Sydney news

West Australian meat processor sends its first shipment of chilled lamb into China under an historic licence.

Wild weather creates havoc with high winds and heavy rain causing damage around central Victoria.

Police in Sydney's north-west make the largest seizure of hydroponic cannabis in New South Wales' history.

The Indigenous Affairs Minister backs opponents of a push to ease liquor restrictions in the Kimberley towns of Halls Creek and Fitzroy Crossing, saying the protection of women and children is paramount.

Vrasidas Karalis returned to Greece to survey the wreckage of the 2008 economic crisis and was shocked by what he saw. (R)

Sydney defender Ted Richards says the AFL chief executive's apology to Swans veteran Adam Goodes over last year's racism affair has come too late.

A 50-year-old woman is missing after falling out of a dragon boat in a Gold Coast creek on Thursday night.

A Senate inquiry's push to dismantle the Goolwa barrages that keep sea water out of the Murray mouth is driven by the greed of the eastern states, the South Australian Government says.

A man is injured after attempting to stop the theft of his car by jumping on the bonnet as it was driven away in Sydney's south-west.

Jason Strong says the AACo abattoir is facing a competitive environment to source cattle.

A 72-year-old man is charged with a string of offences after a four-hour standoff with police on Brisbane's bayside yesterday.

The poor treatment of a pregnant woman at Darwin's Prison Health Service is evidence of systemic failures, an investigation finds.

A move to examine a finding by the Corruption and Crime Commission that former Treasurer Troy Buswell's chief of staff misled Parliament could lead to contempt proceedings.

A report into the shocking death of a newborn baby by his teenage father shows miscalculation of risk can have fatal consequences.

The rising number of Aboriginal children in protection is unacceptable and needs to be better addressed by governments, welfare groups say.

Liquor retailers in the Kimberley towns of Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek are pushing to ease stringent alcohol restrictions. The bans were imposed from 2007 and are credited with leading to a dramatic drop in assaults, domestic violence and presentations to hospital emergency departments. Some community members accuse the liquor retailers of being motivated by greed, but they say the restrictions cause sly grogging.

A miners union says it is a long way off reaching a resolution with BHP Billiton over job cuts.

A 102-year-old Vauxhall race car is being driven from Melbourne to Sydney, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of its original record-breaking trip.

The Queensland Government is set to introduce laws it says will stop "skyrocketing" tree-clearing rates in the state.

Hundreds of followers of an ancient Middle-Eastern faith have descended on a river in western Sydney for one of the holiest weeks in their calendar.Mandaeans perform an elaborate baptism ritual as a central part of their beliefs. Australia has one of the world's biggest communities.

Richmond chief executive Brendon Gale believes the existing Punt Road Oval could become the ideal option for Melbourne's third AFL stadium.

Independent senator Nick Xenophon may be the only crossbencher who supports the Senate voting reform bill, however he says it doesn't deserve this kind of attention. Senator Xenophon expects the debate to get ugly and says if not much progress is made by this afternoon, the marathon sitting will continue into tomorrow.

Labor's deputy Senate leader Stephen Conroy says the timing of the Senate voting reform bill debate has entirely been in the hands of the Government and the Greens. As the debate is dragged out by the Labor Party, Senator Conroy says it's because the Coalition refuses to answer any questions on the substance of the bill.

The embattled chief executive of Sydney's Liverpool council has resigned, a document shows, despite the mayor denying initial reports on the resignation.

The NSW Aboriginal Land Council says it is aware of the angst about mining, but is continuing to looking into ventures across the state, as it needs economic independence.

A man accused of child abduction performed sex acts on his alleged victim while the boy was under psychiatric care in hospital, a court hears.

Police are investigating the cause of a fire at a motorcycle factory next to the Bandidos clubhouse in Geelong.

More than 350 houses are still without power after a cool change caused disruptions across South Australia overnight.

A 39-year-old man is charged after allegedly slashing the throat of a homeless man while he was sleeping in the Sydney CBD.

Under-siege Parramatta Eels chairman Steve Sharp angrily rejects claims of foul play over his salary doubling in the past 12 months, saying his NRL club is the victim of a smear campaign.

After a marathon all-night sitting, the Senate continues to debate the voting reform bill. Although the Government has done a deal to pass the laws, the Coalition and Greens did not want to join forces to cut the debate short.

Sydney's Biennale is back, and it's turning the city's cultural icons into places for dangerous ideas.

A former key figure with Tasmania's renowned Rosny Children's Choir is charged with child sexual offences dating back 40 years.

Police prepare to charge a 73-year old man at the centre of tense standoff at Capalaba.

Lateline's exclusive report as a former Catholic Church co-ordinator reveals former Melbourne Archbishop George Pell prevented her from helping victims of abuse in Doveton, a parish devastated by a notorious paedophile priest.

The Cowboys bounce back from their shock loss to Parramatta last week with a crushing 40-0 win over the Sydney Roosters in Townsville.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan apologises to retired Sydney great Adam Goodes for last year's racism controversy.

Streets are shut down and police form a cordon around an address south-east of Brisbane where an armed man is holed up in a shed.

About 50 homeowners in Lauderdale, on the south-eastern outskirts of Hobart, will once again have access to their mortgage redraw facilities after TasWater decides to lift caveats on their properties.

Crossbench senators call for a cost-benefit analysis of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, and for reassessment of Coorong's freshwater status.

Tolls could be waived on parts of Melbourne's CityLink as the Victorian Government apologises to motorists following a horror morning of traffic.

Tasmania Police changed how it responds to family violence after reviewing the case of a woman bashed to death by her partner at a Launceston motel, an inquest hears.

Former Labor MP Rob Pyne says he has not personally accused Deputy Queensland Premier Jackie Trad of bullying because he wants to move on.

A man accused of child abduction performed sex acts on his alleged victim while the boy was under psychiatric care in hospital, a court hears.

Parents say they were left in the dark over plans by Muzz Buzz to build a drive-through coffee shop at one of the city's most congested intersections.

New South Wales rips through the Victorian top-order late on day three in Alice Springs to be well on track to seal a berth in the Sheffield Shield final.

The Australian Barista Championships are underway in Melbourne. The winner will go to the world championships in Ireland in June. The current World Barista Champion is Canberra coffee entrepreneur Sasa Sestic, who's been training the prothe hopes will take this year's crown.

A man who stopped to help at a fatal car accident in Canberra's north says the victim was still alive when he arrived.

There is an unfolding situation at Capalaba, south-east of Brisbane, as police form a cordon around an address where an armed man is holed up in a shed.

A former Catholic insider calls on police to subpoena all of the Church's secret clergy abuse documents, known as the "red files".