WHETHER it's mistakenly attempting to capitalise on a tragedy or mistaking humour for cultural insensitivity, here's how these Twittter users got it so wrong in 2013.
PR exec fired over 'racist' tweet
SHE'S supposed to be a PR expert, but Justine Sacco's 'outrageous, offensive' tweet has cost her her job and sparked outrage around the world.
Mum charged with teen son's murder
A MOTHER has been charged with murder after her teenage son was found dead inside their Gold Coast home.
Incredible moments frozen in time
IT'S only once in a blue moon you get photo opportunities like these. Check out National Geographic's best of 2013 collection.
How to get a surfer's body in just six steps
THE hottest Aussie bods aren't made in the gym. They're made on the beach. Here are the six exercises you need to master for a ripped surfer's physique.
Rebel Wilson's purse is 'totes real'
REBEL Wilson is the real deal, right down to her Alexander McQueen knuckleduster clutch - no matter what some guard at LAX might think.
Topless protest falls flat in Brazil
PHOTOGRAPHERS outnumber protesters as a group take to Ipanema beach to make a statement about Brazilian laws which forbid women to go topless.
Bash victim wakes to 'euphoric' family
MICHAEL McEwen has woken from an induced coma a week after being bashed at Bondi Beach. His father declared "my boy is back!" on Facebook.
Man dies, woman surives cliff fall
AN experienced rock climber plunged to his death in the Blue Mountains while trying to rescue his girlfriend.
The Grinch guide to surviving a family Christmas
PUT your Grinchiness away this Christmas. Even if you hate the obligatory family gathering, it's possible to make it through with a smile on your face, writes Angela Mollard.
Man 'killed doctor over vasectomy' gone wrong
BREKKIE WRAP: A MAN who went on a shooting rampage at a doctor's office before turning the gun on himself may have been angry over a botched vasectomy.
From our News Partners
Christmas cheer from one elf of a fighter
MEET little Daniel McDonald, the miracle of Christmas who's never spent a day outside hospital. A Christmas lunch will be hosted for the one-year-old who hasn't stopped fighting.
features
HOW much do you really know about the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein classic? Find out.
SINGER has surprised shoppers at a Walmart store in Massachusetts, cruising the aisles for toys and buying her own album.
COMEDIAN Rove McManus and his wife Tasma Walton are celebrating an early Christmas gift - the arrival of their first child.
THE publishers of In Touch and Life & Style have reached a settlement with Tom Cruise after he sued them over claims he had cut ties with his daughter.
A MONKEY in a snow suit, a scared boss and a terrible news anchor were among the nominees for this year's funniest video.
NOT only are the Kardashians' TV ratings sinking, but their faces are failing to sell supermarket weeklies.
Best from newsplus
1 of 6
- Two bodies found after Vic copter crash
- 'Topless' protest falls flat in Brazil
- Police probing Vic body find
- Lockerbie services held in UK and US
- Swedish Christmas goat engulfed in flames
- Astronauts begin urgent space repairs
- Saudi Arabia reports death from new virus
- Cafe fire shuts UK theme park
- US military aircraft hit in South Sudan
- Attacks across Iraq leave 15 people dead
Grieving family faces Christmas in Oz
THE family of murdered South Korean man Min Tae Kim faces the grim prospect of spending Christmas in Brisbane, waiting to be allowed to take his remains home.
Aussie man accused over Silk Road
A US crackdown on the alleged underground drug dealing website Silk Road has led to the arrest of a Queensland man.
Teens charged over care home bashing
FIVE teenagers have been charged over a bashing and car theft at a residential care home in Melbourne's southeast.
Man killed in motorbike crash
A MOTORCYLIST was killed in a horrific crash when the bike he was travelling on collided with a car on the Central Coast on Saturday night.
Alleged bomber had 40L of petrol in car
A MAN who sparked a lockdown at NSW Parliament allegedly threatened to bomb the building by lighting 20 litres of petrol on the passenger seat of his car.
Pope tells priests to stop gossiping
POPE Francis has told Church officials to act like professionals and avoid gossip and mediocrity.
'Mandela not trained by Mossad'
THE Nelson Mandela Foundation says it has no evidence that the anti-apartheid icon received training from Israel's Mossad agency in 1962.
Toxic parcels kill one, injure seven
A MAN was killed and seven others injured in China after receiving parcels that had become contaminated with toxic chemicals.
Morsi faces trial for prison break
DEPOSED president Mohamed Morsi and 132 others will stand trial for a prison break and the murder of officers during the 2011 Egypt uprising.
Thai opposition to boycott elections
THAILAND'S main opposition has announced it will boycott snap elections, as protesters prepare to ramp up rallies aimed at toppling the government.
THE NEW HOME OF BUSINESS, MONEY & REAL ESTATE
Stores open 100hrs for Xmas shoppers
SOME stores are ending the holiday shopping season the same way they began it - with round-the-clock, marathon shopping hours.
Zuckerberg cashes in $2.6b Facebook shares
FACEBOOK chief Mark Zuckerberg will sell a chunk of his stake in the company, cashing in some $2.6 billion, as part of a new share offering by the huge social network.
14 things every successful person has in common
DAN Schawbel spends his life talking to CEOs, celebs, authors and politicians. Over the years he has noticed there are common traits they all have. Now he's sharing them with you.
Where will property prices go in 2014?
RECORD low rates, foreigners swooping on bargains and naive home hunters - property was a hot commodity in 2013 and it's going to get hotter.
