NATION SMASHED: Once-in-half century weather weirdness
ULURU has been turned into a waterfall but on the east coast a heatwave has taken hold with the mercury set to hit 42C later this week.
Sasha ‘heartbroken’ over Sam split
BACHELORETTE Sam Frost and her TV beau Sasha Mielczarek have officially called it quits after months of rumours of a breakup.
George Michael’s dark drug spiral
THE cause of pop star George Michael’s death has been revealed, as a report emerges of his secret battle with heroin addiction.
Bankrupt dad’s book sells 20 mill
HE expected his book would be read by his family and maybe a few friends, but William Paul Young was off by more than 20 million people.
Things Americans got stuck in themselves in 2016
THE inventory of things doctors had to remove from Americans in 2016 rapidly shifts from mildly distressing to downright dumbfounding.
‘Lonely guys spend hundreds to cuddle me’
LISA is New York’s most coveted paid companion, offering G-rated cuddle sessions for $450 a pop. But things don’t always go according to plan.
What’s coming to Netflix and Stan
THE new year will bring fresh content for your streaming services. Here is everything coming to Netflix and Stan in January.
World’s first solar panel roadway
AUSTRALIA could be the perfect place for solar panel roads, but a small French town is leading the way with the promising technology.
Frank Sinatra’s open letter scolding George Michael
FAME wasn’t all it was cracked up to be for George Michael and the singer tried to reduce the strain of his celebrity status. But Frank Sinatra was not impressed.
George’s boyfriend’s tragic tweet
GEORGE Michael’s boyfriend has revealed he was the one who found the pop superstar’s lifeless body, in a heartbreaking tribute.
Warnie flummoxed: ‘This is weird’
LIVE: A bizarre finish to the opening session of day two of the Boxing Day Test left Shane Warne scratching his head.
From our news partners
George Michael: An all too familiar death
THE death of singer George Michael was confronting and heartbreaking. And sadly, predictable. The story of his downfall has been told countless times before.
Features
SURPRISING someone in their 90s is a risky move but thankfully it worked out for Taylor Swift on Boxing Day.
AS George Michael’s boyfriend Fadi Fawaz told of how he found him dead in bed, reports have emerged of the superstar’s secret battle with heroin.
CARRIE Fisher is in stable condition days after suffering a medical emergency, according to her mother, actress Debbie Reynolds.
THIS is one of the final pictures taken of George Michael in public before he died, as tributes pour in for the pop superstar.
KYLIE Jenner has stripped down for a steamy shower scene in a raunchy Christmas video with her boyfriend Tyga.
FROM George Michael to David Bowie, we have lost some truly iconic artists in 2016. A list of the stars who are no longer here.
BEST FROM
Horror weekend: Five drownings in 48 hours
A 25-year-old man is the fifth person to have died in the water as the death toll rises in a terrible Christmas weekend for drowning in NSW. .
Perpetual Loyal in charge after Wild Oats shock
UPDATE: Perpetual Loyal has assumed race leadership of the Sydney to Hobart after the shock withdrawal of Wild Oats XI. ROLLING COVERAGE.
Men charged after shooting two in face, groin
TWO men have survived being shot in the face and groin during an alleged altercation on the northern Gold Coast yesterday afternoon.
Tragic death of pool twin Charli
CHARLI Manago, one of twin toddlers pulled unconscious from a pool at their Sydney home five days before Christmas, has died. Her brother, Robbi, continues a desperate fight for life.
Five drownings in 48 hours
The body of a 25-year-old man, who went missing yesterday while swimming with friends in the Nepean River in Greendale, was found this morning. He is the fifth man to die in the water this Christmas, with other incidents at Royal National Park (pictured), Wooli Beach, Kangaroo Valley and Kiola.
‘No way Obama would have won’
DONALD Trump has hit back at Barack Obama over claims the outgoing President would have won the next election in a heartbeat.
Russian plane crash: What caused jet plunge?
RESCUE crews have located parts of the Russian military plane that plunged into the Black Sea as officials dismiss terrorism as a cause of the crash.
Berlin terrorist ‘stalked woman in Alps’
A TOURIST says she was followed for 30 minutes by Berlin Christmas market terrorist Anis Amri on a remote Alpine path.
Mutilated bodies in mass graves uncovered
MASS graves with the bodies of civilians subjected to brutal torture have been found in Aleppo areas left by militants.
Militant suspects dead in Christmas raid
INDONESIAN police have shot dead two suspected terrorists in a raid, just days after foiling a New Year’s Eve bomb plot.
‘I was burning under the bonnet’
IT was supposed to be the perfect post-Christmas camping getaway, But Madeleine Simpson never made it to the campsite. GRAPHIC
Cat attacks man over Christmas present
ANDREW Woodward was stoked as he opened his Christmas gifts, but that excitement soon turned to horror — and it was all caught on video.
Do you make your kids kiss relos?
IS IT innocent to encourage our kids to hug or kiss their relatives, or should it be avoided to protect their future well-being?
