LIVE UPDATES: Multiple properties lost, firefighter hurt, 143 warnings issued, major highways closed as fires threaten communities around Victoria.
Diner owner bans disabled ‘freak’
KITCHEN nightmare. The restaurant owner who wears racist, anti-gay T-shirts refuses to serve a disabled customer and labels him a “freak”
Contractor’s Olympic horror story
SOCHI, as we’ve seen, is a bit of a disaster area. One contractor who helped to prepare for the games reveals his harrowing experience.
When is it safe to cut off mould?
YOU know the feeling — you get some bread out of cupboard and it’s got a tiny speck of mould on it. When is it safe to cut it off and keep going?
Live: Firewall puts towns under threat
UPDATE: Residents in South Australian towns are ready to leave as the Bangor fire threatens
MKR fries rivals in reality show war
THERE’S not enough room for three reality shows on Australian TV, and the future of The Biggest Loser is in doubt.
$13 million reward for infamous child murders
UPDATE: SA Police will offer $1 million rewards in a bid to solve 13 of the state’s highest profile cold case child murders.
Popular Flappy Bird gets the axe
IT is the most popular free game on iTunes, but the creator of Flappy Bird has shocked fans, saying he is shutting it down.
Murphy's INXS plan for Tiger Lily
EXCLUSIVE: Michael Hutchence's daughter Tiger Lily is to profit from the INXS telemovie as part of a master plan to restore her dad's legacy.
Woman can’t pay $1100 cab fare
A WOMAN hailed a yellow cab at JFK to take her 300 kms to her suburban Boston home — then stiffed the driver on the $1100 fare.
20 celebrity marriages that have actually lasted
IT'S easy to retreat to scepticism when it comes to Hollywood love. But these 20 couples have proved that celebrity marriages can last.
From our News Partners
Tributes to man taken by shark
THE mates of an Adelaide school teacher taken by a shark on Saturday have returned to the beach today, to pay their respects to "the best bloke you would ever meet".
features
THE Block: Fans v Faves: twins Alisa and Lysandra Fraser have won the first room reveal.
BIEBER'S legal team are calling on a judge to prevent “initimate” images of the singer being made public.
YOU’VE probably seen Facebook’s ‘look back’ videos. This one is definitely worth watching.
WILL the blockbuster sequel be missing its biggest star?
SHE’S been linked to high profile models and other superstars, but now Ruby seems to have a new crush.
Best from newsplus
1 of 6
- Exploding ammo at suburban dump
- Fourth charged over Qld torture, assault
- Man tortured, sexually assaulted
- Royal commission a witch-hunt: unions
- Missing Gold Coast jet ski rider found
- More govt scrutiny of the ABC
- Bosnians sweep up after violent protests
- More change in store for rights commission
- Morcombe accused murder trial to start
- Britain warned of more storms ahead
This Aussie just ROWED across an entire ocean
ANDREW Abrahams swears he isn’t crazy. But the 42-year-old Queenslander has just done one of the craziest, bravest things we can imagine. Read his amazing story.
Firies dig in to tackle Bangor blaze
UPDATED 6.55pm: Fire crews hope to secure the southern and western edges of the Bangor fire tonight, which is threatening homes in SA’s mid-north.
Our real Commando in new Army role
HE'S 'Australia's toughest man' - he strangled a Taliban commander during hand-to-hand combat. Now ex-Commando Paul Cale has a new Army role.
‘Fresh voice for Griffith’, if I’ve won...
UPDATE: GRIFFITH by-election victor Terri Butler says she will provide a fresh start for her electorate as the post Kevin Rudd period begins today.
Debate rages: was Corby innocent?
FOR nine years since the day of her arrest, Schapelle Corby's case has been bizarre and the debate of whether she was guilty still rages.
Murder charge in girl’s soft drink death
A COUPLE faces murder charges for allegedly making the man’s five-year-old daughter drink two litres of water and soft drink as punishment.
Legal win for US same-sex couples
IN a win for gay and lesbian couples, the US Justice Department will give lawful same-sex marriages sweeping equal protection under the law.
Terror probe into Sochi hijack
UKRAINE has launched a terror probe into a bid by a man to force an airliner flying to Turkey to land in Sochi, Russia.
Sochi's dreamy opening ceremony
WITH a quirky, spectacular Opening Ceremony, Russia showed it is desperate to shed its old, grey, leathery skin.
Putin's opening ceremony slapdown
VLADIMIR Putin gave the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron to a figure skating champion who tweeted a racist slur.
How having a mortgage can set you free
HOME ownership is a dream - but a mortgage doesn't have to be a nightmare. Debt can actually set you free. How? You might be surprised.
Slow US jobs growth continues
US JOB creation sputtered for the second straight month in January, raising fresh questions about the economy's momentum.
Bank's shocking letter to client
SHE probably didn't sign up for personal insults along with her bank account, but that's what this customer got when she received a shocking letter in the post.
The 10 people that control the global economy
THEY sit on the other side of the world and you've probably never heard of then, but a tiny group are controlling your financial future. And things could be about to get messy.
Bleak outlook for jobs this year
THE latest statement from the RBA provides a bleak outlook for workers, with unemployment expected to rise this year.
