Whoah! Not

THAT American Idol

MELBOURNE, Australia — Newspaper advertisements congratulating the 16-year-old girl who won the latest ‘‘Australian Idol’’ competition made an embarrassing mistake — directing fans to a gay porn Web site.

Casey Donovan won the top-rating reality television program and a record contract on Sunday night.

Telecommunications company Telstra, a major sponsor of the program, ran half-page advertisements in newspapers in Sydney and Melbourne on Monday congratulating Casey and directing fans to a Web site.

But anyone calling up the Web site will be confronted by a full frontal nude picture of an American porn star named Casey Donovan with links to sales of his gay porn DVDs and videotapes.

Telstra spokesman Craig Middleton put the gaffe down to ‘‘simple human error in the last-minute preparation of the ad.’’

Prison gifts?

It’s a good thing

CARSON CITY, Nev. — Christmas shoppers have a new place to load up on gifts in the state capital: the Nevada State Prison.

Purses, belts, moccasins, stuffed animals, paintings and leather key chains are among inmate-made items for sale in the prison’s Hobby Craft Store, which opened Friday.

James Baca, associate warden for programs, said the public response to the prison’s annual summer craft fairs was overwhelming and he thinks the store also will be a success.

Inmates purchase the materials to create the products, and donate the proceeds to nearby Empire Elementary School and Nevada Hispanic Services, he said.

‘‘We are trying to instill good moral and ethical values in these inmates here. If we can salvage people, we want to salvage them,’’ Baca said.

Empire Elementary Principal Pat Carpenter said proceeds from the inmate craft fairs have allowed her school to purchase $5,000 worth of new equipment.

Buyers can spend as little as $2.30 for a leather key chain or as much as $200 for a handcarved sign to adorn a driveway or lawn.

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SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — Three hooded bandits in eastern Australia bungled a would-be robbery when they apparently mistook a restaurant’s sliding door for a swinging one, police said.

About 20 diners at Gabby’s seafood restaurant in the coastal town of Gerringong watched as the trio repeatedly tried to kick the glass door open Saturday night, but they failed to enter and later fled in a stolen car.

Restaurant owner Greg Moore said the door was unlocked — and clearly marked ‘‘slide.’’

These might not have been your average criminals, police investigator Jamie Williams warned.

‘‘They’re probably more dangerous because they’re dumb,’’ Williams said.