Sydney news

The Environment Protection Authority probes claims of a leak at a Chinese-owned mine tailings dam but says there are no threats to drinking water.

After putting down their paint brushes to raise children and concentrate on their careers, a group of rural women are returning to art using Mexican artist Frida Kahlo as their muse.

Mining giant Adani is today expected to announce a $73-million deal to buy railway steel from Arrium's troubled Whyalla steelworks in South Australia.

A Northern Territory cattle station which doubled as a wildlife safari hunting business for around 15 years has been sold to a local pastoral family.

The wife of a Northern Territory man sentenced to prison for driving offences in Queensland believes he is about to become Australia's next Indigenous death in custody statistic.

Cameras are being placed in areas of Sturt Gorge in the Adelaide foothills to try and confirm "anecdotal reports" of a wild platypus being sighted where they are thought to be extinct.

Andrew Wallace made a failed attempt at becoming a priest, ran his own business as a carpenter and worked as a barrister before entering federal politics.

An apology from the New South Wales Government over its role in the 1977 Granville rail tragedy brings relief to some survivors and relatives of the 83 people killed, while others say it is too little, too late.

Biosecurity authorities theorise an outbreak of a fruit and vegetable rotting disease in Queensland may have reached the farms through imported seeds.

A Canberra woman who was convicted of neglecting her malnourished dog Thug has her 10-year ban on owning animals cut to just two years on appeal.

Amid an unprecedented week-long strike by Fairfax Media staff over an announcement that it will cut 125 editorial jobs, journalists are sending a clear message to managementit is time to invest in journalism.

What happened to Madeleine on May 3, 2007, remains a mystery, but a number of theories have been investigated by police. Here are five possibilities:

FBI Director James Comey said on Wednesday it would have been "catastrophic" to conceal his decision to reopen an investigation into Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton's emails just 11 days before the 2016 presidential election.

American Airlines' newest Boeing 737s will have less legroom in most of the economy cabin than current versions of the narrow-body plane, with at least three rows shrinking the space between seats to 74 centimetres.

​Facebook is nearly doubling the number of workers it employs to monitor Facebook Live video feeds, in an attempt to catch violent streams before they spread across the network.

Former champion Maria Sharapova's hopes of playing at this year's Wimbledon championships could hinge on a June 20 meeting of tournament organisers unless the Russian hits form in forthcoming events in Madrid and Rome.

Brad Pitt has opened up for the first time about his divorce from Angelina Jolie, admitting to heavy drinking and pot smoking and a lifetime of cutting himself off emotionally from others.

Two years after the execution of Myuran Sukumaran​ and Andrew Chan, Australia is no closer to a principled, coherent position on capital punishment.

A man who left a bag packed with explosives and ball bearings on a London underground train on its way to the Canary Wharf financial district last October was convicted on Wednesday of planning to cause an explosion.

US authorities have not been able to find any trace of ill-gotten assets belonging to jailed drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, Mexico's attorney general said on Wednesday.

At least eight Afghan civilians were killed and three U.S. soldiers wounded Wednesday when a suicide bomber attacked a U.S. military convoy during the morning rush hour in Kabul, officials said.

A Canberra law firm will investigate a class action against the ACT government after an administrative bungle meant more than a dozen offenders handed intensive corrections orders could have been jailed illegally.

Nepal is bracing for a busy and potentially dangerous season on Mount Everest after the government issued a record number of permits to foreign climbers this year.

An expletive laden email tirade over last year's ill-fated census directed at the boss of the Australian Bureau of Statistics has cost a university employee his job.

Much-maligned Bernard Tomic has achieved something he hasn't managed to do since 2012 - win back-to-back ATP tour matches on clay.

The War Memorial's gold-plated 'souvenir' from Saddam's regime demeans its commemoration of conflicts.

LEGO Batman did not just save Gotham City he also helped deliver a healthy lift to the bottom line of entertainment giant Time Warner.

A Playboy playmate's decision to pose nude on the top of Mt Taranaki will upset the local Maori populace.

Cameron Baird statue awarded to best on ground in final Anzac Test between Australian Kangaroos and New Zealand Kiwis

Despite repeated speculation Queenslanders could be headed to an early poll, Labor has repeatedly poured cold water on the idea.

The head of construction company Halikos tells the Darwin Supreme Court he did not know agreements with Japanese company Halikos needed to be formally signed off by the board of the Japanese company.

US President Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to hit out at his vanquished rival for the presidency Hillary Clinton, after she laid much of the blame for the US election outcome on Russian hackers and the actions of FBI director James Comey.

Tony Abbott has called accused political leaders of not doing enough to promote "Australian values".

About a hundred Tasmanians gathered in Hobart to show their support for those who have suffered, or continue to suffer, in abusive relationships.

A man shot a mother-of-two in the head five times before dumping her in a mineshaft and incinerating her body - but he insists he did not kill her.

As more Oakden staff are suspended over abuse concerns at the mental health facility, the SA Premier personally tells some of the families involved he is sorry for what has happened to their loved ones.

Anzac Test starts farewell tour for three of the greats.

A month after floods devastated parts of northern NSW, hundreds of victims are still looking for somewhere to live. And it's an area that already has a high rate of homelessness.

A judge has questioned the 'poor decisions' made by a woman who smuggled drugs into Canberra's prison. 

After 60 years behind the microphone, broadcaster John Laws has written a memoir. He spoke to Leigh Sales about his career.

The WA Health Department is caught up in the collapse of the K Care healthcare equipment group, with equipment including baby cots for the new Perth Children's Hospital sitting unfinished in its Malaga factory.

Geelong will look to better protect skipper Joel Selwood after a hard tag from Levi Greenwood caused his frustrations to boil over.

Tasmania's Environment Protection Authority halts salmon giant Tassal's plan to dredge its polluted Franklin lease in Macquarie Harbour.

Friday's Test between the Kiwis and Kangaroos is shaping as a battle of wills and minds.

Cameron Smith will become just the second man to play 50 Tests for Australia.