Melbourne, July 28 : Rising petrol prices are adversely affecting businesses, according to a survey.

About 49 per cent of the 1000 businesses surveyed said that the impact was “very significant”.

The survey conducted by CNET for 3 Mobile showed that 66 per cent of the respondents were businesses with fewer than 100 employers, while 27.8 per cent had just two to nine employees.

Such respondents covered a range of industries, including construction, education, heat, retail and IC&T (installation, checkout and test).

Sydney - Athletes given what they thought was a human growth hormone improved their performance markedly, Australia researchers found.

In contrast, those who guessed correctly they were being given a placebo showed no significant gain in strength, endurance, power or sprint capacity.

"It's a very simple message," said Ken Ho from Sydney's Garvan

Institute of Medical Research. "If someone, whether they are an athlete or a patient who is unwell, is receiving something they think gives them a benefit, they will feel better and do better."

Melbourne, July 27 : Prince William took part in a British navy helicopter raid that opened fire on a speedboat believed to be used by drug runners, reports the Ministry of Defence.

On July 18, the 26-year-old, who is serving with British frigate HMS Iron Duke in the Caribbean, was on a Lynx helicopter that chased down the speedboat suspected of involvement in trafficking cocaine, reports News. com. au.

The helicopter chased the 9m boat about 175 km north of Venezuela''s and Colombia''s coastlines as it tried to avoid detection and ignored warning shots.

Sydney - Passengers on a Qantas jumbo jet that was forced to land in Manila said Sunday that lives were put at risk because oxygen masks failed to deploy or turned out to be faulty.

"The elastic was so old that it had deteriorated," David Saunders told The Age newspaper. "I was trying to get my passport, and every time I got my passport the mask fell off and I started to pass out."

Melbourne, July 26 : Moonwalk astronaut Dr Edgar Mitchell caused a worldwide stir by claiming that aliens exist. Now, he has made yet another sensational statement saying that there was a cover-up over the infamous Roswell alien incident of the 1940s.

The ex-NASA astronaut found himself in the news regarding remarks he made on the British radio program Kerrang! about believing in aliens, and the long-rumored UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico.

Dr Mitchell claims his information on Roswell comes from "old timers".

Perth, July 26 : Condoleezza Rice showed a little bit more than she intended at a recent Perth visit, courtesy her flesh-coloured blouse.

Dr Rice started day two of her Perth stopover with a morning coffee at trendy Perth cafe Cino To Go, with her host, Australian Foreign Affairs Minister, Stephen Smith. With the camera lights flashing her blouse appeared a little more revealing that she would have expected.

Later, Dr Rice cheered and applauded by 450 schoolgirls after answering their questions during a visit to their school.