Sydney news

Honour is on the chopping block as Australia's national butchery team, the Steelers, pushes to reclaim the world championship from arch rivals, the New Zealand Sharp Blacks.

A memorial service will take place this weekend in Aberdare in the NSW Hunter Valley, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the death of four coal miners. The owners of the Gretley Colliery were found guilty in 2004 of safety breaches that led to the drowning of the workers, who were swept away after drilling into a flooded mine shaft.

When Hans Grimus left Austria for Australia 56 years ago, the ski industry stalwart knew nothing about the land down under with a similar name, and despite what people may have expected, he wasn't all that good on the slopes.

According to Aussie slang, not much is supposed to happen in the back of Bourke. But when my grandparents moved to the outback post in 1958, they met Mother Teresa and gained a collection of tales of divine providence destined to become family folklore, writes Felicity Sheppard.

Isaac Smith hooks a set shot after the siren and Geelong beats Hawthorn by two points to reach the preliminary finals, adding another stunning chapter in the great Cats-Hawks rivalry.

The referees were in the NRL finals spotlight for the wrong reasons once again as Brisbane beat Gold Coast 44-28 at Lang Park.

Clive Palmer's security detail clashes with reporters as the former federal MP leaves court after giving evidence at a hearing into the collapse of his Queensland Nickel refinery.

Indigenous artists are break new ground at the Sydney Opera House by staging a locally-written opera and by playing a role normally the preserve of Anglo-Saxon actors.

Police arrest alleged paedophile ring member Alfred John Impicciatore after he failed to appear in a Perth court.

Victims sob in court as a jury finds a 74-year-old Canberra man guilty of multiple sex offences against four young girls between the 1970s and 1990s.

Clipsal 500 grandstands caught up in a financial collapse are sold to pay off debt, leaving the South Australian Government to negotiate with the new owner for their use at next year's event.

A Chinese girls cricket team on tour in South Australia plays a historic match against students from Adelaide High School.

Billionaire Kerry Stokes' private investment company is one of five being considered to develop the East Perth power station site for the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority.

Liberal Senator Dean Smith at a Senate Inquiry at Parliament House in Canberra

A suicidal man found guilty of murdering two people in a fatal head-on crash near Whyalla has his appeal dismissed by South Australia's Court of Criminal Appeal.

Police say a man who escaped from the Alexander Maconochie Centre a week ago has an associate, and warned people not to approach the pair.

Students at Findon High School don legal gowns as they argue cases in their new purpose-built courtroom.

A hotel construction site in central Hobart is temporarily shut down after a suspected discovery of asbestos in concrete building material.

For people with autism and their families, lack of understanding and social stigma can be detrimental to mental health.

The son of a key person of interest in the 1982 disappearance of Queensland man Tony Jones tells a coronial inquest that his father said he did "something".

A man who injected a 16-year-old girl he met in Hobart's Franklin Square with the drug ice escapes a jail term.

Leading planning experts say driverless cars could eventually bring about the end of individual car ownership, and a new approach on urban planning.

A high-ranking police officer charged over a domestic dispute, which sparked a siege in Adelaide's south, wipes away tears after being told he will spend at least another week in prison after his bail application was adjourned.

A man suffering from a tooth infection in outback New South Wales says waiting for medial authorities to fill a gap in dental staff has been a painful experience.

Judy Moran begins an attempt to appeal against her murder conviction, with her lawyers arguing prosecutors failed to disclose key information about a witness at her trial.

A man accused of making threats at the Sydney Opera House is ordered to undergo a mental health assessment.

Western Australian election candidate Rob Houston admits using an image of his former Defence chief father in uniform on poster "probably was not the best photo to use".

Floodwaters at Coleraine in Victoria's west are now receding, emergency services say, after 20 properties were flooded during heavy rain.

A State Government deal to give police extensive access to Queensland Rail security cameras earns the ire of the Council for Civil Liberties.

We quiz the candidates hoping to become Sydney's next lord mayor so you know who they are and what the stand for.

Former rugby league player Craig Izzard denies allegations he solicited a bribe early last year and claims he acted honestly in his role as an illegal waste dumping investigator for western Sydney councils.

At the Northern Territory's last royal commission, women sported pageboy haircuts and men were in long socks and shorts.

A routine valuation audit at the little-known Berndt Museum in Perth leads to the discovery of a flour bin full of Aboriginal artefacts not seen since the 1940s.

A disappointing performance in July's federal election, and a push for sweeping party reform backed by former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown, expose deep divisions inside the troubled NSW Greens.

With the increasing focus on the problem of obesity in Australia, charities are reminding people not to forget about the escalating problem of hunger among Australia's poor.

Queensland police receive extensive access to more security cameras across the state, after striking a deal with Queensland Rail.

The fun and fitness benefits of running or enjoying a meal at a restaurant are being harnessed by a wildlife sanctuary in country New South Wales to help preserve some of Australia's most endangered species.

Out the front of an unassuming building tucked down a Melbourne side street stands a giant pair of red, sparkly high-heeled boots. It's just a taste of what awaits inside.

Linda Jackson and Jenny Kee, known for their colourful fashion design collaborations depicting Australia's flora and fauna, unite again for an exhibition.

Manly Sea Eagles centre Steve Matai threatens legal action over media reports saying his phone had been seized by police.

The emergence of Reece Hodge has been a rare shining light for the struggling Wallabies in 2016 and he will make his starting debut against the Springboks on Saturday night.

The son of a key person of interest in the 1982 disappearance of Queensland man Tony Jones tells a coronial inquest that his father did "something" years ago.

The boom in electric vehicles and solar storage batteries is seeing lithium prices surge, but can they hold up as new producers race to expand supply?

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Perth boxer Lucas 'Big Daddy' Browne says he is relieved at having his name cleared of doping claims and is hoping to regain the World Boxing Association Regular title in Australia.

Prospective councillors are risking fewer votes by refusing to join group tickets at local government elections across New South Wales.

Danny Jack Deacon has been found guilty of the murder of his partner Carlie Sinclair.

Conservationists are calling for the relocation of a young koala that appears to have been left stranded by construction of the second stage of the Gold Coast light rail project.

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