Sydney news

CEX Dolce makes early exit from 2015 Sydney to Hobart race

Hopes for the safety of a man who disappeared when his boat capsized at Beachport in South Australia's south-east on Boxing Day are fading.

The West Indies are six wickets down and 460 runs in arrears to start day three of the Boxing Day Test against Australia. Follow our live blog for all the latest action.

Egypt's government says an explosion in Cairo's twin city of Giza has killed three people, including a senior judge, and injured 11.

Four vehicles are destroyed in a suspected arson attack in Sydney's east and a fifth is seriously damaged.

A search has resumed today for a man whose crashed ute has been found in remote bushland west of Port Macquarie

Senator calls for Queensland MPs to reveal opinions.

New York Jets centre Nick Mangold showed just how much of a Seinfeld fan he is this Christmas by celebrating Festivus - an alternative and made-up holiday on December 23 popularised by the hit US sitcom - with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

NFL star Peyton Manning says a report that suggests he used performance-enhancing drugs was "completely fabricated, complete trash," and "garbage".

Fremantle's Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe is set to miss the rest of his AFL side's preseason due to a bulging disc in his back.

Revellers flee for cover at Woodford Folk Festival as skies open.

Brisbane is heading for a clear start to 2016.

Japanese cyclist Yumi Kajihara backs up her Latrobe Wheel title with a win at the Launceston Christmas Carnival at the Silverdome.

Four cars are destroyed in a suspected arson attack in Sydney's east and a fifth is seriously damaged.

Police doorknock Sunshine Coast town after fight in street.

No one is talking openly about the cause of the rift between Madonna and her teenage son, Rocco.

Police find the body of a second man after a boating accident at Waterhouse Point on Tasmania's north-east coast.

Facebook tributes are pouring in for 19-year-old Wollongong man Jye McWatters

China's largely rubber stamp parliament on Sunday passed the country's first law against domestic violence, which covers unmarried people who cohabit but does not protect gay couples, a senior lawmaker said.

Melbourne United coach Dean Demopoulos reflected on his childhood after his team's 92-87 win over the ladder-leading Perth Wildcats with the roof open at Hisense Arena on Sunday night.

A plant pathologist has warned growers against planting back to back chickpea crops, no matter how lucrative the current market may be.

A development application has been submitted to Murrumbidgee Shire Council for a composting facility to take waste from a nearby cotton gin and the horticulture and food processing sectors.

Stuart Broad shone with bat and ball to give England the advantage on an enthralling second day of the first Test against South Africa.

A suspicious fire has engulfed Daylesford Secondary College overnight, destroying half of the school. 

A "King of Custard" helps put the Victorian town of Birchip on the map, with his legendary vanilla slice.

Besieged rebel fighters in a Syrian border town and families trapped in two Shiite towns in northern Syria are expected to be evacuated on Monday in the second stage of a rare, UN-backed deal.

Harden's Mayor John Horton says the Council is not giving up the fight to merge with Cootamundra instead of joining with Boorowa and Young.

Plans for a veterinary hospital at Cowra have been given the green light.

Gwydir Shire Council has been given the all-clear by the Environment Protection Authority, after a number of asbestos dumps were identified in the northern New South Wales town of Warialda more than two years ago.

Beleaguered Malaysia Airlines suffered fresh embarrassment over the weekend after it was revealed a Christmas Day flight from Auckland flew in the wrong direction for eight minutes after air traffic controllers were given the wrong flight plan.

Astra Taylor is not paranoid, but she keeps duct tape over the camera lens on her laptop computer. She is one of the growing group of people that sense human needs are getting lost in the progression of technology.

Two people have died in a house fire in Sydney's south overnight, police say.

Jye McWatters found dead in Warilla yard

Facebook tributes are pouring in for 19-year-old Wollongong man Jye McWatters

​American entry Comanche has stretched her overnight lead in the Sydney to Hobart as three more yachts withdrew from the blue water classic.

The Bogan Shire Council is urging landowners to report people trespassing on properties in the wake of a spike in illegal hunting.

The falling Australian dollar has been good news for Hunter region tourism operators.

Fremantle's Brownlow Medallist Nat Fyfe will reportedly miss the rest of his AFL side's pre-season after rupturing a disc in his back during training.

A man is behind bars after an alleged domestic assault in Lake Macquarie that saw one man fall through a window.

The Blayney Council says it's confident services and projects won't have to be cut, despite a drop in the amount of revenue it's set to raise through rates.

After spending their first Christmas together in Australia, a Nigerian family is planning ahead for their new life in Newcastle.

A brawl broke out in a crowd of more than 200 people outside a nightclub in Carlton on Sunday morning, police say.

Police have praised Hunter drivers for being generally well behaved over Christmas but say too many people are still taking risks.

A coal company led by controversial businessman Nathan Tinkler is set to become the new owner of a Hunter Valley mine.

Wild conditions are being blamed for a large number of retirements from the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, including three Hunter boats.

More allegations have been made about an entrenched culture of bullying in the health system - this time at Ballarat Hospital. A doctor has come forward alleging he was the victim of an aggressive campaign at the hospital that caused lasting damage to his career and mental health.

Residents of Victoria's fire-devastated Surf Coast will briefly return to the area today, as firefighters continue their battle to control the blaze that has destroyed 116 homes since Christmas Day.

An elderly woman has been killed and another injured after a car struck a tree in the Yarra Ranges. Her death is the fifth on Victoria's road in as many days.

High demand for water in Lake Cargelligo has prompted a warning that stricter water restrictions may be brought into force.

Stevie Wright has died