Visitors to Wollongong's Moulin Bleu gentleman's club have confessed to being disappointed by the ambience and décor of the venue, having been led to believe the place catered to a more sophisticated clientele. "The posters out the front conjured up images of tasteful European erotica and ribald burlesquery," said patron Oliver Barron. "They didn't say anything about the tacky modern art prints or cheap carpet that's obviously designed to hide vomit stains."

A concert-goer has tried and failed to single-handedly rouse his fellow audience members to a standing ovation. At the conclusion of an Australian Chamber Orchestra performance of Saint-Saëns' Septet in E flat major, Richard Worthstone, 57 of Neutral Bay, stood erect and clapped for a solid minute before turning, seeing no-one else performing the same action, and finally resuming his seat.

Popular mystery writer Jessica Fletcher has been charged with 689 homicides previously declared solved. Police say Fletcher concocted an image as a harmless busybody and amateur sleuth as a means of avoiding suspicion, allowing to kill her victims with means varying from a marble bust toppled from a roof-top to a rigged stunt man's gun. She avoided detection for many years before prosecutors uncovered statistics showing Fletcher on or near the scene of hundreds of different homicides.

After having to live with conservative prime ministers for nearly 30 years, British liberals are hoping Tony Blair's retirement will give their nation its first left-wing government in decades and a return to the glory days of Harold Wilson. "We're all holding our breath," said Labour voter Eric Cudlipp. "Maybe now we'll see some power returned to trade unions, welfare reform and a government that isn't in lockstep with Republican warmongers."