RUSH HOUR: The stories you need to know today
A BLOODY crime scene and a body found stuffed in a large esky have led police to charge a man with murder.
Good morning, and welcome to our morning news coverage. We will be bringing you the best of what’s happening this morning, so you can get across the news quickly.
10am
That’s it for our live #RUSHHOUR news blog. You can get across the stories you need to know today below or go to news.com.au for the latest headlines.
9.50am
A ferocious house fire has destroyed a Gold Coast home and two firefighters have been hospitalised.
The blaze broke out in a storage area under the house about 4.30am and quickly spread throughout the single storey home.
Fire fighters say a pet cat woke the home owner before fire destroyed the house @7NewsBrisbane #7NewsQ pic.twitter.com/yRDiFLtSZM
— Kendall Gilding (@Kendall_Gilding) November 20, 2014
Read more at the Gold Coast Bulletin
9.15am
An innocuous public tip-off has led to a bloody crime scene, a body found stuffed in an esky in bushland and a man charged with murder in Queensland’s north.
The victim, who police are yet to identify, was never reported missing, but seven days ago detectives went looking for him and yesterday their suspicions of foul play were confirmed.
Edmonton man David Leslie Hickson, 32, has been charged with murder and interference with a corpse, remanded in custody after appearing in Cairns Magistrates Court yesterday.
“We believed there were some suspicious circumstances around the potential this guy might be missing and we’ve launched it from there,” Far North Det Insp Bruno Asnicar said.
8.50am
A tired couple were granted a refund for a night in a hotel in England after their sleep was interrupted by “primeval” noisy sex.
Kevin Truman and Jan Dear were unable to sleep thanks to their loud neighbours, The Sun reports.
The pair complained to the manager of the Premier Inn hotel in Cheshire, and were refunded their $129 for the sleepless night.
“The sounds the woman kept making were primeval and went on and on,” 60-year-old Kevin told the Sun.
“At first we thought someone had turned up the TV too loud ... but we soon cottoned on.”
The hotel refunded the stay without question saying: “If you don’t get a good night’s sleep you get your money back.”
8.20am
A fresh poll has put Labor ahead in Victoria with Daniel Andrews on track to win the November 29 election state election.
The Herald Sun/Galaxy poll shows that eight days out from election day Labor is holding on to its 52-48 per cent lead over the Napthine Government.
It suggests that Mr Andrews and Labor have withstood the advertising blitz from the Coalition.
Nor have Labor’s chances been hurt by multi-billion-dollar transport, health and education promises from Premier Denis Napthine.
7.45am
A Florida State University student has shared incredible pictures of the school books that “saved his life” when a gunman opened fire in a horrific school shooting yesterday.
FSU studen Jason Derfuss could have been killed inside his campus library if he hadn’t been carrying a book-filled backpack that acted like a bulletproof vest.
The student took to Facebook sharing his experience and sharing images of the bullet-riddled books that saved his life.
“I didn’t know this at the time, but the Shooter targeted me first. The shot I heard behind me I did not feel, nor did it hit me at all,” he said.
“He was about 5 feet from me, but he hit my books. Books one minute earlier I had checked out of the library, books that should not have stopped the bullet. But they did. I learned this about 3 hours after it happened, I never thought to check my bag.
“I assumed I wasn’t a target, I assumed I was fine. The truth is I was almost killed tonight and God intervened.”
The shooting happened about 12:30am (4:30pm AEDT), sending hundreds of students who had been up all night studying for exams scrambling for cover in the book aisles and barricading themselves in with desks. Three students were wounded before police killed the gunman in a shootout, authorities said.
7.25am
You’ve seen the world’s oldest blackhead removed and largest pimple popped.
Now it’s time to see the “world’s biggest scab” picked — if that’s what you’re into.
The video was posted by teenager Max Holmes who sustained his injury after falling of a motorbike in Thailand.
7.05am
Look out Sydney, it’s set to be a scorcher.
Temperatures are set to reach up to 38C in the city today and up to 40C in the west.
Severe fire danger warnings have been issued for the greater Sydney region and totals fire bans are in place across the state.
6.40am
A grandfather was burned alive trapped inside an industrial oven, a UK court has heard.
Allan Catterall, 54, was accidentally locked inside an oven that reached temperatures of 280C, by his future son-in-law.
Locked inside the oven used to manufacture plastic kayaks, Catterall died of shock, the Telegraph reports.
Alan Catterall suffered a 'horrific' death after becoming trapped in an industrial oven: http://t.co/yEaCzIsFwo pic.twitter.com/U5fqw2MBbX
— Daily Post Wales (@dailypostwales) November 20, 2014
The production supervisor was killed in his own workplace, and tried to escape the oven at Pyranha Mouldings Ltd. in Runcorn using a crowbar.
The victim’s employers are on trial accused of corporate manslaughter.
6.20am
There’s been a breakthrough in the fight for justice for jailed Australian journalist, Peter Greste.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi says the possibility of granting presidential pardons to three jailed Al-Jazeera journalists, including Greste, is being considered.
“This issue is under study,” General Sisi said in an interview with France 24 overnight.
Asked if they will be pardoned soon, he said: “If we find that this is appropriate for Egyptian national security, then we will do it.”
General Sisi’s remarks came after he last week signed a decree allowing for the extradition of foreigners charged with a crime or sentenced in Egypt.
Read more: Egypt president considers pardoning Peter Greste
6.15am
PHOTOS have been obtained by the Daily Telegraph that show, for the first time ever, life inside the sickening Colt incest clan described by senior police as like nothing they have ever seen.
The family snaps, given exclusively to News Corp Australia, show the smiling faces of children who would go on to claim their father and uncle were the same man.
They show glimpses of little girls and boys who would tell caseworkers they suffered regular sexual abuse, and when taken into care were described as malnourished, unhygienic and struggling to speak.
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE COLT INCEST FAMILY ALBUM
6am
Who said two kilo balls of fluff don’t make great guard dogs?
A burglar-to-be has been caught on camera, caught in his tracks by what you’d think would be a vicious dog, but turns out to be a tiny Yorkshire terrier.
The surveillance vision, which is claimed to have been filmed in South Africa just last week, shows a shifty-looking figure creeping through the backyard before being shocked by a dog.
The intruder runs and jumps the fence as the tiny pup chases him away.
As one Reddit user notes: “the cute little spin the dog does at the end is the cherry on top”.
It has been reported that the man was arrested four days after the innocent, and also that he is believed to suffer a fear of dogs — perhaps not an ideal trait for a backyard burglar.
CCTV emerges before babysitter, girl killed
CCTV footage has captured a car leaving a Brisbane home before a fire broke out at the property and claimed the lives of an eight-year-old girl and her babysitter.
Convicted whistleblower launches appeal
A former military lawyer turned whistleblower has been given leave to appeal his sentence and convictions after he was jailed for leaking military information.
Exiled senator goes rogue in politics move
Exiled Labor Senator Fatima Payman has cemented her position as Australia’s answer to a pro-Palestine Pauline Hanson.