Archive for September, 2010
At last the Dragons finally make their point
THE difference a point makes. If five-eighth Jamie Soward doesn’t land his 32-metre field goal last night, Dragons players could be waking this morning to the choking jibes that have dogged the club for years. But now Wayne Bennett and his men are seven days from vindication. The best and most consistent team for the [...]
Roosters trounce Gold Coast Titans to win through to grand final
THERE are no beers. No outlandish statements. And aside from a red-eyed lady in the corner, no tears either. Instead, a perfect serenity gripped the Roosters dressingrooms last night. And given the tumult that had brought the foundation club to its knees 12 months earlier, it was apt. Wooden spooners on the field and behavioural [...]
‘Queen asked for handout from poor fund’
THE Queen reportedly asked the British government for money from a fund for poor people to help pay heating bills on her palaces. The request was rebuffed because officials feared the news would be a public relations disaster for the monarch, according to the Independent, which learned of the request under Freedom of Information legislation. [...]
Aussie Christmas dollar discount bonanza
CONSUMERS are set to reap a pre-Christmas windfall, with a strengthening Aussie dollar allowing retailers to ramp up discounts to entice cautious shoppers to spend. Retailers are expected to soon begin slashing their already-discounted prices on imported items such as electronic goods, computers, plasma TVs and whitegoods. All thanks to a booming Aussie dollar which [...]
‘I got cancer from granddad’s cuddles’
A BRITISH mother diagnosed with terminal cancer believes it was caused by hugging her asbestos worker granddad as a child. Debra Edwards, 44, is one of the youngest people in Britain to have mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer usually caused by exposure to asbestos. “Nobody understands why I got it at such an early [...]
Scott Prince wants to stamp Titans legacy
Unlike many of his team-mates, Scott Prince has been there and done that. The skillful half-back played a huge part in taking the Tigers to the 2005 premiership, but now he wants to create a new piece of history by leading the Titans to their first grand final. “I don’t want to compare to other [...]
‘India should never have won games’
INDIA should never have been awarded the Commonwealth Games, says Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates. With just nine days before the Games are due to start in New Delhi and the showpiece event has been beset by problems, mainly stemming from serious delays in construction, which have caused some the teams to threaten withdrawal. [...]
Jackpot winners finally claim $20m
FOR 10 days they have been millionaires without knowing it but this afternoon a Sydney couple expecting thier first baby claimed the $20m Lotto jackpot. The lucky Sydney woman, who is also expecting her first child said she has been carrying the winning ticket in her purse since the draw on September 14. “I overheard [...]
Rich executives get cut of our foreign aid
AUSTRALIA’S foreign aid program is under siege after revelations tens of millions of dollars are being wasted on mega-salaries for consultants and rich contracts for private firms. An extensive investigation revealed a lucrative foreign aid “industry”, raising questions on the Government’s decision to double funding to $8 billion-plus a year. And a high-level review has [...]
Mass walkout threat to Delhi games
AUSTRALIA and England overnight gave the organisers of the Delhi Commonwealth Games an ultimatum to ensure that all competition venues and the athletes village were brought up to standard before competitors would fly in. The implicit threat to pull out of the competition was issued after team chiefs met in the Indian capital to discuss [...]
Detainee leaves rooftop protest at Villawood detention centre
AT least one of the nine people protesting on the roof of a Sydney detention centre has been brought down in a cherrypicker. Five men and four women climbed on top of Villawood Immigration Detention Centre at 8am (AEST) yesterday. They had threatened to throw themselves off the roof this afternoon if Australian authorities did [...]
‘Blind’ mum Kim Anderson sees son for first time
THE first time a mother sees the face of her child is a treasured moment. But for Victorian mother Kim Anderson, that moment was five years in the making. Ms Anderson, 34, suffers the degenerative eye disease keratoconus and was legally blind when her son, Bailey, was born. Keratoconus thins the cornea and distorts vision. [...]
Australian to stand in as Fijian President
AUSTRALIAN Chief Justice Anthony Gates is standing in as president of Fiji until early next month, the country’s self-appointed prime minister Frank Bainimarama has announced. Mr Gates was appointed the acting head of state after Ratu Epeli Nailatikau embarked on a 16-day tour last Friday, Commodore Bainimarama told Radio Fiji today. Commodore Bainimarama, who is [...]
More Delhi Games withdrawals tipped
MORE Australian athletes could withdraw from the Commonwealth Games in coming days, Sports Minister Mark Arbib has been told by Games officials. However, Senator Arbib said while he respected the decision of Australian world discus champion Dani Samuels to pull out of the Games in India, there were no plans for Australia to withdraw and [...]
Fiji names military man as police chief
FIJI’S military ruler, Frank Bainimarama, is consolidating control of the armed forces by appointing Iowane Naivalurua as police chief. The brigadier general will today replace Commodore Esala Teleni, whose “Jesus Strategy” began to unsettle people in the government and beyond. It focused on Christian crusades and conversions as the prime strategy for combating crime, with [...]
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