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24 June 2000

Northern Territory News headlines

'18 killed in hostel blaze - fire 'deliberately lit'

Reporting on the horrendous fire in Childers, Queensland - 'Up to 18 young backpackers have been burned to death after fire swept through an old wooden hostel yesterday. Police said it may have been deliberately lit'. At the time the report was written 15 people had been confirmed dead and no cause of the fire had been determined.

'Heroes firies save Darwin man's life'

Darwin had its own fire emergency yesterday. 'An elderly man was plucked yesterday from his flame-engulfed Fannie Bay flat by the Territory's only woman firefighter and a fellow firie'. Police said it appeared there were suspicious circumstances. The public housing units do not have smoke detectors installed. The relevant department is now investigating whether or not smoke detectors should be installed as a matter of policy. A bit late?

Spot the odd word out from among the old hackneyed phrases
'Spirit of India comes to Mindil Beach'

'Escape to an exotic land of colour, aroma and rich pageantry when India arrives at Mindil Beach today…..Variety is said to be the spice of life and there will be unlimited variety waiting for cuisine connoisseurs at "India Arrives at Mindil". Tantalising taste sensations of northern and southern India will be available, including spicy curries, the softest steamed rice cakes, dosas, chappatis, parathas and samosas. Entertainment at the event starts with a procession of participating artists to a mix of didgeridoos, mridungam and tabla (Indian drums)…'.

‘Croc ate its greens'

From London comes the story of a vegetarian crocodile, Simosuchus clarki, which lived alongside dinosaurs, had a broad snub nose and vegetarian-type teeth quite unlike the long, sharp-toothed snouts of modern man-eating crocs. Is nothing sacred?

'Town braves acid bat poo, ticks'

A meeting of residents in Katherine South have agreed to create a ruckus in a bid to drive tens of thousands of bats out of town. Residents are suffering sore throats and breathing difficulty while ticks, carried by the bats, are dropping out of trees. A resident, Anne Shepherd, was quoted as saying 'I've got faeces all over the roof, faeces all over the car, faeces on the footpath, it's like glue, it's quite acidic. There's no such thing as outdoor living which we Territorians love'.