Topless and nude bathing banned on NSW beaches

December 30, 2008

Conservatives MPs, led by Fred Nile, want topless, nude bathing banned on NSW beaches TOPLESS bathing would be banned on mainstream beaches in NSW under a conservative push to reclaim the sand. With women increasingly going au natural, conservative powerbrokers from all sides of State Parliament yesterday supported a ban on topless bathing. Local councils currently don't fine or prohibit topless bathers as they do not regard bare breasts as nudity. www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/2125650-topless-and-nude-bathing-banned-on-nsw-beaches

Paris Hilton Spends $10,000 On Shopping

December 30, 2008

While the rest of the people in the much poorer parts of the world struggle for two meals a day, hotel heiress Pairs Hilton has set a record spending 140 dollars a minute in Melbourne's Chapel Street shops. The party princess and her sister Nickey arrived early to Sydney for their appearance at the Bongo Virus New Year's Eve party in Sydney on December 31. Paris Hilton reportedly bought over 20 dresses for a discount of 5000 dollars, after spending 40 minutes trying different outfits and clearing out the racks. living.oneindia.in/insync/2008/paris-hilton-shopping-301208.html

Sydney's New Year's eve fireworks to cost $5m

December 29, 2008

SYDNEY will usher in 2009 with a $5 million pyrotechnics display using almost twice as much fireworks as last year. More than five tonnes of fireworks will explode over Sydney Harbour, in what event organisers have dubbed the Midnight Creation Storm. The fireworks display will feature "stunning new effects like lightning, thunder and rain," Sydney New Year's Eve Creative Director Rhoda Roberts said. www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24852101-2702,00.html

Police hail men after bank robbery foiled

December 29, 2008

POLICE have praised the actions of a group of men who chased and caught a bank robber in Sydney's west yesterday. The 20-year-old walked into the Commonwealth Bank at Plumpton, claiming to have a weapon and demanding cash. He allegedly took hold of a woman from the bank, who was forced to hand over a bag of money. www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/29/2456193.htm

Israel Vows to Expand Gaza Airstrikes as Death Toll Passes 200

December 28, 2008

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Israeli warplanes sent more than 100 tons of bombs crashing down on key security installations in Hamas-ruled Gaza on Saturday and early Sunday, killing more than 200 Palestinians at the launch of an open-ended campaign meant to stop rocket and mortar attacks that have traumatized southern Israel. www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,473145,00.html

Stolen Generation: The brutal history of Australia's Aborigine People

December 22, 2008

DESPITE the presence of native inhabitants, Australia in 1788 was declared void by the British First Fleet of any pre-existing civilisation under the doctrine of terra nullius - essentially, a land without people. Without recognisable systems of ruler and ruled, of religious ceremony or worship, of permanent settlement, ownership and organised trade, the land was deemed to be empty. www.pilotguides.com/destination_guide/pacific/australia/ history_of_aborigines.php

Tug crew tells: how we rescued kayaker

December 15, 2008

THIS is the moment Italian adventurer Alexandro Bellini knew he would hold his wife again. It was when the New Zealand tugboat Katea threw the exhausted rower, who had spent 296 days at sea, a line before towing him into Newcastle. www.theherald.com.au/news/local/news/general/tug-crew-tells-how-we-rescued-kayaker/1385982.aspx

A time for giving at Macquarie College

December 10, 2008

CHRISTMAS is a time for giving and that is what students from Macquarie College have done. Students arranged cans of food they collected into a giant Christmas tree in their school playground. They were then donated to two local charities for their Give a Can Campaign on Monday, December 1. newcastle.yourguide.com.au/news/local/news/general/a-time-for-giving-at-macquarie-college/1381693.aspx

The Commodore that runs on lawn clippings

December 5, 2008

HOLDEN has announced it will sell a Commodore that runs mainly on ethanol by 2010 and it is also looking at developing an alternative fuel from lawn clippings. Australia's favourite car could be fuelled by a combination of grass clippings and household waste in the future under an ambitious plan by Holden to reduce its reliance on foreign oil. news.drive.com.au/drive/motor-news/the-commodore-that-runs-on-lawn-clippings-20081205-14640.html

Yoga forbidden for Muslims in Malaysia

November 23, 2008

MUSLIMS in Malaysia should not practice yoga because it will erode their faith in Islam, a senior Islamic cleric said Saturday. Yoga is forbidden for Muslims. The practice will erode their faith in the religion," Abdul Shukor Husin, chairman of the government-backed National Fatwa Council, told reporters. currentaffairs.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=670550

Renegade and Renaissance Obama to replace Trailblazer and Tempo Bush in the White House

November 14, 2008

The 44th US president and his family will be referred to as 'Renegade', 'Renaissance', 'Radiance' and 'Rosebud', in Secret Service code names that are anything but secret. President-Elect Barack Obama - 'Renegade' - had a say in choosing the code name that his guards use when they are whispering into their microphones. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/ 3452281/Renegade-and-Renaissance-Obama-to-replace-Trailblazer-and-Tempo-Bush-in-the-White-House.html

NEWCASTLE RAIL DEBATE

November 3, 2008

IT is only two kilometres long and about 30 metres wide, but the heavy rail line from Wickham to Newcastle is dividing a city and putting the future of the ailing mall in doubt. Debate has re-ignited over the issue with developer, GPT, wanting the railway terminated at Wickham. Over the next five nights we'll present the opinions of key players, but first to the history of the rail line and the CBD. www.rapidearmovement.net/nbnnews/index.php/specials/newcastle-train-debate/

Australia and the Global Financial Crisis

October 25, 2008

A year ago, many commentators were extolling the idea that Australia's economy had 'de-coupled' from the United States and Europe, and would continue to be powered by the rapid growth of China and other developing nations. www.stubbornmule.net/2008/10/australia-and-the-gfc/

Mass use of electric cars four years away

October 23, 2008

Within just four years, most Australians will be able to drive an electric car and recharge it at special plug-in points at home, the office or shopping centres. www.smh.com.au/news/environment/energy-smart/mass-use-of-electric-cars-four-years-away/2008/10/23/1224351434451.html

RUF's electric Porsche breaks cover

October 10 2008

Rumors of RUF's impending electric Porsche were true, except that the actual vehicle is based on a Porsche 911, not the Cayman as previously reported. Powered by a three-phase electric motor that offers about 200 horsepower along with an impressive 480 lb.-ft. of torque, the eRUF Model A can reportedly hit 60 miles per hour in under seven seconds and can reach a top speed of 160. www.autoblog.com/2008/10/10/rufs-electric-porsche-breaks-cover/

BEIJING 2008

May 14, 2008

Beijing was the Games of records and superlatives. The Opening Ceremony was unforgettable; the athletes’ achievements were astonishing, the organisation was excellent; the venues breathtaking and the anti-doping tests were stricter. Several hundred million watched worldwide on TV as more than 40 world records and over 130 Olympic records were broken. www.olympic.org/Beijing-2008-summer-olympics

Electric car uses sun to show watts driving the future

February 15, 2008

ALAN Gray reckons he is driving the most ecologically advanced car in Australia. To other motorists it is just another zippy hatchback. But open the petrol cap and there's a surprise. www.theage.com.au/news/national/electric-car-uses-sun-to-show-watts-driving-the-future/2008/02/14/1202760494735.html

Phoenix Mars Lander

January 12, 2008

IT will be a real nail-biter on May 25, 2008, for engineers, as the Phoenix spacecraft performs a series of challenging maneuvers right before it lands on Mars. www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/phoenix/main/index.html