AT last! After years of delays and false starts, the green light has finally been given to a £53million redevelopment of Farnborough town centre.

For nearly a decade, shoppers have been growing weary, waiting for the ageing Queensmead and Kingsmead developments to be demolished and replaced.

On Monday developer Key Property Investments (KPI) and Rushmoor Borough Council announced they had both signed on the dotted line.

If all goes according to plan, shoppers could be doing their 2008 Christmas shopping in the rejuvenated town centre.

Story continues on the Farnborough News and Mail website

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) — Steve Irwin, the Australian TV presenter known as the "Crocodile Hunter," has died after being stung in a marine accident off Australia’s north coast.

Australian media reports say Irwin was diving in waters off Port Douglas, north of Cairns, when the incident happened on Monday morning.

Irwin was killed by a stingray barb that went through his chest, according to Cairns police sources. Irwin was filming an underwater documentary at the time.

Ambulance officers confirmed they attended a reef fatality Monday morning off Port Douglas, according to Australian media.

Queensland Police Services also confirmed Irwin’s death and said his family had been notified. Irwin, 44, was director of the Australian Zoo in Queensland.

He is survived by his American-born wife Terri and their two children, Bindi Sue, born 1998, and Robert (Bob), born December 2003.

Irwin became a popular figure on Australian and international television through Irwin’s close handling of wildlife, most notably the capture and relocation of crocodiles.

Irwin’s enthusiastic approach to nature conservation and the environment won him a global following. He was known for his exuberance and use of the catchphrase "Crikey!"

But his image suffered a setback in January 2004 when he held his then one-month-old baby Bob while feeding a crocodile at his Australian zoo.

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer expressed his sorrow Monday and said that he was fond of Irwin and was very appreciative of all the work he had done in promoting Australia overseas.

In 2003, Irwin spoke to the Australian Broadcasting Corp.’s Australian Story television program about how he was perceived in his home country.

"When I see what’s happened all over the world, they’re looking at me as this very popular, wildlife warrior Australian bloke," he said, the ABC reported.

"And yet back here in my own country, some people find me a little bit embarrassing. "You know, there’s this… they kind of cringe, you know, ’cause I’m coming out with ‘Crikey’ and ‘Look at this beauty’."

News Source: CNN

"Zimbabwe state media have criticised the recent election in the United Kingdom, saying it involved fraud." The BBC reports.

What complete and absolute crap. How dare they preach free and fair elections when there government intimidates voters and ban known supporters of there own country’s opposition parties from voting?

They say our use of black ballot boxes is a problem and that we should use translucent ones like they do. Again that’s crap. Since the Zimbabwe government rigs the elections everyway they can and prevents international monitors from entering the county and ensure the results are fair.

How dare they question our transparency when they don’t preach it them selves. We are very transparent.

Also mentioned was “suppression of media freedoms and fraud” How can the media have been suppressed when they were present during the results? Again they can talk since they don’t preach a free and independent media.

The only bit of truth is the issue of postal voting and that’s already be widely commented on and that’s been transparent. Something that Zimbabwe can’t preach to us.

Link to the BBC News report is here http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/4525615.stm