Sydney news

Two fires in the same suburb in Melbourne's south are suspicious but not linked, police say.

One of the world's leading perfume makers has travelled to the Kimberley's Ord Irrigation Scheme, to get a firsthand look at Indian sandalwood production.

The Brisbane duo famous for launching Orange Sky, the world's first free mobile laundry for the homeless, begin trialling a shower van which has been hailed as "bloody awesome" by its first customer.

Toxicologists investigate a spike in heroin-related deaths as emergency and health services are put on high alert in South Australia.

A Canberra GP fighting allegations of inappropriate behaviour during a consult with a female patient will have to be chaperoned when seeing patients.

The Brisbane duo famous for launching Orange Sky, the world's first free mobile laundry for the homeless, begin trialling a shower van which has been hailed as "bloody awesome" but its first customer.

A spokesman for the Premier defends the cost of an advertising blitz promoting the New South Wales Government's controversial greyhound racing ban.

Adelaide Crows skipper Taylor Walker says Eddie Betts wants to move on from the racist incident that marred an AFL match in Adelaide.

Police charge a 48-year-old woman with murder after a man was shot dead at Labrador on the Gold Coast in a house opposite a school.

Actress Renee Zellweger says she wrote an essay denying she had plastic surgery on her eyes because the rumours were so personal.

A Frankston man is charged in connection to a burglary and kidnapping in Melbourne's south on Saturday.

Once the form side of the NRL, Cronulla is suddenly on a losing streak, falling to a third-straight defeat, against South Sydney.

Sydney arts students angry over proposed job cuts and the downscaling of the arts program at the University of Sydney have staged what they call an "occupation" of the college's administration office.

Scientists working in allergy research have revealed some fascinating new findings at the International Congress of Immunology in Melbourne today.

Leigh Sales is joined by Renee Zellweger to discuss playing Bridget Jones again and the pressures of Hollywood.

Several Western Australian companies are trying to cut workers' wages after the Fair Work Commission agreed to scrap workers' contracts at the financially-troubled Griffin Coal mine, a major union says.

Angry retirement village residents on Hobart's eastern shore are willing to take legal action if a decision to charge rates on retirement housing is not reversed.

Questions are being raised over the sale of prime oceanfront land just outside Kalbarri to Sam Barnett, the son of WA Premier Colin Barnett.

Incidents like the weekend's banana throwing at Indigenous AFL star Eddie Betts makes Aboriginal people feel like outcasts in their own country, a community leader says.

Police widen the possible age bracket and release fresh images in the hunt for the killer of a woman whose dismembered body was dumped in Perth's Swan River.

Melbourne is most likely the food allergy capital of the world because of a fear of germs, the climate and a lack of vitamin D, researchers say.

A man dies when his cherry picker connects with power lines while lopping trees at The Gap in Brisbane's inner north-west.

A man in jail charged over the alleged gang rape of a 15-year-old girl at a house party in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, has been threatening her since his arrest, a court hears.

Broadcasting from the Melbourne institution which is home to so many of our emotional and life-changing pivotal moments we hear from three senior doctors working at the Women's, and a visiting leading expert drug researcher.

A lack of skilled workers and expensive training trips to Adelaide are just some of the things holding back South Australia's regional economic growth, a business study uncovers.

The brother of a Melbourne toddler who was allegedly murdered 11 years ago repeatedly told police and family members his mother's boyfriend was responsible, a court is told.

A network of proposed wetlands around Canberra will restore the natural landscape and could even reduce temperatures in summer, according to a local ecologist.

A man, who police believe is an unlicensed electrician, is charged with assisting in the theft of more than $500,000 of electricity in Adelaide.

The family of a man gunned down in a small country town in Tasmania's midlands hope a record $250,000 reward will finally see his killer convicted.

Not your typical 'grey nomads', this group has ditched the caravans and is driving enormous Chamberlain 9G tractors through WA's Mid West region.

Almost $54 million is wiped off the value of the former Mitsubishi site at Tonsley, with Renewal SA chief saying projects like this are about improving economic viability of businesses around them and creating jobs.

A funnel cloud spotted over Eynesbury, west of Melbourne, is not like a tornado and does not normally touch the ground, the Bureau of Meteorology says.

A Catholic priest who sexually assaulted boys during wrestling bouts is sentenced to a minimum of five years and four months in jail after being convicted of 44 child sex offences against six victims.

Two teenagers plead guilty to killing a 53-year-old man at a remote Aboriginal community and are labelled "vile, brutal psychopaths that should be locked up forever" by the victim's sister.

A woman who had her Canberra house sold at auction without her knowledge is awarded more than $500,000 in damages from the ACT Government.

Questions are being raised about the scientific basis for the Queensland Government's decision to axe a controversial goat eradication program.

The owners of around 50 cattle stations in the Northern Territory sign an open letter advertisement against hydraulic fracturing.

A Catholic priest who sexually assaulted boys during wrestling bouts will spend more than five years in jail after being convicted of 44 child sex offences against six victims.

A 16-year-old-girl who died of a drug overdose while in Victorian state care had previously been infected with hepatitis C by a recently released prisoner, an inquest hears.

A dairy lobby group, banned from attending a key industry meeting planned by the deputy Prime Minister, claims only those in support of Federal Government policies made the guest list.

A man is dead after being shot near Labrador State School on the Gold Coast, with police closing the street and setting up a diversion for traffic.

The ADF admits it accidentally exposed one of its soldiers to controversial anti-malarial drugs during trials in East Timor, despite the soldier having a medical history of mental illness.

Budget airline Tigerair announces it will resume flights between Canberra and Melbourne, breaking the duopoly held by Qantas and Virgin.

A report commissioned by the meat processing sector argues there is no economic case for tighter regulation of the industry.

Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe moves to quash doubts about his future at the Fremantle Dockers, dismissing reports he would consider a trade and saying a contract extension will be "sorted" next year.

A COAG Energy Council commitment to ramp up onshore gas production pleases industry, riles environmentalists and landholders.

The Hobart Hurricanes talk up their chances of winning the T20 Big Bash series after signing English star bowler Stuart Broad.

It is less than a kilometre from Perth's city centre, but its relative isolation on the opposite side of the Swan River has shaped South Perth's development.

Former NRL player Anthony Watts is granted bail after allegedly assaulting a man at a Gold Coast wedding on Friday night.

Australia's Red Centre is gaining a reputation as one of the country's best mountain biking destinations but the sport's popularity is creating issues between riders, landholders and traditional owners.