'How many horses have to die?': RSPCA raids Mornington Peninsula trail-ride company Ace-Hi Ranch

Liam Mannix 10:26 AM   Footage of thin and malnourished horses led the RSPCA to raiding a property on the Mornington Peninsula on Wednesday.

Wedderburn man who killed three neighbours seeks to change guilty plea

Mark Russell and Adam Holmes 11:15 AM   A man who admitted killing three of his neighbours north-west of Bendigo claims he made a mistake when pleading guilty to one of the murders because he suffered from short term memory loss and the early stages of dementia.

Pro-life activists slam government in letterbox-drop

Beau Donelly 11:14 AM   Anti-abortion activists have letterbox-dropped residents around an East Melbourne fertility control clinic, slamming new laws that stop them from harassing women on the street as "contrary to human rights".

'If that's built, it's basically over': Toll road could ruin park, volunteers say

Clay Lucas 11:09 AM   The Hyde Street Reserve has been lovingly rehabilitated by local volunteers. Soon, all that work could be for nought.

Police switch position on push to curb St Kilda's sex trade

Liam Mannix 10:49 AM   Four years after promising to drive St Kilda's sex workers off the streets, officers have acknowledged that heavy-handed enforcement doesn't solve the problem.

Frankston line commuters face delays during closure

Benjamin Preiss 10:47 AM   Frankston line commuters face delays from next month with a large section of the line to close to complete level crossing removals.

Cheating in VCE exams almost doubles

Henrietta Cook 9:30 AM   Students are sneaking mobile phones into VCE exams to get an unfair advantage, with new data revealing that almost twice as many students allegedly cheated last year.

Melbourne Express: Thursday, May 5, 2016

Craig Butt 7:07 AM   Kick-start your day with live news, travel updates, weather and more.

The rise of Melbourne's 'iceberg houses'

Aisha Dow 6:12 AM   From the outside they look like any normal terrace home, but they're sitting upon a deep labyrinth of additional rooms, all built below ground level.

Pedestrian killed crossing street in Eltham

Patrick Hatch 10:27 PM   A pedestrian has died after being hit by a car in Melbourne's north-east, police say.

Taxi passengers could be slugged with $10 booking fee

Timna Jacks 9:55 PM   Taxi passengers could pay up to $10 extra for booking in peak hours, including Friday and Saturday nights and the eve of public holidays, if a proposal of review of taxi fares is adopted.

Child bail laws could change again in response to police concerns

Angus Livingston 7:44 PM   Bail laws that allow teenage gang members to avoid a charge of breaching their bail conditions could be changed after Victoria Police raised concerns.

Calls for curriculum to say Australia was invaded not settled

Henrietta Cook 7:24 PM   Education Minister James Merlino has reignited debate about whether the curriculum should refer to Australia being invaded rather than settled.

Surf's up on Victoria's own Big Wednesday

Marissa Calligeros and Patrick Hatch 7:03 PM   Freak weather conditions have brought two things to Victoria's coast: terrifyingly large waves and thrill seekers who want to surf them.

Crow suspected of snatching chihuahua from backyard

Patrick Hatch 6:54 PM   A crow is suspected of snatching a tiny puppy from a backyard in Melbourne's east, breaking its owner's heart.

Alleged killer 'smoked bongs' before 11-year-old's death

5:50 PM   A Mildura man accused of raping and murdering 11-year-old Zoe Buttigieg was smoking bongs with her mother in the hours before the girl's death, a court has been told.

Chinese to buy major stake in Victorian dairy company

Darren Gray 5:33 PM   One of China's biggest dairy farming companies has agreed to buy Korumburra-based "Burra Foods", in a deal that will give the Victorian dairy processor strong access to the surging Chinese market and new capital.

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Change at 'pay as you feel' restaurant: No drugs. Wear shoes. Go home.

Marc Moncrief 7:04 PM   Popular "Pay as you feel" restaurant Lentil as Anything has become too popular with a particular class of clientele, and is making some changes for the comfort of its neighbours.

Parents warned over burn danger from vaporisers

Clare Kermond 4:34 PM   Doctors have urged parents to take care using steam vaporisers, after a study found one child each month suffered burns from the popular devices, have of them requiring surgery.

Billion-dollar plan to keep the MCG precinct the best in the world

Sam McClure, Jason Dowling and Benjamin Preiss 4:07 PM   A billion-dollar MCG plan has been pitched to the government to maintain the sport's precinct as the world's best and ensure maximum entertainment and security for patrons.

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Mother outraged after daughter with Down Syndrome given myki fine

Craig Butt 3:29 PM   A mother plans to appeal a transport fire her daughter with Down Syndrome received while travelling on a Lilydale bus.

Swan Street bridge: Remove pedestrian footpath and add car lane, report urges

Clay Lucas and Adam Carey 3:27 PM   The pedestrian footpath on Swan Street bridge near Rod Laver Arena would be removed to create another car lane, and a new walking and cycling bridge built nearby, under a recommendation to the Andrews government kept confidential until now.

Ferry rough night on Spirit of Tasmania leaves trucks, cars smashed

Marissa Calligeros 3:23 PM   Huge Bass Strait swells left one semi-trailer on its side and cars smashed together during the journey from Melbourne to Devonport.

Brother of teen's accused killer fined $2000 for harassing witness

2:53 PM   'We need to stick together', witness was told, by brother of man charged with inflicting fatal head injuries on teenager Patrick Cronin outside a Diamond Creek pub.

Melbourne train graffiti crackdown nets 50 vandals

Craig Butt and Patrick Hatch 2:51 PM   Police have charged, fined and cautioned 50 vandals as a part of a six-month anti-graffiti operation.

Man impaled on fence at a Melbourne Uni college

Marissa Calligeros 1:45 PM   Ouch! This might make you wince.

'Ten-second' rapist preyed on sleeping woman at party

Mark Russell 11:44 AM   Promising Chilean chef who preyed on a woman who'd fallen asleep during a housewarming party has had his jail sentence reduced by a year.