Sydney news

The Liberal Party easily retains the seat of Polwarth and is confident it will hold on to the seat of South West Coast, after by-elections held yesterday.

Two people are dead after a four-wheel drive carrying 11 crashed on the Northern Territory's main highway.

A Newport man is expected to face charges after allegedly crashing and capsizing his boat while drunk in waters off Melbourne's west.

Hundreds of people walk through Hobart in support of refugees and asylum seekers.

Jobs in Tasmania's child protection sector remain vacant because of "incredibly high" case loads, a union says.

A Royal visit requires meticulous planning and timing but a tour veteran from the Barossa Valley says protocol is there to ignore, when it suits.

Christopher John Miles, one of Canberra's most prolific robbers, is part of a growing cohort of repeat offenders in the ACT's jail.

The man behind research the Federal Opposition is using to justify its proposal to lower the voting age says Labor's arguments overlook community consensus.

The stage is set for the 155th running of the Melbourne Cup. Explore our interactive guide to the horses chasing Australian racing's greatest prize.

Two Canadian women, aged 28 and 26, are in police custody, accused of importing eight kilograms of cocaine into Australia.

Brisbane City have claimed their second consecutive National Rugby Championship title, ending an unbeaten season by beating the Canberra Vikings 21-10 in the final.

Brisbane Roar have put themselves back on the winners list with a clinical 3-0 win over Adelaide United thanks largely to a Brandon Borrello double.

Two stellar performances with the bat by Michael Klinger have led Western Australia to a 162-run victory over Tasmania in their Sheffield Shield clash.

The final 24-horse field for the Melbourne Cup has been revealed, with Japanese favourite Fame Game drawing barrier 12.

National Day of Unity is given a warm welcome in Perth with hundreds turning out to participate in both National Mosque Open Day tours and a Walk Together march in Victoria Park.

A man and woman die in a fiery head-on road smash near Warwick in south-east Queensland.

Matt Simon's first two goals against his former club has given Sydney FC an entertaining 3-1 win over the Central Coast Mariners in Gosford.

The interim 24-horse field for the Melbourne Cup has been revealed.

A record two unbeaten centuries from first-class debutant Travis Dean have given Victoria a stunning nine-wicket Sheffield Shield win over Queensland at the MCG.

Almost 450 Scrabble players from around the globe have converged on Western Australia vying for world championship glory, with the youth titles kicking events off.

Lloyd Williams pulls Amralah out of Melbourne Cup, after advice that vet's treatment is 'negligent' - stablemate The United States into the field.

The NT Deputy Chief Minister William Westra van Holthe denies he misused taxpayer money to court his new partner during a business trip to Vietnam, after his marital breakdown became public on Facebook.

The number of Aboriginal women seeking antenatal care triples in an Adelaide hospital following a program launched to combat a higher rate of complications during childbirth.

The Gai Waterhouse-trained Excess Knowledge survives a protest to win the Lexus Stakes at Flemington and earn a Melbourne Cup start.

The father of a Tasmanian baby boy who died in 2012 faces court charged with assaulting the infant.

About 1,500 people take part in the annual Walk Together march in Adelaide's city's centre, advocating tolerance and respect for multiculturalism.

Australia believes it can still convince Russia to support marine protected areas for Antarctica in the next 12 months.

The Chris Waller-trained Japonisme upsets a star-studded field to win the Group One Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington.

Derby Day celebrations at Flemington are dampened by a BoM warning that Victoria is set for two days of "significant" thunderstorms and heavy rain that may lead to localised flash flooding.

Journalists staking out the house of an Adelaide woman questioned over the alleged murders of Karlie Pearce-Stevenson and her daughter, Khandalyce Pearce, are pelted with eggs by her boyfriend.

Repair work on the outdoor Civic Pool is only expected to extend its life by a few years.

A maze with a twist opens at Gorman House Arts Centre in Canberra, aiming to examine issues of surveillance, interrogation and confinement.

The Bureau of Meteorology is warning Victorians to brace for 36 hours of "significant" thunderstorms and heavy rain that may lead to localised flash flooding.

A man accused of dishonestly obtaining a car claims the people who reported him to police were "un-Australian".

New Road Safety Commissioner Kim Papalia says he's ready to address WA's most serious challenge: Indigenous road fatalities.

Rental vacancies reach an all-time high in Western Australia, as the state's real estate institute predicts low property prices are due to turn around.

Bob and Darryl

Catch up with the latest podcast of Saturday Talkback Gardening with Jon Lamb and Ashley Walsh.

A Perth judge dismisses an accountant's claim for $120,000 in damages over allegations the girlfriend of one his clients defamed him on social media.

Tune in and follow the latest updates from the Central Coast Mariners v Sydney FC and Brisbane Roar v Adelaide United A-League round four clashes.

Victorians spent $2.5 billion on the pokies in 2013-2014 - and a surprising amount came from female gamblers. An estimated 40 per cent of gamblers who sought help from the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation are women - and 10 per cent are over 60. In Gippsland, a regional area in Victoria, there are many retirees and tree changers - who are a group at risk of gambling addiction.

A man suffers critical injuries after being shot last night at Kurunjang, in Melbourne's north-west.