Sydney news

An increase in airfares between Sydney and Broken Hill in far west NSW prompts concerns about the negative effect on the regional city's economy.

A 38-year-old man allegedly approached seven womenaged between 17 and 74during a bizarre crime spree in Redcliffe and Scarborough on Tuesday morning.

Environment Tasmania wants the Integrity Commission to probe why TasWater has changed its mind on a controversial dam to be used by Tassal for fish farming on the east coast.

Joe Mennie is readmitted to hospital as follow up scans reveal he had suffered a fractured skull and and minor bleeding on the brain in a training accident.

Methamphetamine use continues to rise across Adelaide, with sewage analysis showing a 25 per cent jump in the past year and a tripling over five years.

A man is in a critical condition in hospital after he was set alight by a neighbour during a dispute at Mangerton, near Wollongong, NSW police say.

Queensland's community legal centres now help six times as many domestic violence victims as five years ago and are not coping with the demand, the sector's peak body says.

The prospect of a Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal Australian Open final is a tantalising one, and former champ Andy Roddick believes it would be the biggest match of all time.

A shortage of productive heifers might signal a difficult year ahead for those operating in the live cattle export sector.

Many Australians have no idea how to deal with attacks from venomous creatures and young people are most at risk, new research suggests.

Australian coach Darren Lehmann slams former England batsman Kevin Pietersen on Twitter as his Melbourne Stars fall to a heavy Big Bash semi-final loss.

Advocates critical of child protection legislation drafted in South Australia in response to a royal commission claim it does not have a big enough focus on prevention.

One of Sydney's best-known pubs, which has been around for more than a century, is forced to silence local artists performing live music in its courtyard due to a noise complaint from a neighbour.

Tasmania is examining how the state's out-of-hours bail system operates in the wake of last week's deadly driver rampage in Melbourne's CBD, which killed five people.

Mitchell Johnson produces the staggering figures of 3-3 in a devastating display of fast bowling to help Perth Scorchers defeat Melbourne Stars by seven wickets and earn a place in the Big Bash League final.

A Liberal Party election vow to erect a shark net at a popular regional beach in Western Australia is met with surprise by locals and described as "pork barrelling" by a political commentator.

Sydneysiders are opting for "incredibly expensive" homes because they want views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, according to Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce, who says those who cannot afford city housing should consider moving to the country.

Four-time champion Roger Federer ensures the Australian Open semi-finals will have a Swiss flavour, as he books a meeting with countryman Stan Wawrinka in the last four.

Stan Wawrinka engages in a war of words with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga before advancing to the Australian Open semi-finals with a 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, 6-3 victory.

A four-year-old boy dies after being struck by a car in the West Australian town of Derby, with police launching an investigation.

David Warner may have won back-to-back Alan Border Medals, but Meg Lanning has gone one better. Last night she won her third Belinda Clark Award, the highest honour for a female cricketer, and some are now saying she may just be the greatest of all time.

Bernard Tomic is a surprise withdrawal from Australia's Davis Cup team to take on Czech Republic in next week's first-round tie at Kooyong.

The city of Fremantle is set to effectively become a litmus test for the #changethedate movement when the local council holds its 'culturally inclusive' alternative celebration to Australia Day two days later.

The entertainment industry is in shock after the death of stuntman and actor Johann Ofner on the set of a music video being made for hip hop group Bliss n Eso.

A tiny lizard unique to Central Australia has been successfully bred at the Alice Springs Desert Park, with each hatchling weighing in at just 2 grams.

David Warner may have won back-to-back Allan Border Medals, but Meg Lanning has gone one better, last night winning her third Belinda Clark Award.

Using blanks in a firearm might seem like a sure way to guarantee the safety of a target, but "blank" is a misnomer.

WA National Party Leader Brendon Grylls says the Balla Balla iron ore project should be entitled to royalty discounts if it uses a residential workforce.

Suspended Queensland policeman Chris Hurley, who was acquitted of manslaughter over the 2007 death of Cameron Doomadgee on Palm Island, is fined $500 for assaulting a female police officer at a Gold Coast shopping centre while he was off duty last year.

Another two cases of legionnaires' disease are reported in South Australia, bringing to eight the number linked to a single cluster.

Superheroes are being used to inspire young students to discover and develop their artistic powers.

The Tasmanian Government confirms convicted child sex offender Sonny Day has been moved from a residence at Ellendale after an arson attack, but will not not say where he is currently living.

Stan Wawrinka advances to the Australian Open semi-finals at Melbourne Park where he may potentially face countryman and four-time champion Roger Federer.

Australian women are outperforming men when it comes to keeping active across the country, with the difference starkest in Queensland, according to data from the Australian Sports Commission.

With tens of thousands of Australians expected to take a sickie after the Australia Day public holiday, Business SA is pleading with workers to consider the impact on their employer.

No live ammunition was loaded in the weapon which killed stuntman and actor Johann Ofner during filming of a music video for Australian hip hop group Bliss n Eso in Brisbane's CBD, management for the group says.

Northern Territory outback aircraft deal with tough weather conditions during food drops and property flyovers as the big wet continues.

The port city of Fremantle is set to effectively become a litmus test for the #changethedate movement when the local council holds its "culturally inclusive" alternative celebration to Australia Day two days later.

A retired Catholic priest living in Sydney has faced court as part of attempts to extradite him to the UK where he is accused of child abuse offences. It comes more than a year after the UK Crown Office announced plans to extradite Denis Alexander, who worked at a school in Scotland in the 1970s.

A man is arrested in connection with a blaze that burned out more than 30 hectares of land in the New South Wales Hunter Valley near Kurri Kurri, while a fire at Camberwell is brought under control.

Shadow treasurer Ben Wyatt concedes WA Labor does not have a silver bullet solution to the state's debt problem, amid accusations from Premier Colin Barnett that it has no plan to reduce borrowings.

A prisoner who tried to escape custody by making a dash from a Canberra courtroom when his parole was revoked, injuring security officers in the process, is sentenced to an extra six months jail for the attempt.

A team of researchers is learning more about the behaviours of reef, or coastal, manta rays (Manta alfredi) at Ningaloo Reef on Western Australia's north-west coast.

A massive stockpile of about 1 million car and truck tyres at the Tasmanian town of Longford should be gone within three years with the approval of a shredding facility.

Nicholas Marchesi and Lucas Patchett, who were named the 2016 Australians of the Year for founding the Orange Sky Laundry service for homeless people, tell the 2017 nominees to keep challenging themselves regardless of who takes away the award.

Seafood sampling will determine how far toxic chemicals have spread from Gold Coast Airport into the surrounding environment, as authorities respond to last year's discovery of toxins in nearby soil and groundwater.

An Adelaide taxi driver who says he was pushed to the ground and robbed by AFL player Trent Dumont and another man "presumed" they took his money, a court hears.

Post-TPP, Australian miners and service providers hope US President Donald Trump will get through another pledgehis massive infrastructure spend.

A Southern Cross University student, who was a florist for 16 years, is named Australia's top Indigenous law student of the year.

Venus Williams will play the unseeded Coco Vandeweghe in the Australian Open semi-finals, after both Americans have straight-sets wins on day nine.