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Paris Hilton banned from Las Vegas resorts

5:56AM From correspondents in Las Vegas PARIS Hilton was banned today from two Wynn resorts on the Las Vegas Strip, and her boyfriend was dismissed as a nightclub partner following their arrests in a vehicle that police said reeked of marijuana.

Ferrari recalls 1248 cars after fires

5:37AM From correspondents in Rome ITALIAN carmaker Ferrari announced today it had recalled all versions of its model 458 Italia sports car produced before July 2010 after four of them caught fire.

Hostage terror at Discovery Channel HQ

5:34AM By staff writers SWAT team surrounded building after suspect entered building carrying an explosive device.

Jordan unearths Iron Age temple

5:24AM From correspondents in Amman THE Jordanian antiquities department announced overnight the discovery of a 3000-year-old Iron Age temple boasting a trove of figurines of ancient deities and circular clay vessels used in religious rituals.

Botox maker to pay $674m

5:15AM From correspondents in Washington ALLERGAN, the maker of the popular anti-wrinkle treatment Botox, said overnight it had agreed to pay $US600 million ($674.27 million) to settle a US probe into marketing for so-called off-label uses.

Retiree gives out euros

5:09AM From correspondents in Berlin A GERMAN man celebrated his first day of retirement by handing out one-euro coins to passers-by in the quiet town of Aschaffenburg, near Frankfurt, police said today.

Sony unveils new e-readers

5:06AM From correspondents in Washington SONY, battling Amazon and Apple in the electronic book reader race, unveiled its latest devices overnight and expanded their availability to Australia, China, Italy, Japan and Spain.

Plans to hold first mile-high gay wedding

5:01AM From correspondents in Stockholm SCANDINAVIAN airline SAS said overnight it plans to host the first-ever in-flight gay wedding in December, and is searching for a suitable couple to walk down the airplane aisle.

US launches new Iraq mission

4:59AM From correspondents in Camp Victory US Vice-President Joe Biden launched a new American military mission in Iraq overnight, opening up a fresh phase in a seven-year deployment that has cost the lives of more than 4400 US troops.

Suicide blasts kill 25

4:54AM From correspondents in Lahore THREE suicide bombers targeted a Shiite mourning procession in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore overnight, killing at least 25 people and wounding 180, police and rescue officials said.

Porn viewing crash trucker jailed

4:49AM From correspondents in Batavia AN Ohio truck driver whose laptop computer was streaming pornography when his rig hit a disabled car on the New York State Thruway has been sentenced to three-to-nine years in prison for killing the other driver.

Men settle Boy Scout sex abuse case

4:46AM From correspondents in Portland SIX men who alleged they were sexually abused by an Oregon Boy Scouts leader in the 1980s have settled their lawsuits against the group's national organisation for undisclosed amounts.

US stocks rise on China data

4:39AM From correspondents in New York US stocks opened with gains overnight as strong Chinese manufacturing data offered hopes of a strengthening global economy, overshadowing a disappointing US jobs report.

Grocers deny BPA packaging harmful

4:35AM THERE is no scientific evidence to suggest food packaged in cans containing Bisphenol A (BPA) is harmful, the Australian Food and Grocery Council says.

Motorcyclist crashes into truck

4:33AM A MOTORCYCLISTsuffered multiple fractures when he crashed into the back of a truck in Melbourne's north.

Two dead in highway crashes

4:30AM MOTORISTS are being warned of major delays on the Pacific Highway on the NSW North Coast, after two people were killed in two separate incidents.

Jobs unveils new designs for iPods

4:04AM APPLE CEO Steve Jobs says his company will release new designs for every iPod model the company makes.

UK foreign minister denies gay rumours

3:15AM WILLIAM Hague says his special adviser has resigned because of "untrue and malicious" allegations about the pair.

Dutch free Yemenis accused of terror plot

2:48AM MEN had been arrested amid fears they were conducting a dry run for an airline terror attack.

Five dead, hundreds hurt in bomb blasts

2:02AM THREE bomb explosions killed five people and wounded more than 100 worshipers at Shia procession.

Russians urged to smoke, drink more

12:46AM FINANCE minister says higher consumption will help lift tax revenues for spending on social services.

BBC loses fight to keep Stig under wraps

11:32PM BROADCASTER took the Top Gear driver to court because he wanted to name himself in his autobiography.

Spy's body padlocked shut in sports bag

10:57PM THE decomposing body of British code-breaker found padlocked shut in a bag in the bath of his London flat.

Cops 'watched female prisoners have sex'

10:24PM FOUR Canadian mounties are being investigated for allegedly watching two prisoners have sex on CCTV.

NY man plunges 40 storeys - and lives

10:04PM A MAN who leapt 40 storeys from the rooftop of apartment building has survived after crashing on to a parked car.

Girl, 4, impaled on metal stake

9:01PM A FOUR-year-old girl is in a Sydney hospital after she was impaled on a metal stake, which tore open her abdomen.

