crime, according to a leading criminologist, while civil libertarians are concerned about invasions of privacy. Bond University criminology professor Paul Wilson said research showed CCTV cameras did not prevent crime. “It may be good at detecting […]

A foreign crime organisation is targeting cashed-up people in Queensland, armed with knowledge of their annual salaries and personal details. A senior fraud police officer said this week the criminal cell was using information they bought over the internet from marketing companies. The information is used to identify individuals who are then conned into sending […]

At least 87 people are confirmed dead in the worst attack on Norway’s soil since World War II, with the number expected to rise. A bomb that exploded outside Oslo’s government quarter yesterday has so far claimed the lives of seven people and injured many more. Shortly afterward the blasts a man posing as a […]

Two powerful explosions have rocked Oslo’s government-quarter and forced the evacuation of Norway’s prime minister Jens Stoltenberg. At least eight people have been confirmed injured in the apparent terrorist attack. Smoke is said to have engulfed the area after the first bomb exploded at 3:20pm local time. “It blew up like hell,” one eye-witness told […]

A new law to fine people on the spot for swearing will not be effective and may lead to a High Court case, according to legal academics. The Victorian Government has introduced legislation that will give police permanent power to give on-the-spot fines of up to $240 for those who use offensive language. Monash University […]

Hundreds of women marched through the streets of Brisbane yesterday to protest against victim-blaming and sexual assault at Australia’s first “Slutwalk”. The march followed Candian protests when a policeman told university students not to “dress like sluts” if they wanted to avoid sexual assault. The students created Slutwalk, which has quickly became a global phenomenon. […]

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 […]

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 […]