This US magnate made $37M a day
WARREN Buffett made $37 million a day, or $1.5 million an hour, to make him America's most profitable billionaire in 2013.
After 30 hours of work, Mita dropped dead
SHE worked ridiculous hours, using energy drinks to stay awake for a 30-hour shift. She tweeted about the shocking work demands. Then, she collapsed and died.
The 10 worst CEO screw-ups of 2013
WHICH CEOs made the most egregious errors in 2013? From obliterating their companies' value to making offensive statements that caused product boycotts, we've got them all here.
Finance Deals
Pay 0% p.a. until July 1 2014 with NAB
No monthly fees + flexible terms
How to beat the Christmas blues
WHATEVER the cause for your festive unhappiness, it doesn’t have to be that way.
Christmas rituals bond families
IT IS the traditions families adopt around this time of the year that children get so much out of, according to research and the experts.
Nurses make house calls down on farm
NURSES in rural America are getting their feet dirty as they head out into the countryside to treat farmers lacking health insurance.
11 compliments women really hate
A COMPLIMENT is the perfect ice breaker. It's friendly, fun and by its very nature, complimentary. Except sometimes it's not.
Sagittarius
Nov 23 - Dec 21
Your Week Ahead - Love Focus: You feel as if you're trying to perform a daunting task or meet a set of contradictory demands. You're under pressure, you're cross about... Read more
More from our lifestyle sites
Good news! Kate Upton is single again
US MODEL Kate Upton has broken up with her boyfriend of six months. Although sources claim she and her ex were "more like friends-with-benefits."
Harry Potter takes to the stage
HARRY Potter author JK Rowling is planning a stage show about the boy wizard's early years living with his cruel non-magical aunt and uncle.
Selena's bizarre cancellation excuse
US singer and actor Selena Gomez has cancelled her Australian tour. The reason? To 'spend some time on myself'.
This IS the funniest video of 2013
A MONKEY in a snow suit, a scared boss and a terrible news anchor were among the nominees for this year's funniest video.
Who are Australia's biggest celebrity exports?
GEOFFREY Rush, Jacki Weaver and chef, Curtis Stone will be honoured at the 2014 G'Day USA Los Angeles Black Tie Gala on January 11.
Top 10 most outrageous stories of the year
THIS year has been huge ... and we've got the hugely outrageous stories to prove it. And the year isn't over ... yet ...
What it's really like flying Swiss business
UPGRADES. We all dream about them, some of us can even tell real-life stories about them. If you're one of the lucky ones to snag a business class seat an economy seat never feels the same ...
Tourist boat gets whalebombed
THESE stunning images reveal just how close a 50-tonne southern right whale and her calf got to a tourist vessel. Check it out!
Rare look at world's most remote locations
FASCINATING images have been released of the world's most untouched areas. Most don't allow tourists, including Hidden Valley where spacecraft are tested.
Hilarious mobile phone crashing at the airport
STUCK next to an annoying, loud mobile phone talker at the airport this holiday season? Greg Benson demonstrates how to get under their skin. This is gold.
TRAVEL DEALS
Expedia has fantastic short break deals
Great savings on 2014 flights to Europe
Buzz Awards: Best and worst of 2013
IT'S that time of the year when Phil Rothfield takes a look into the good, the bad and the ugly of sport in 2013.
Aloisi hits back at Bosnich
JOHN Aloisi refuses to quit after being questioned by Mark Bosnich as to whether he will offer the club his resignation.
Suarez fires Liverpool to the top
LUIS Suarez celebrated his new contract with two goals against Cardiff City as Liverpool moved to the top of the EPL ladder.
Thunder losing streak continues
THE miserable losing streak of Thunder has reached 14 after they failed to capitalise on a hot start against the Sixers.
Shopping Deals
Get the best deals on Shopping.com
Find the latest video games online
Astronauts begin urgent station fix
TWO astronauts stepped outside the International Space Station for the first of three spacewalks to fix a broken equipment cooling system.
New clues reveal ancient explorers
A WRECK in New Zealand has been dated to some 70 years before Captain Cook. It is just the latest find showing seafarers explored our great southern lands - but never returned.
Impostor to get $40k a year to go to Harvard
IT'S a pretty good offer, albeit with a slight catch. A man is offering to pay someone $40,000 to pose as him and complete his university degree at Harvard.
Star Wars uses the force of Tumblr
WORTH a Luke? Star Wars has just launched its official Tumblr page giving fans the chance to see movie goodies and lots of LOLs from R2-D2.
The biggest, curviest TVs taking over your home
DO NOT adjust your eyes, Samsung and LG have announced new super-sized televisions that will be the world's largest and curviest Ultra HD screens.
Technology Deals
For new customers to Telstra
With Virgin Mobile, ends soon
Daily Deals
Low 10.99% p.a. ongoing rate + special balance transfer offer
Hurry to get your Bonus $100
Popular Brands & Fast Delivery
View Expedia's Holiday Specials
Borrow money on the cheap. Find loans from just 6.99% p.a.
From Around the Network
BEST FAILS AND CRASHES OF 2013
Mega-wrap of the dumbest stunts, crashes and fails we saw in 2013.
Save up to 80% on unique Christmas gift ideas! Local experiences, fine dining and much more!
Since 2007, Hyundai Goals for Grassroots has donated almost $400,000 to 154 local grassroots football clubs across Australia.
