Sydney news

Karuna Hospice nurses Renee Wilson and Lea-Anne Tuaoi on finding joy and meaning in a life lived in the presence of death.

Fame Game is destined to start the shortest priced favourite in the Melbourne Cup since So You Think five years ago.

Rising athletics star Jack Hale backs up a blistering sprint time with two world qualifying jumps.

Fitzroy Crossing's public pool opens at midnight on welfare paydays in an effort to protect teenagers from alcohol-related abuse, and to prevent them from engaging in petty crime.

A wide area of South Australia is plunged into darkness overnight when an interstate power supply connector fails.

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

Police are yet to determine how a 14-year-old boy came to be set on fire on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. The boy ran up the driveway of a Sunrise Beach house and was doused with a garden hose.

A German man is recovering in hospital after a serious assault in Byron Bay over the weekend

Doctors in central Sydney's biggest hospital say the city's lockout laws have led to a significant decrease in the most life-threatening alcohol related injuries. Data from St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney's eastern suburbs indicates that in the 12 months after the laws were introduced there was a 25 per cent decrease in the most critically injured patients.

A search resumes this morning for a man reported missing at Somerset Dam, north-west of Brisbane, after his boat is found drifting.

The inventor of an environmentally friendly shark net said he had a few ideas about where it would work best on the north coast.

Police are questioning two men after a shooting in a home in Melbourne's west on Sunday afternoon.

The trucking industry is being overcharged millions of dollars in taxation annually, the Road Transport Association says, urging governments to address what it says is an outdated tax formula.

An apartment block in West Wollongong is without a roof this morning after damaging winds, hail and heavy rain hit parts of New South Wales overnight.

A Facebook page criticising the Newcastle Muslim Association's proposal for a new mosque near Maitland has attracted more than 4,500 followers.

In a further blow for manufacturing in the Hunter region, another 19 jobs are set to be slashed at UGL's Broadmeadow plant.

A small remote Bass Strait island known for its windswept coastlines, prime beef and cheese is now gaining a reputation among golfers.

There is more pain from the Williamtown toxic chemical leak, with Hunter prawn trawlers choosing to delay the start of the season so tests can be conducted along the Hunter River.

Residents at Strathmerton in Victoria's north are mopping up after storms blew roofs off a number of properties on Sunday, leaving three homes "uninhabitable".

A man has died in hospital a week after being hit by a car as he mowed the lawn at his home at Lake Macquarie.

A B-double truck rolls on the Eyre Highway, west of Kimba in South Australia, blocking traffic in both directions.

A Tasmanian health agency echoes coroner's calls for more public awareness about the potentially fatal effects of injecting tablet-form medication.

A Lake Macquarie councillor says the old Wangi Power Station site is the perfect opportunity for a developer with vision and passion for heritage buildings.

A major upgrade is on the cards for Bourke's airport to prepare it future demand for commercial flights.

The Defence Department has been asked to explain how it is planning to clean up a man-made lake at Williamtown Air Force base, where high levels of toxic chemicals have been found.

While much of Australia is gearing up for the Melbourne Cup tomorrow, the Upper Hunter's eyes are on a race closer to home.

Hydrologists find a series of ancient river systems buried hundreds of metres below one of the most arid regions in Western Australia.

CAROLINE JONES, PRESENTER: Hello. I'm Caroline Jones. Ronald Morgan is a young family man and a tour guide in Western Australia's spectacular Kimberley region. But he's lucky to be alive. Twice he's faced a life-threatening challenge: first at the age of five and again, more recently, as an adult. Now, following in the footsteps of a distinguished ancestor, he's found a new purpose in life. Known to his family and friends as "Ronno", this is his story.

Until recently, Ronald Morgan's life was very much a roller coaster. Now, following in the footsteps of a distinguished ancestor, he's found a new purpose in life.

The San Francisco 49ers' sacking of Jarryd Hayne will not result in him returning to the NRL says his Australia agent Wayne Beavis.

The first Syrian refugees to arrive in Western Australia following a one-off increase in Australia's intake will come before Christmas, the State Government confirms.

Wild weather causes chaos in parts of New South Wales and Victoria, with strong winds taking the roofs off houses in both states.

The annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition has transformed Sydney's coastal walk into a public art gallery.

A 16-year-old boy is in a critical condition after crashing his bike at a motocross track south of Sydney, CareFlight says.

West Australian Premier Colin Barnett confirms plans to shelve stage two of the controversial Perth Freight Link project, saying the State Government "might see where we're at in 12 months' time".

Check out the 11 international raiders looking to take the Melbourne Cup off Australian shores on Tuesday.

It has poured in drought-stricken outback Queensland, with some towns recording more than 100 millimetres of rain.

Qantas lands its "Retro Roo" plane in the town of Longreach as part of a $115,000 charity flight, bringing a taste of the 1970s to the drought-stricken region and raising money for an appeal.

One of the nation's biggest cotton growers is without water and unable to plant a summer crop at its farm near Menindee, in far west New South Wales, for the first time in five years.

Storms along the New South Wales-Victorian border bring down trees and damage houses near Strathmerton, the State Emergency Service says.

Tune in and follow the latest updates from the A-League round four clash between the Western Sydney Wanderers and Perth Glory in Parramatta.

Trainer Gai Waterhouse says she is not concerned by Excess Knowledge drawing the outside barrier 24 for Tuesday's Melbourne Cup.

A project to track buffalo using GPS collars in a bid to better understand the movements of the feral animals, which are a threat native flora and fauna in the Northern Territory, begins.

A new airport in Toowoomba opens up a huge market for the region's agriculture sector.

A year of high prices in the beef industry has boosted morale and hopes for the future.

Australian Ashleigh Gentle has claimed victory in a drama-charged Noosa Triathlon.

Brisbane's restaurant scene is coming into its own as the spotlight on celebrity cuisine and food from other Australian and world cities starts to shift to local producers, chef Alastair McLeod says.

The enlarged face of a blow up sex doll named Sucka is the first thing to confront the audience walking into the Monster Pop exhibition in Darwin.

Victoria's fire season starts a month earlier than usual, prompting fire officials to urge residents to begin preparations.

Health authorities scramble to contain an outbreak of syphilis that is believed to have claimed the lives of 10 babies across northern Australia.