Optical illusions that stumped us
PREPARE to get stumped all over again with a look back at the trickiest optical illusions from this year.
2016 - the worst year in memory?
GEORGE Michael, Trump, Brexit - just some of the shocking things to happen this year. So will 2017 be better or worse?
Forget Bali, these spots are cheaper and better
BEEN there, done that. Bypass the boozy Australians in Kuta and Seminyak and head to these stunning (and affordable) beach destinations instead.
Scam to watch out for in Bali
IT WAS just a normal night out with my friends on holiday in Bali — until I became the target of an elaborate robbery scam.
Great walks we’d all like to do
EVEN if the longest walk you do each week is to the bus stop, we can all dream about these journeys.
The country everyone will visit in 2017
ICELAND was popular this year, Thailand hit its stride before that. Next year’s hotspot might just trump them both.
Apocalyptic wall of fog hits US
NORTHERN parts of the United States are bracing for blizzards and heavy snowfall as wind whips over the Great Lakes.
Michael helped create Carpool Karaoke
CARPOOL Karaoke is the segment that has made James Corden a star around the world and he has George Michael to thank for it.
Cringeworthy George Michael tribute
A FLOOD of heartfelt tributes is coming in for pop legend George Michael, but Sarah Michelle Gellar’s is making people cringe.
Stars pay tribute to George Michael
THE world has been shocked by the news music legend George Michael is dead and a number of celebrities have expressed their grief.
Did Kim and Kanye break up?
RUMOURS are surfacing of a Kimye breakup after Kanye West was a no-show at the Kardashians’ 2016 Christmas bash on Saturday night.
Major star who rejected LOTR role
VIGGO Mortensen became a legend after portraying Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings series. But he almost didn’t even get the part.
Is this the world’s ugliest vehicle?
HONDA is in discussions with Google parent Alphabet’s new autonomous car company Waymo to test its technology in the automaker’s vehicles.
Find-a-word driving people crazy
THIS puzzle features just three letters, yet it’s been described as the “hardest word search ever”. Can you spot the hidden word without tearing your hair out?
‘Britney Spears is dead by accident!’
SONY has been hacked again, and this time it caused Britney Spears fans to have a serious panic attack.
Lasers, the North Pole and Earth’s future
THE balance to Earth’s delicate ecosystem lies in the fate of microscopic underwater plants in the North Pole — and NASA is keeping tabs on them.
Bizarre new Netflix trend
NETFLIX has ushered in a new era of binge watching but this strange new trend is taking it to ridiculous levels.
The changes starting January 1
FROM dental costs and online GST to petrol and power price hikes, a raft of new laws, regulations and fees come into effect from January 1, 2017.
Shoppers spend big on Boxing Day sales
ONLINE shoppers were the big winners this year, splurging $200 million in Boxing Day sales after getting an early start and beating the crowds.
Is this the biggest rip-off of 2016?
THERE are plenty of unfair costs thinning our wallets, but not many are guaranteed to halve your money.
Beware the lure of the beach home
IT IS hard not to be seduced by the laid-back lifestyle on a beach holiday. But investing in holiday hot spots can be a terrible decision.
Gold Coast to boom in 2017
WILL Sydney continue its domination and will Melbourne survive concerns of oversupply? These are the predictions for the 2017 property market.
REAL ESTATE
Hacks for a painless move
Moving house doesn’t have to be so stressful. Here are some expert time management tips to save the stress when moving home.
Is this home worth more?
Society is becoming far more environmentally conscious but would you be willing to pay more for a home that was kinder to Mother Nature?
Cheapest inner city suburbs
Don’t want to move away from the CBD? These are the most affordable suburbs within 10km and 20km from each capital city.
Former flame fears for Rousey
RONDA Rousey will make her long-awaited return at UFC207, but her former UFC star boyfriend doesn’t know if she is ready.
‘He is twice as good as Senna’
DANIEL Ricciardo says the hype surrounding his young Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen can only be good for his own reputation.
Gruesome injury worse than first expected
SEAHAWKS wide receiver Tyler Lockett had immediate surgery on his severely broken leg, Seattle coach Pete Carroll said.
Real reason Warriors keep losing to Cavs
HOLD fire on the “trade Steph Curry” reaction to the Warriors’ latest defeat against Cleveland. There’s a much bigger problem.
Biggest six of the Big Bash
THE Big Bash is known for its enormous sixes, but the tournament now has a new leader and it’s from a very surprising source.
most read stories
- George Michael’s dark drug spiral
- George Michael’s last photo
- George’s boyfriend’s tragic tweet
- ‘I was burning under the bonnet’
- Kylie Jenner’s steamy wet T-shirt video
- Pop icon ‘battled heroin addiction’
- Nine commentator ordered to lay low
- Berlin terrorist ‘stalked woman in Alps’
- Five drownings in 48 hours
- The stars we’ve lost in 2016
- Pop icon ‘battled heroin addiction’
- Three rescued off Mandurah coast
- Holiday road toll rises after fatal crash
- Obama’s parting shot at Trump
- Militant suspects dead in Christmas raid
