Sydney news

The Western Australian coroner will shortly hand down her findings into the death in custody of an Aboriginal woman more than two years ago. Twenty-two-year-old Ms Dhu died from septicaemia and pneumonia, three days after she was locked up in a South Hedland police station for unpaid fines totalling less than $4,000. Her grandmother, Carol Roe, has made an emotional statement outside the court. Lawyer Ruth Barson, who has worked closely with Ms Dhu's family, has called for the Western Australian

North Stradbroke Island, or 'Straddie' as it's known by many Queenslanders, is moving away from sand mining, which has been the mainstay of its economy since the 1940s. The State Government will give $5 million to support North Stradbroke Island miners as they phase out of the industry. Some doubt that the island can sustain itself on tourism alone. But the traditional owners, the Quandamooka Aboriginal people, hope their connection to the region of more than 20,000 years will now be better reco

It should soon be easier for aspiring university students to work out which course they can enter. The Federal Government says some universities have been 'gaming' the system by claiming their courses require a high admissions score, when in reality students with much lower scores are admitted. The Federal Education Minister says that, from 2018, universities will have to publish detailed information about exactly what marks students received to get into their degree; and if institutions don't c