Wicketkeeper cleared, more face probe

8:53PM PAKISTAN'S wicketkeeper has been cleared of match-fixing but three of his accused teammates will miss a friendly match tomorrow to face questions about the scandal.

Truck, car pile-up blocks Pacific Highway

8:41PM THE Pacific Highway is closed in both directions on the New South Wales mid-north coast after a five-vehicle collision.

WikiLeaks founder rape probe reopened

8:04PM A SWEDISH prosecutor says she will reopen a rape probe of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange.

Drowned teen 'a refugee in state care'

7:59PM A 16-year-old boy who drowned in the Yarra River on Monday night was an African refugee under state care who had been out drinking.

Tiger Woods takes out $54m mortgage

7:49PM TIGER Woods has reportedly taken out a $54 million mortgage for his mega-mansion under construction on Florida's exclusive Jupiter Island.

Bikini Girls Massage operator fined

7:42PM AN operator of the former Bikini Girls Massage parlour in Perth has been fined more that $12,000 after admitting 43 breaches of fair trading and business name laws.

MORE BREAKING NEWS

World

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Obama turns to the fight at home

Brad Norington, Washington correspondent BARACK Obama has linked the official end of a combat role for troops in Iraq to his domestic need to shift attention to the US economy.

Four Israelis shot dead in West Bank by Hamas

John Lyons, Middle East correspondent VIOLENCE in the West Bank escalated yesterday after Palestinian militant group Hamas shot dead four Israeli civilians.

Bloodgate doctor back at work

The MATCHDAY doctor at the centre of the so-called Bloodgate scandal has been told she is free to practise medicine again.

Anxious Iraqis now sorry to see the occupiers leave

Oliver August, Baghdad FOR years, most Iraqis viewed US soldiers as unwelcome occupiers and suspected them of trying to steal their oil.

President gets comfy in the Oval Office

Giles Whittell, Washington GONE is the Laura Bush sunburst. In its place: a study in rug restraint decorated only with the requisite bald eagle.

Pre-emptive surgery to beat cancer

WOMEN with a genetic predisposition to breast or ovarian cancer can dramatically reduce their risk of developing either by having preventative surgeries.

Business News

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Stellar growth lights fuse

Scott Murdoch AUSTRALIA'S comeback on the global stage as one of the world's best-performing economies sent the sharemarket and dollar surging yesterday.

Regionals ponder merger logic

Brett Clegg and Scott Murdoch DAVID Liddy didn't mince words. "There has to be fundamental structural change in the industry," he said.

Nufarm calls in debt advisers

Rebecca Urban AILING agribusiness group Nufarm has appointed external advisers to assist with a possible restructure.

Hardie faces bailout to pay asbestos fund

Tracy Lee CONTRIBUTIONS by James Hardie to the asbestos victims compensation fund may be in jeopardy after it lost an appeal against a tax ruling.

Miners' $20bn rush to Africa

Andrew Burrell THE number of listed Australian mining companies with operations in Africa has tripled to 160 in the past seven years.

Three fall foul of ASX deadline

Blair Speedy JUST three companies had their shares suspended from trade yesterday for failing to lodge financial accounts with the ASX in time.

Latest Sport

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Player agent is part of NRL bet probe

Peter Kogoy A PLAYER agent's possible involvement in the betting scandal surrounding an NRL match between Canterbury and North Queensland is being looked into by police.

She's back: Libby can't resist pull of the pool

Nicole Jeffery LIBBY Trickett sees her decision to return to the pool just nine months after her retirement as a tumble turn rather than a backflip.

Hawthorn gathers Tuck under its wing

Courtney Walsh TROUBLED Hawk Travis Tuck will today train with Hawthorn in its final preparations before flying to Perth for Saturday's elimination final against Fremantle.

I've seen this all before: Taylor's grim warning

Malcolm Conn MARK Taylor was unfazed by the latest Pakistani match-fixing scandal and admits he has doubts about the Sydney Test Australia won so remarkably in January.

Thurston in Four-Nations race

Stuart Honeysett JOHNATHAN Thurston won't be taking part in this year's grand final.

Twitter rant bowls an angry Pietersen

Peter Lalor IT may not have the stench of match-fixing, but tweeting is proving to be the curse of the modern cricketer.

POLITICS

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Treasury finds $7bn hole in Abbott costings

Dennis Shanahan and Lanai Vasek TREASURY'S costings of the Coalition's election promises have found a $7bn hole in the opposition's claim that it would save $11.5bn over the next four years.

PM's high-risk Greens embrace

Matthew Franklin and Patricia Karvelas JULIA Gillard has agreed to a historic pact with the Australian Greens in a bid to end the nation's parliamentary deadlock.

Oakeshott put off by 'racism' in Nationals

Kate Legge IF the Coalition fails to persuade Rob Oakeshott to support an Abbott government, his resistance may have to do with racist sentiments he encountered inside the Nationals.