DO YOU believe thousands of illegal boat people are swamping our shores and threatening Australian jobs and the economy? We separate fact from fiction on what is likely to be one of the most hotly debated issues in this election.
Abbott to stop boats in single term
TONY Abbott insists he will end the influx of asylum-seeker boats completely in a single term of a Coalition government.
Deans leaves with sheepish shrug
TAKE it from a Kiwi. Sacking New Zealand born Robbie Deans as Wallabies coach was absolutely the right decision, writes Sam Clench.
Wills and Kate to hire part-time nanny
PRINCE William and the Duchess of Cambridge will break with tradition and hire a part-time nanny, fuelling speculation about who will get the job.
Holden decision due in September
HOLDEN'S manufacturing future will be decided in September, putting the car maker in a race against time with the federal election.
Plane crash pilot was in training
AIRLINE says pilot was on first flight in Boeing 777 which crashed as dramatic video emerges of the moment of disaster.
Voice runner-ups chart their journeys
YOU'VE heard Voice winner Harrison Craig's album, now the three runners-up have released their "journey" albums of covers and new material.
Is this the WORST MOVIE EVER?
DISNEY could lose $150 million on The Lone Ranger. Here, for your evil pleasure, are some of the critics' choicest barbs.
'Lotto lout' happy on $10 an hour
AN English lottery winner who blew $16 million on a rock-star lifestyle is now working in a factory for $10 an hour.
Park bench prank impresses New Yorkers
WATCH as an ordinary park bench is transformed into first class luxury, complete with food, champagne and live entertainment.
From our News Partners
'$50 and no cops, or the barbecue gets it'
THIEF found with ransom note for barbecue he stole from a pub apologises to the court, Queen Elizabeth and Australian public for taking without asking.
features
ISLA Fisher is the latest former soap actor to publicly bag the show that boosted her to stardom.
Teen tweeted "time to blow up Rod Laver Arena" during Pink's concert in Melbourne last night
TAKE a peek inside the multi-million dollar pad the Geordie Shore crew called home before it was ruined with fake tan.
Looks like Kim Kardashian may never be able to move on...
HAMISH and Andy have donned their Bintang singlets and packed their bags for Asia.
MILEY Cyrus fans have called on the White House to replace the anthem with Party in the USA.
- Suspended death sentence for ex-minister
- Tigers 'keep Aceh men up tree for 3 days'
- Heinz Kerry showed symptoms of seizure
- Man quizzed over Melbourne laneway rape
- Hong Kong stocks end down 1.31%
- India building collapse kills 12
- We'll make difference to boats: Abbott
- Pink 'bomb' tweet not serious: Vic teen
Reader's Views
Moon dust a threat to space exploration
A RETURN to the Moon could be hampered by dust, a poorly-understood threat to machines and people alike, a space conference has heard.
A day in the life of a beauty queen
MISS Universe finalist Alicia Maxwell wants the title so much she has quit her job to focus on the contest and make her dream a reality.
'Self harm' asylum seeker row
THE Indonesian Navy had planned to meet a cargo ship carrying asylum seekers who threatened self harm to convince the crew to take them to Christmas Island.
Swan 'up to his neck' in Rudd plot
WAYNE Swan was plotting with Kevin Rudd's most senior backer to ensure they took over his deputy's job days before the coup against Julia Gillard.
Garrett says Labor damaged politics
THE behaviour of Labor caucus members during the leadership coup has undermined the integrity of Australian politics, Peter Garrett says.
Aussie surf ad slammed by critics as 'sexploitation'
IT shows surfing in a new and sexy light but an online ad for surfwear brand Roxy has attracted criticism for its "sexploitation" of women.
Another royal baby on the way
The Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips and her rugby player husband Mike Tindall are expecting their own new arrival, Buckingham Palace says.
'Karma's a bitch' - bone thief dead
'KARMA'S a bitch" says the son of a victim of Michael Mastromarino, who stole bones from corpses, when told he had died of bone cancer.
Morsi backers shot dead in sit-in
AT least 40 people were killed in clashes outside a military building in Cairo where supporters of the former president were holding a sit-in.
Teen thrown off building and beaten to death
HORRIFYING video has emerged of two young men being pushed off a six metre high ledge before being brutally bashed by an agry mob in Egypt. One of the victims later died from his injuries.
Tigers trap men up tree for days
FIVE men have spent three days up a tree to escape tigers that had killed and eaten one of their mates.
Unemployment tipped to rise in June
MOST economists are predicting a rise in the unemployment rate for June thanks to subdued economic activity, ahead of official figures on Thursday.
Holden workers to talk terms
HOLDEN factory workers will today attend a series of three union meetings at Elizabeth to discuss working conditions, rates of pay and the future of the company.
Virgin takes 60% stake in Tigerair
VIRGIN Australia has purchased a 60 per cent stake in Tigerair Australia.
