Sydney news

Severe and extreme fire danger warnings and a total fire ban remain in place for parts of Perth and regional Western Australia as the state continues to swelter.

Pictures of a woman injured in a Newcastle bashing have been shared thousands of times.

A rare flower that smells like rotting flesh and is almost two metres tall opens in the Mount Lofty Botanic Garden near Adelaide.

Organisers of this weekend's Pittwater to Coffs Harbour bluewater yacht race say conditions are looking good

While the crew of American yacht Comanche celebrate line honours, Australian supermaxi Ragamuffin 100 charges home in a tight battle to finish in second place in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.

Western Health's acting chief executive officer is not aware of claims that junior doctors experience routine bullying and harassment while on placement in Ballarat.

A record-breaking young pilot is identified as the man who was flying a Tiger Moth plane which crashed near the Gold Coast on Monday, killing a 58-year-old passenger.

A 20-year-old man will face court after he was allegedly seen waving what was thought to be a firearm at passing cars at Coffs Harbour on the New South Wales north coast.

​Wall Street fell on Monday, hurt by a steep drop oil prices as well as a dip in Apple shares, pushing the S&P 500 back into negative territory for 2015.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has described allegations made in an Al Jazeera report that Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning took human growth hormone as "very concerning" and has urged "increased collaboration" with sports leagues in the US.

Manchester United's winless run continued but they gave under-fire coach Louis van Gaal crumbs of cheer with a committed display in an entertaining 0-0 draw with Chelsea

The pilot who survived a crash which killed his passenger on the Gold Coast on Monday morning was once the youngest person to fly solo around the world.

An increasing number of analysts are willing to point to the year ahead as being an inflexion point for the sector.

Australia has been a perennial underperformer for at least a decade compared with most of its global sharemarket peers.

Victoria's grasslands are up to six weeks ahead of the usual drying pattern, suggesting the fire season will be long and threatening.

A review of South Australia's hospital system needs to examine the number of bureaucrats after documents show administrators outnumber doctors, Family First MP Robert Brokenshire says.

On a New Year's Eve many years ago, I watched an early evening snowstorm from the one window of my 200-square-foot Manhattan apartment.

Even in the high-tech world of 2016, crims will be able to side-step your account security by making a phone call and saying they're you.

Two police officers involved in the November 2014 shooting of Tamir Rice, 12, who was playing with a toy weapon, won't be charged.

 Former political leaders behaving badly. A disgraced health blogger defending her claims of having terminal cancer. Television in 2015 was a viewer's delight.

At least 32 people have been killed and 90 wounded in two bomb explosions in the Syrian city of Homs, while some 900 people were evacuated from two other towns.

Vladimir Putin's saltiest one-liners have been published in a book that is being touted as an ideal gift for patriotic Russian officials.

George "Meadowlark" Lemon, known as the "Clown Prince of Basketball" for his captivating and amusing style during his 24-season run with the Harlem Globetrotters died in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Sunday. He was 83.

Four fires which started within minutes of each other at Seacombe Gardens this morning are being treated as suspicious.

The Australian market looks set to open lower, dragged down by falls on Wall Street, and weakness in gold and oil prices.

South Australia's scorching summer is set to continue with heatwave conditions to greet the new year.

A man dies after his car crashes into a tree in Canberra's north, taking the ACT's annual road toll to 15.

The state Member for Northern Tablelands is encouraging people to have their say about a proposal for a container deposit scheme.

A man is arrested after he was seen waving what was thought to be a firearm at passing cars at Coffs Harbour, on the New South Wales north coast.

More than 200 holidaymakers spend hours stuck in waters off Brisbane after a barge headed for North Stradbroke Island runs aground on a sandbank.

A fire safety inspection is set to be carried out of Jenolan Caves near Oberon amid concerns infrastructure needs to be repaired.

Hollywood has broken two very different records this holiday season.

Police are urging the public not to approach a man who is accused of fleeing officers in Coonabarabran after they allegedly found rifles, knives and ammunition.

Police search for a man who they believe indecently assaulted a woman walking in Paddington in the early hours of Monday morning.

The usually-busy car park outside the ACT Magistrates Court. (28 December 2015)

The Cupping Room shut up and minus the usual coffee and customers. (28 December 2015)

Milk but no freakshakes outside a closed Ptissez. (28 December 2015)

Brodburger, without the queue. (28 December 2015)

A mass exodus of Canberrans for the summer holidays leaves the city deserted.

The Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will tour fire affected parts of Victoria's surf coast later this morning. Authorities are warning residents and tourists the ongoing fire could pose an increased risk when the weather turns on Thursday. But revellers at this year's Falls Music and Arts Festival are preparing to bring in the New Year after the fire scare that forced the event out of Lorne.

Wide-bottomed American supermaxi Comanchi has claimed line honours in a dramatic Sydney to Hobart yacht race. Tough conditions forced almost a third of the fleet to retire early, and even Comanchi set sail back to Sydney at one stage, after its rudder broke. But a quick thinking crew, resilience, and some running repairs, lead to an unlikely comeback for the 100ft yacht. It's also the first time a female owner has won the blue water classic.

Fans the world over would love to hear some good news, or indeed any news at all, on former Formula One world champion Michael Schumacher and his recovery from a life-threatening skiing accident.

The Hunter's last remaining boat in the Sydney to Hobart yacht race has battled through another rough night of seas that has seen dozens more boats pull retire.

Hunter blood donors are being urged to give generously over the next week.

The victory is the first major triumph for Iraq's army since it collapsed in the face of an IS assault 18 months ago.

The New South Wales environmental watchdog says there is no place for complacency among Hunter industries over the holiday period, with officers on guard to detect any breaches.

A Hunter prawn industry veteran says the local sector's experiencing one of its toughest patches in memory.

Wet weather over recent weeks looks to have delayed the start of the Hunter Valley's grape harvest.

An investigation is underway into a massive fire that has severely damaged Denman's Memorial Hall.

Britain's chief medical officer has reportedly written to doctors and pharmacies in Britain sounding the alarm on antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea.