One of the great things the Internet has to offer is a way to keep up-to-date with news and current affairs. Whether it is local, national or international news you are after, there is a Web site there to inform you. In fact there are so many news-oriented Web sites available, it is often difficult to know where to start. Below are several sites I have found both useful and interesting.

For local news: Bundaberg News Mail and ABC Wide Bay

For Queensland and national news: The Courier Mail and News.com.au

For news from international sources: CNN and BBC News

For news-oriented magazines: TIME and Bulletin

For a directory of more than 5440 worldwide newspapers available online: The Paperboy

Not only is it important to be aware of current events, it is also interesting to see what is happening in other parts of the world and to get different viewpoints and opinions on major world issues. News sources from different countries will likely write about the same issue from different angles or with a slightly different focus. Gathering information from several sources helps to give you the bigger picture and a wider understanding of the issue.

Many more newspapers, magazines and television news programs than listed above operate Web sites and make available their content either in full or in part. In some cases a cost is payable to access this content and/or the archive of content, but in many cases the information is offered free of charge. Web sites that cater for news specific to an industry or interest are also available. You can search for these via a search engine or enter the URL (Web site address) if you know it.

A very interesting article entitled "The Effects of September 11 on the Leading Search Engine", by Richard W. Wiggins (Click here for article) outlines how people sought information on the tragedy from the leading search engine Google (Google) and what their expectations were of this source of information.

Following a major event, people turn to many different forms of media to obtain information. In the wake of September 11, the Internet was a popular source. The article notes that the search term "cnn" topped the list of September 11 related search terms in the week after the tragedy, and that around 6000 users per minute used Google to access the CNN Web site immediately after the attack. It is easy to see from this brief snapshot that the Internet is an important and useful source for up-to-date information on news and current affairs.