ASX200 - Top Gainers & Losers at 04:39PM
| Code | Name | Price | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| DML | Discovery Metals | 0.155 | 10.71% |
| BDR | Beadell Resourc.. | 0.505 | -12.94% |
Martial arts knocks out arthritis
MAUREEN Steele is moving it to avoid losing it, taking up martial arts at the age of 58 to fight off the pain of arthritis.
Exercise for fun, not to get healthy
EXERCISE guidelines should change to focus on the benefits of enjoyment and reducing stress rather than exertion, a health sciences professor says.
Why you're never too young to freeze your eggs
AN increasing number of young Australian women are freezing their eggs long before they're ready to start a family. Are you planning ahead?
A day in the life of a beauty queen
MISS Universe finalist Alicia Maxwell wants the title so much she has quit her job to focus on the contest and make her dream a reality.
More from our lifestyle sites
Kim 'publicly humiliated' by billboard
SHE may have hooked up with Kanye and become a first-time mum, but it looks as if Kim Kardashian will never be able to move on from her 72 day marriage.
Geordie crew on their Aussie adventure
EXCLUSIVE: They make a living out of "tashing on" and "pullin' birds" but did the Geordie Shore crew bite off more they can chew? Here's how they partied over five weeks of "mayhem".
Fisher takes swipe at Home and Away
ISLA Fisher has become the latest former soap actor to publicly bag the show that boosted her to stardom, joining the likes of Melissa George in taking a stab at Home and Away.
Despicable Me 2 routs Ranger in US
THE minions of Despicable Me 2 ran away with the US July 4th box office, leaving the Johnny Depp Western The Lone Ranger in the dust.
Acrobatic Pink is down to earth
PINK'S The Truth About Love tour takes concerts to the next level by aiming for the sky. Literally.
Hostie accused of hiding rat in underwear
A FLIGHT attendant is suing her colleagues over claims she sneaked rats onto planes, saying she was blacklisted by customs for over a year as a result.
Why plane crashes are now more survivable
THE Asiana Airlines crash, which killed only two of the 307 people on board, highlights just how far aviation safety has come. Here are five reasons why plane crashes are claiming fewer lives.
Park bench prank impresses New Yorkers
WATCH as an ordinary park bench is transformed into first class luxury, complete with food, champagne and live entertainment.
Woman found living at airport
POLICE in Mexico are trying to locate the family of a woman who has been living at the Cancun airport since June 30.
Porn posted on Qantas Facebook page
QANTAS has apologised after an eight-year-old boy stumbled across explicit images spammers had posted onto its Facebook page.
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Faking it the garden is easy
FAKE grass has come a long way since the garden-challenged designs of the 1960s and is now popping up on rooftops and backyards.
Fixed rates hit new lows
FIXED-rate mortgages have fallen faster than variable home loan rates over the past six months, and close to half are at record lows.
Mansion left empty for years is going cheap
AN OPULENT Gold Coast mansion which no one has lived in since it was built four years ago, is being offered for sale.
Glamour and great fishing for $20m
THIS $20 million manor with helipad, wild deer and 500-tree orchard could be Australia's most glamorous fishing retreat.
Insurers laugh all the way to the bank
PREMIUMS have gone through the roof for the supposed "insurance" one in four homebuyers pay when taking out a loan.
McKenzie new Wallabies coach
UPDATED: EWEN McKenzie will be announced as the new Wallabies coach tomorrow, taking over from Robbie Deans.
Eels prop binned over brain snap
VIDEO: MANLY'S 50-10 win over Parramatta was embroiled in high drama after Eels prop Mitchell Allgood was sin-binned for punching Steve Matai.
Murray claims Wimbledon crown
ANDY Murray ended Britain's 77-year wait for a Wimbledon men's singles champion when he destroyed world number one Novak Djokovic, 6-4, 7-5, 6-4.
Hayne out, McManus in
JARRYD Hayne has been ruled out of Origin III with James McManus to step up for his first Blues appearance in four years.
Aussie cancer sufferer's greatest gift
MICHAL Wright has devoted her life to music therapy for dying people, despite living with cancer herself. But she's on a mission to keep helping others. Here's how you can get involved.
Vacuuming: World's most boring video game
PEOPLE do their best to avoid vacuuming in the real world. So why would anyone want to play a video game about cleaning? Here's a look at some of the worst games around.
Aussie restaurateur invents new alphabet letter
THE word "the" gets used thousands of times a day. And Aussie restaurant owner Paul Mathis thinks its about time it gets its own letter. He has spent $38,000 adding a 27th letter to the alphabet.
Moon dust a threat to space exploration
A RETURN to the Moon could be hampered by dust, a poorly-understood threat to machines and people alike, a space conference has heard.
Snowden's asylum hopes rise
A FLURRY offers of asylum have arrived for Edward Snowden after a series of rejections from many of the 21 countries where he sought refuge.
From Around the Network
Tax time! A little extra saving towards your home loan can make a big difference in the long term.
Rudd calls time on Labor's spill era
KEVIN Rudd wants to give all Labor members a 50 per cent say in who leads the party in a bid to end brutal warfare over the top job.