Yabba dabba doo! What a home
It's a house Fred Flintstone would have been proud to call home and this bush retreat could be yours for a Bedrock-bottom price.
How GM shafted its first female boss
SO MUCH for smashing the glass ceiling. GM's first woman CEO is being paid less than her male predecessor is as a consultant to the company.
Finance Deals
Borrow up to 80%, pay no monthly fees
+ hot balance transfer offer for 6 mths
Nine things you didn't know about CrossFit
CROSSFIT workouts are named after women because they "wreak havoc", and the man who founded the exercise regime "is no longer living the life himself".
Streaker crashes runway at New York Fashion Week
WEARING a crown, a G-string and a big smile, a serial pest stole the show during New York Fashion Week when he jumped up on the catwalk.
The extreme and painful life of a beauty queen
THEY drop $10k on fake breasts without blinking. Throw in a nose job. But beauty queen boot camp gets worse. These hopefuls sew mesh onto their tongues to lose weight.
Newlywed woman faked rape to hide affair
JESSICA Gore had been married to her partner for just four weeks when she came home late crying that she had been raped. But her wild claims were hiding a six-year secret.
More from our lifestyle sites
Live blog: INXS Never Tear Us Apart
IT’S the telemovie we had to have. Learn more about INXS and why the band’s original members cried after they saw it. Join our blog @8.30pm AEDT.
What Hoffman taught his priest
THE priest who presided over Philip Seymour Hoffman’s funeral has spoken of their 10-year-long friendship and what the actor taught him.
Bieber tries to hide private parts
JUSTIN Bieber’s legal team are calling on a judge to prevent “initimate” images of the singer being made public after he was frisked in Miami.
Dylan Farrow hits back at Allen ‘lies’
DYLAN Farrow has hit back at claims by Woody Allen that she was coached into accusing him of sexual abuse, saying her story has “never wavered”.
Jimmy Fallon signs off with The Muppets
LATE Night host Jimmy Fallon was emotional as he said goodbye with The Muppets, but marked the occasion with his show’s mix of music and laughs.
Penguins on 'happy pills' in cold UK
Penguins in a British sanctuary are so miserable about the weather they are being given antidepressants.
Inside the abandoned 'ghost stations'
DEEP below the graceful boulevards of this famous city, in the corners of a massive underground railway system, lies a series of forgotten "ghost stations".
Is this the sexiest airline video ever?
AIR New Zealand hopes passengers will pay attention to its safety video by including tiny bikinis, coconut bras and a supermodel. It's a recipe for distraction!
'The best travel experience of my life'
"IF YOU only travel to one place in your entire lifetime, make sure you go here." Find out why this crumbling ancient kingdom left frequent traveller Vanessa Chiasson utterly gobsmacked.
How not to catch a taxi in Beijing
IT'S boiling, dusty and chaotic. You're stuck in a swarm of people and don't speak the language. Make sure you don't make things worse by breaking these rules.
TRAVEL DEALS
Up to 50%* off hotels
View Expedia's Holiday Specials
LIVE: Torah goes for gold
JOIN our live coverage from 8pm AEDT as Torah Bright attempts to win a second Winter Olympics gold medal.
SBW, Foran caught in Cup scandal
Sonny Bill Williams and Kieran Foran are under investigation for mixing pills and drinks at the World Cup.
‘Happy tears’ for Cox in moguls final
VIDEO: SHE failed to win a medal but, for Britt Cox, fifth place in the ladies’ moguls final felt like a win, not a loss.
Watson out of first Test
AUSTRALIAN all-rounder Shane Watson has been ruled out of the first Test in South Africa with a calf strain.
Shopping Deals
Compare prices and buy online
Auto Parts and Accessories
Likes and life in the fast lane
WHETHER Instagram or Twitter, the ‘like’ button can give you a false sense of importance. Enjoy them while you can but as Melissa Hoyer says, don’t let them decide your true worth.
Giant ship searching for Atlantis and monsters
THE bizarre non-stop, solar powered, super ship that will scan the world's oceans to find new life forms and sunken civilisations.
The best photos in the world
FROM a dog caught mid-bath to lions stretched out on the Serengetti, these pics were selected from nearly 140,000 entries from 166 countries.
UK footprints 800,00 years old
SCIENTISTS have discovered footprints in England that are the oldest ever found outside Africa.
This car comes with its own drone to help you own the road
FLIGHT of the navigator. Renault sees a future where cars have built-in drones to seek out traffic problems and scout parking spaces for you.
Technology Deals
With Virgin Mobile, ends soon
New prices on iPhone 5s
Daily Deals
Plus hot 0% p.a. balance transfer offer for 6 months
New $150 accessories deal with Optus
Find the best prices online
View Expedia's last minute travel deals
Lock in a low home loan rate with CUA and save! No monthly fees.
From Around the Network
Mantra Aqua Resort - Three night 4.5 star Nelson Bay escape for FOUR or SIX from less than $20pp pn!
You could be winning the greatest job ever! FREE entry to win two tickets to Tuscany and $20,000!
Groovin the Moo, Australia’s Regional Musical Odyssey returns in 2014 at the ripe old age of 10 and still going strong.
Make your loved one feel special on Valentine’s Day! Check out our Get Price Valentine’s Gift Guide for a variety of romantic gift ideas.