Sydney, Apr 23 : Camden's residents have united to condemn the Quranic Society, which wants to build an Islamic school in Camden, south west of Sydney for espousing views which are "incompatible with the Australian way of life".

An Islamic school in Camden would be "a breeding ground for terrorists," says a resident who gave evidence in support of Camden Council at an appeal against its decision to block the school.

Sydney - Workplaces that try and stop employees using their computers for blogging, online shopping, social networking and other private purposes might be making a mistake, an Australian researcher says.

Around a quarter of Australian firms try and prevent workers from going online during company time by blocking YouTube, Facebook and other entertainment sites and threatening retribution for errant surfers.

Sydney - Australia's economy will contract 1.4 per cent this year - but almost all other developed economies will shrink more, Treasurer Wayne Swan said Thursday.

He was commenting on an update from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that forecasts an economic slump and Australian unemployment rising to 7.8 per cent by 2010.

Swan said the outlook "is a much milder contraction than expected in almost every other advanced economy, which combined are expected to contract by an unprecedented 3.8 per cent in 2009."

Melbourne, Apr 22: At a court hearing in Australia it was revealed that five Thai women, who were imported for the sex industry, were told that they had to service up to 750 clients before they could earn their own money.

Four men, Kam Tin Ho, Ho Kam Ho, Chee Fui Hoo and Slamet Edy Rahardjo, believed to be involved in the racket, are now facing trial in the Victorian Supreme Court.

Dubai, Apr. 22 : Australian cricketers have welcomed Andrew Symonds back into their fold despite his poor form, both on and off the field.

Australia''s acting skipper Michael Clarke said the way Symonds played in his comeback series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates would be vital to his future prospects.

And Clarke said it was up to the all-rounder to decide whether he also needed to prove anything off the field, after several recent disciplinary lapses resulted in him being removed from the team to undergo counselling.

Canberra , Apr. 22 : In the times of a great economic slump, when Australians are struggling to make both ends meet, hundreds of thousands of dollars of Oz taxpayers money are going into Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s three-course gourmet meals on every RAAF VIP flight.

The catering overhaul was introduced last month after an angry Rudd reduced a RAAF flight attendant to tears over food provisions.

The Prime Minister later issued a public apology, but it could not save him from being named, ‘Kevin Rude’.