My sister has succumbed to the lure of vampire smut...

Week 8 distance: 12.25mi (19.6km)Week 9 distance: 21.65mi (34.7km)Week 10 distance: 11mi (18km)After really pushing it last week, I had a planned cut-back week to recover. My lower back pain has returned a little bit, which is probably due to

Plastic canvas meets the 21st century. Sweet! I wish I'd thought to make the connection to computer pixels.

RIO Tinto has signed two agreements with the world's largest copper producer, CODELCO, to explore for the base metal in Chile.

TREASURER Wayne Swan has described today's national accounts figures as solid, especially in light of global economic challenges.

KELPIES and Jack Russell terriers are most likely to be involved in dog attacks, with children under four at greatest risk.

THE 2.7 per cent rate of annual growth reported in today's national accounts represents a reasonable outcome given the international challenges the country faces, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says.

COMPANIES that have had court actions brought against them or their directors are significantly more likely to fail than firms that don't have such histories, new research shows.

ECONOMIC growth has eased to its slowest pace in nearly four years, justifying yesterday's interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank.

NEW car and truck sales in Australia have crashed, falling more than 12 per cent in August, according to official industry figures released today.

THE European Commission has delayed its review of plans by BHP Billiton to acquire rival Rio Tinto as it awaits more information.

INFRASTRUCTURE services provider Downer EDI has announced the conditional acquisition of the maintenance and asset management divisions of New Zealand-based Excell.

ACTIVITY in Australia's services sector has hit a record low, deteriorating for the fifth consecutive month as high fuel prices and lofty interest rates keep hampering the economy, a report shows.

ABOUT 50 editorial redundancies at Melbourne's The Age newspaper are expected to be announced at a meeting with staff today.

MOTORISTS were warned of a broken down truck in Melbourne's Burnley Tunnel just seconds before a fiery crash that killed three people, a court heard today.

TWO men accused of bashing to death a teenage Sudanese refugee with metal poles will stand trial for murder in September.

A MELBOURNE man who allegedly told his father he thought he had killed someone will face a murder trial over the bashing death of a Sudanese refugee.

AN arrest warrant will be issued for a Victorian man over the alleged rape of two teenage girls.

EDITORIAL staff at Melbourne's The Age newspaper remain uncertain about their futures, after 45 to 55 redundancies were confirmed at the broadsheet today.